BUCHANAN BOAT LAUNCH GRANT PROJECT 3RD HIGHEST SCORE IN MICHIGAN

By DEBRA HAIGHT
BCR Correspondent
BUCHANAN – Buchanan’s riverfront boat launch project got a big boost last week as state officials recommended it for funding by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. City officials announced last week that it has received a $230,000 grant award from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for the construction of a new boat launch at Riverfront Park on the St. Joseph River. The city will be putting up a local match of $99,000 toward the project.
This is the second consecutive year that the city of Buchanan has been awarded a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant. Last year, the city received a grant to build a handicapped accessible kayak launch at the city’s Riverfront Park. According to the state website, the Buchanan grant application scored the third highest in the state out of 105 development applications submitted.
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board recommended last week that the Michigan Legislature approve 68 recreation development projects and 17 land acquisitions totaling $41.7 million be funded in 2025. This year, the board recommended $22.5 million for development project grants and $19.3 million for acquisition grants.
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is a restricted fund that was established in 1976 to provide funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation, as well as for public outdoor recreation development projects. It is funded through interest and earnings on funds derived from the revenues of state-owned oil, gas and minerals. Trust Fund officials announce their funding recommendations every December with actual action on funding coming the following spring.
Over the past 48 years, the Trust Fund has granted more than $1.3 billion to state and local units of government, across 2,930 allocations, to develop and improve recreation opportunities in Michigan. The Trust Fund board’s recommendations will go to the Michigan Legislature for review as part of the appropriations process and then to the governor’s desk.
“The City of Buchanan is moving forward boldly to achieve a vision of a mini-national park type of experience at Buchanan Riverfront Park,” Community Development Director Richard Murphy said.
“We know that reconnecting more people to the water will deliver more health, quality of life, and economic benefits to our community and the region,” he added. “It will take time, but we’ll keep applying every year for these grants until the vision is complete. Having done the work up front on the master plan has been key to our success.”
Murphy emphasized the project’s broader benefits. “Many rust belt cities and towns across Michigan forgot about their strong ties to the water when the jobs left, and economics got tough,” he said. “Part of our economic comeback is to reconnect to this water culture. It’s who we are. Water is the reason Buchanan exists. So, getting back to our essence is our path forward.”
The Buchanan-St. Joseph River Riverfront Master Plan was facilitated by Abonmarche Consultants. The Steering Committee was made up of Buchanan community members including former Mayor Sean Denison, Michael Rowland, Jerry Flenar, Jeanne Harris, Fran Tuite, Phil Thornton, George Burgoyne, and Frieda Hughes.
The city will continue to engage with community stakeholders including the Pokagon Band and community disability networks as the project approaches design and implementation.
“We are so happy and thankful to see that our Michigan DNR partners continue to support our vision with these investments in our natural resources in Buchanan,” Mayor Mark Weedon said. “This is an investment in future generations.”
“I want to recognize the hard work and passion of city staff and Buchanan residents working together to reel in these competitive grant awards in order to make Buchanan a better place,” he added.
Parks were also the subject of Berrien County Board of Commissioners discussion and action earlier this month. Commissioners held a public hearing and then acted on the county’s new five year parks and recreation plan. The new plan will replace the current one that expires at the end of this year and will run through 2029.
Berrien County Parks Director Jill Adams spoke about the new plan at the public hearing. She noted that the process to develop the new plan began in the spring and included public input at three open houses as well as at locations around the county and online on the county’s website.
The park plan has three major goals: maintaining the county’s seven park facilities and amenities, improving the customer experience and ensuring the county has appropriate staff levels to meet and carry out goals. The county will also work to meet accessibility standards, expand spaces for park maintenance, continue partnerships with outside agencies and volunteers and identifying ways to generate more revenue.
The county parks include Madeline Bertrand County Park south of Niles, Love Creek County Park near Berrien Center and the Historic Courthouse Square in Berrien Springs. Projects in the plan for Madeline Bertrand include replacing the Visitors Center, building a new four-season facility to replace the River Shelter and expanding disc golf and cross country skiing opportunities.