How to Get the Burt Lake Watershed Greenbelt Cost Share Project Rebate
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council · Northern Michigan (Cheboygan / Emmet counties), MI
What you get
Reimburses riparian property owners on Burt Lake, Douglas Lake, Crooked Lake, or Pickerel Lake for 50% of the cost to install a native-plant shoreline greenbelt, up to a maximum of $2,000. Funded through an EGLE Nonpoint Source Program grant; confirmed to have run in both 2024 and 2025. Confirm the current-year application window with the Watershed Council before applying, as the posted deadlines were last updated for the 2025 cycle (Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council; last verified July 2026).
- Residential: 50% reimbursement, up to $2,000
Are you eligible?
- Be a Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council customer
- Property located in: Indian River, Alanson, Brutus
- Riparian property owner on Burt Lake, Douglas Lake, Crooked Lake, or Pickerel Lake
- Only Michigan-native plant genotypes; ornamental cultivars not allowed
- Greenbelt must extend at least 10 ft inland from the ordinary high-water mark and at least 50 ft along the shoreline (or at least 75% of shoreline on small lots)
- Register with Michigan Shoreland Stewards and complete the "Rate Your Shoreland" survey
- Site visit and planting-sketch approval required; allow Watershed Council site access and photography
- Confirm the current-year application deadline with the Watershed Council (231-347-1181) before applying
Before you start
Do not remove turf or begin work before you have written approval. This program requires pre-approval. Starting early can disqualify the project even if everything else is correct.
The 2025 cycle's deadlines were application by April 30 and installation by August 31. Confirm the 2026 window directly with the Watershed Council before applying.
The application checklist
How to apply for the Burt Lake Watershed Greenbelt Cost Share Project
These are the steps this application actually takes. The Pollinator Patch app walks you through each one free, with reminders and a photo locker.
- 1
Call the Watershed Council to confirm the cycle and apply
Call the Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council at 231-347-1181 and confirm the current application window; the posted deadlines were last dated for the 2025 season (applications by April 30, reviewed on a
- 2
Register with Michigan Shoreland Stewards
Create an account at mishorelandstewards.org and, while logged in, take the Rate Your Shoreland survey. The Council uses this plus its own shoreline surveys to rank applications; properties with a poo
- 3
Host the site visit and get your planting sketch approved
Council staff visit the property, and your planting sketch must be approved before installation. The greenbelt must extend at least 10 feet inland from the ordinary high-water mark and run at least 50
- 4
Install the greenbelt by the season deadline
Plant the approved greenbelt yourself or use a contractor (the Council posts an approved-contractors list). The 2025 season required installation by August 31; confirm your season's date. Keep every i
- 5
Verification visit, then submit receipts and the final survey
Council staff verify the installed greenbelt on site. Then submit your itemized receipts and retake the final Shoreland Stewards survey by the season's submission deadline (September 9 for the 2025 se
Get help applying
Free: track it in the app
Free step-by-step guidance for the Burt Lake Watershed Greenbelt Cost Share Project, warnings before the mistakes that disqualify applications, and a photo locker that keeps your before and after photos, receipts, and notes together for the months a rebate takes.
Every program listed cites its official source, and each program page shows the date we last verified it against that source. Program details change throughout the year, so always confirm requirements, amounts, and eligibility directly with the program before starting work. Pollinator Patch is not affiliated with any rebate program and does not guarantee approval.
See a problem with a program? Report it
Programs change throughout the year. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we'll check it against the provider.