VANDERBILT, Mich. (AP) - Michigan’s 108,000-acre Pigeon River Country State Forest is getting a nearly 600-acre addition in a land deal valued at more than $2 million, according to the state’s Department of Natural Resources.

The property purchase, finalized last month, adds the Elk Forest at Black River, which is in Montmorency County, to the state’s public lands. The area is surrounded on three sides by existing state-managed land and includes public access to Walled Lake.

The money came from the state’s Forest Legacy Program with matching funds from the agency’s Land Exchange Facilitation Fund and a $75,000 donation from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, according to state officials.

“This spectacular place adds a gem to the crown of Michigan’s public lands,” said Debbie Begalle, DNR forest resources division chief, in a statement. “The land will be open for hiking, hunting, fishing, elk viewing, skiing, snowshoeing, bird watching, mushroom hunting and berry picking, to name just a few activities.”

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