BERRIEN COUNTY PARK NEWS

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent

With the April 1 deadline fast approaching to apply for this year’s round of Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants, several area entities have submitted applications to get state funding for park and recreation projects. The state will announce which projects will get funding at the end of the year.

Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey reported that the county is among those applying for grants this year. In addition, he said the county’s Parks Commission has started the process of updating the county’s Five Year Plan to run from 2020-2024.

Bailey noted that Berrien County Parks is applying for a grant to purchase land on the Paw Paw River to add to the Paw Paw River County Park in Watervliet as well as a grant to make upgrades at Madeline Bertrand County Park south of Niles.

The county is hoping to buy 63 acres along the Paw Paw River to add to that park. As for the Madeline Bertrand project, the parks department is asking for money to remove the River Shelter which has become deteriorated and replace it with an overlook deck and landscaping.

As for the new five year park plan, Bailey said the Parks Commission has held two sets of open houses so far this year, before their January and March meetings in St. Joseph and Berrien Center and will hold another set of open houses before their May 15 meeting to gather public input.

Members of the public can also send written comments to:  Berrien County Parks, 701 Main Street, St. Joseph MI, 49085 or email comments to parks@berriencounty.org.

A draft of the proposed new plan is expected to be completed in late summer with the plan adopted by the end of the year. Comments received so far include adding a dog park, zip line and more disc golf at Madeline Bertrand County Park near Niles, developing a Red Arrow Linear Trail and playgrounds at both Madeline Bertrand and Silver Beach in St. Joseph.

County officials have also lent their support to the grant applications being made by municipalities around the county. A resolution approved by the Berrien County Board of Commissioners in early March noted that the county “endorses the efforts of its municipalities as they submit applications for grant funding to create recreational opportunities.”

The resolution also recognized the county’s commitment to improving these opportunities for both area residents and visitors. “The individual communities that are a part of Berrien County continue to strive to make parks and recreation opportunities even more accessible and appealing and to grow in abundance,” it stated.

Among the projects gaining support from the Berrien County Board of Commissioners was the one involving the Marquette Greenway Trail. New Buffalo Township was unsuccessful last year in getting a $300,000 trust fund grant but is seeking other funding sources this year.

Harbor Country government and community leaders are seeking a $1.5 million Transportation Alternative Program grant to add a 3.8 mile section to the trail. That section is expected to cost $2.5 million with the rest of the funds coming from local sources including the city of New Buffalo, New Buffalo Township and the Pokagon Fund.

Once fully developed, the Marquette Greenway Trail will be part of a larger trail system that starts in the city of Chicago and then runs along the lakeshore through Indiana to New Buffalo. So far, nearly 30 miles of the 58 mile total length has been funded.

Bailey said local park projects with hopes of getting trust fund grants include Watervliet Township where officials are looking to improve a park and the city of St. Joseph which wants to improve the Whirlpool Compass Fountain.

Berrien Township is also seeking a trust fund grant after being turned down twice previously. Berrien Township Supervisor Bryan Bixby reported earlier this month that the township is applying a third time for a grant to make improvements to the township’s Range Line Park.

The new application is basically the same as in past years with the township asking for $300,000 from the state and matching it with more than $100,000 in local funds.

The grant would fund improvements throughout the park including a new entrance sign, handicapped accessibility, a new lookout over Lake Chapin as well as a trailhead for a future trail between Niles and Berrien Springs.