Manistee Alliance for Economic Success Press Release FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DNR TRUST FUND BOARD APPROVES GRANTS FOR MANISTEE CO. LAKE MICHIGAN PARKS ONEKAMA AND ARCADIA TOWNSHIPS, MICHIGAN - The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board has approved two grant applications with a combined total of $561,000 to develop two Lake Michigan Parks in Manistee Countys Onekama Township and Arcadia Township with day use, universally accessible facilities. The Alliance for Economic Success (AES) prepared the grant applications on behalf of the Townships. The projects will become Explore the Shores destinations, a widely supported program created in 2008 to develop outstanding access for people of all ages, needs and abilities to enjoy Manistee County waters. Onekama Township is slated to receive a $261,000 grant that, along with $87,000 in Township match, will support a $348,000 project for the 8+ acre John Langland Park (known locally as the Portage Point turnaround)on Lake Michigan, just north of the Portage Lake. The project will convert the Park into a day use area and a Blue Water Trail head, including development of universally accessible restrooms, a boardwalk and pathway to connect site users with the beach and Lake Michigan waters. It will also provide interpretive and educational signage to inform users about the history, opportunities and ways to use the site along with information about the Blue Water Trail program and nearby amenities. The Park development will be an added draw for Portage Point Inn that is slated for revitalization and restoration, located a short distance from Langland Park. We are grateful to the Trust Fund Board and staff for approving this project that is a priority of our Master Plan, Watershed Plan, economic development strategy and the collaborative Lakes to Land Regional Initiative, said Onekama Township Supervisor David Meister. Our plans center on bringing more visitors to our Township to play and, eventually, live and work. From fishing, sunbathing, family picnics, taking your dog for a hike or simply watching Lake Michigan, these new facilities will enable people of all ages and needs to make Onekama Township and our Lake Michigan Park a prime site to visit for a day, week or a lifetime. Arcadia Township was approved for a $300,000 grant for a $405,000 project with the addition of matching funds for the 10 +acre Arcadia Beach Natural Area on Lake Michigan. The project will add to recent Park improvements completed under a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture - Rural Development that organized the flow of vehicles to and from the site and provided vehicle parking. The project will provide restroom facilities, a ramp to the Lake Michigan beach, an expanded Lake Michigan viewing area and picnic and playground facilities, all designed to accommodate universal access. New interpretive and educational signage will inform users about the rich history of the shoreline, plant and animal species in the area, ways to use the site and unique features, such as the shipwreck Minnehaha that can be viewed from the Park. The site will also be a Blue Water Trail head and signage will include information about theprogram and amenities to kayakers and canoers who visit the site. The approval of this grant was crucial to sustaining our momentum to make Arcadia a must-visit site by those who appreciate the beauty and special resources of our coastal community, said Arcadia Township Planning Commission chair Brad Hopwood. Just as we want everyone to visit Arcadia and understand how they can enjoy and become good stewards of our pristine waters, dunes and marshlands, these facilities also support our local economy and tax base and give rise to new businesses and jobs for people seeking an immensely beautiful community. This is a big step forward for our Township, the Explore the Shores program and the Lakes to Land Regional Initiative. Both projects received broad support, including that of the Lakes to Land Regional Initiative, a collaborative of 16 governmental entities and a Tribal government that recently completed new master plans and a regional strategy covering portions of Manistee and Benzie Counties. Other supporters included watershed organizations, the Portage Lake Association, Manistee County government, the Disabilities Network of Northwest Michigan, the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, the offices of U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, area businesses, the Alliance for Economic Success and Manistee County Community Foundation. We applaud the Trust Fund for understanding how pivotal both projects are to strengthening the sense of place in Onekama and Arcadia Townships, said Laura Heintzelman, Executive Director of the Manistee County Community Foundation. Residents, businesses and nonprofits in these two Townships are supporting a common agenda to better their communities, including charitable giving that is targeted for these and future projects. Both communities understand the power of community philanthropy in shaping the future of their beautiful coastal communities, including the importance of unifying around priorities to funders like the Land Trust Fund Board.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 02:56:12 +0000
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