The Department of Natural Resources announced today that informational workshops for communities interested in applying for grants from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) will take place around the state in February and March.

The MNRTF provides funding assistance for state and local outdoor recreation needs, including land acquisition and development of outdoor recreation facilities. The assistance is directed at creating and improving outdoor recreational opportunities and providing protection to valuable natural resources. Both local units of government and the DNR are eligible for MNRTF assistance. The MNRTF is supported by revenues from the development of state-owned mineral resources, in particular oil and gas.

Workshops scheduled for 2009 are:

• Niles: Thursday, Feb. 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bell Building, located at 305 N. 3rd St. in Niles.
• Ludington: Friday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ramada Inn Conference Center, located at 4079 W. US Highway 10 in Ludington.
• Gaylord: Monday, Feb. 23, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Marsh Ridge Resort, located at 4815 Old US 27 South in Gaylord.
• Munising: Tuesday, Feb. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express, located at E 8998 Highway M-28 in Munising.
• Allen Park: Thursday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Best Western Greenfield Inn, located at 3000 Enterprise Dr. in Allen Park.
• Frankenmuth: Friday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bavarian Inn, located at 713 S. Main St. in Frankenmuth.
• Lansing: Tuesday, March 3, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Michigan Library and Historical Center Forum, located at 702 West Kalamazoo St. in Lansing.

The workshops are free and open to the public, and reservations are not necessary to attend.

New this year will be an in-depth discussion of the changes to the criteria and process for evaluating applications. Topics for all of the workshops will include applicant and project eligibility, distribution of funds, preparing applications and attachments, project selection and grantee obligations.

The grant application deadline is Wednesday, April 1, 2009.

Grant application materials will be available starting Friday, Feb. 13, on the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants. Click on Forms and Publications of the MNRTF Program or contact Grants Management at the DNR at (517) 373-9125. Application materials also will be available at the workshops.