BUCHANAN TOWNSHIP UPDATE

By DEBRA HAIGHT

BUCHANAN – Buchanan Township officials have given their stamp of approval to a new project that could bring a state game area to land in Buchanan and Berrien Townships. They are also continuing to discuss how they can spend the federal pandemic relief funds they’ll be getting.

The Buchanan Township Board will meet twice in September, on Sept. 2 and 16 at the township hall on North Main Street. Meetings begin at 7 p.m.

Township Supervisor Malinda Cole-Crocker said township board members will hear the results of the most recent of township books at their meeting Sept. 2. She reported that auditors have said they are giving the township a clean audit with an unqualified opinion.

She noted that the township still has a healthy fund balance even after spending $1.2 million for a new township hall which is located just behind the site of the old hall. “We still have pretty good reserves,” she said.

Earlier this summer, board members authorized Cole-Crocker to write a letter of support to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR has applied for a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant to acquire land in Buchanan and Berrien Townships now owned by Andrews University.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has applied for a $4.7 million Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund land acquisition grant to buy the land from Andrews and establish a state game area there. The DNR will find out in December if the project will be recommended for funding.

The nearly 840 acres are roughly bounded on the U.S. 31 freeway on the north, the St. Joseph River on the west, Range Line Road on the east and Lake Chapin Road on the south. The bulk of the acreage, 620 acres, is in Berrien Township while the remaining 218 acres are in Buchanan Township.

In her letter of support for the project, Cole-Crocker said her township supports the project which she understands will benefit wildlife and provide public recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, bird watching and mushroom hunting.

DNR Public Land Matters Biologist Valerie Frawley said that while her department has already applied for the trust fund grant, the letters of recommendation will help with the application. She said the $4.7 million figure is an estimate with the actual cost to be determined by an appraisal if the grant is awarded.

The land was previously owned by the Vincent family who donated it to Andrews. The land is already enrolled in the state’s Hunting Access Program and has become a popular destination for hunters, Frawley said. Land in the HAP program are typically not leased on long term contracts.

She said that if the state is able to acquire the Andrews owned property, it will be the newest state game area in Michigan and would be managed for wildlife and wildlife-related recreation. She noted that the public will have more access to the land if it becomes a state game area.

“Habitat management on this property would benefit numerous wildlife species, and this property would provide recreational opportunities for the public, such as hunting, fishing, bird watching, and mushroom hunting,” she said.

She said that the DNR becomes involved in these types of projects when a private land owner approaches them. Her department then investigates to see if the property in question would be a good fit for the state to manage.

“This property has river frontage,” she said. “It’s a gorgeous piece of land. I think it will be good for the people of the area. It would be a great state game area and provide the public with more access to the area.”

Cole-Crocker said ongoing and future projects for the township include deciding on how to spend the nearly $320,000 they will be getting from the American Rescue Plan Act. The township has officially applied for the funding and is waiting to get more guidance on how they can use the money.

Possible projects include expanding rural broadband service in the township and making improvements at the Madron Lake boat launch and at the Mud Lake Bog. She said not only several townships but also the county are looking for ways to fund broadband improvements.

The current Madron Lake boat launch surface is ground asphalt which washes out periodically. She said putting concrete in would provide a more permanent solution. As for the Mud Lake Bog, she said there’s a hole in the roof of the pavilion there which is used for school education programs.

Another future project on the drawing board is establishing a community garden near the township hall next year. She said the township has been discussing the possible project with Ashley Hanson who is the Buchanan Farmers Market marketmaster.