May 6, 2021
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has approved a bill that sets aside $37.8 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants for 76 recreation projects and land purchases around the state. This year’s list of approved projects includes $300,000 for Berrien County to work on two miles of the Marquette Greenway and $300,000 for an expansion of Madeline Bertrand County Park. The projects are possible thanks to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which was established in the 1970s, according to a video released by the governor’s office.
Looking at the grants for Berrien County, the Marquette Greenway is a trail being developed between New Buffalo and Chicago. As for the Madeline Bertrand expansion, the county will use the grant to buy 33 acres of land along the St. Joseph River to be added to the park. Also included in this year’s trust fund grants is $15,000 for the South Haven Area Recreation Authority to improve Deerlick Creek Park.