Trails, waterfront recreation highlights of northern Michigan celebration Tuesday

Traverse City community collaborations focus of final Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 50th anniversary event

From reimagining a former coal dock and creating a river barrier that blocks invasive species, to preserving public access for future trails and expanding current pathways for additional community connections, several Traverse City projects will be recognized this week as part of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 50th anniversary in 2026.

The Tuesday, Sept. 29, celebration – the last in a series of anniversary events around the state this year – brings together representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, members of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund board, Elmwood and East Bay township officials, leaders from Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, and other community members for a day of special speakers and tour stops at the Freshwater Research Innovation Center and Discovery Pier on West Grand Traverse Bay and FishPass in downtown Traverse City.

The public is invited to join the tour, though transportation is not provided. Interested individuals may attend by meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, in the parking lot across from the under-construction Freshwater Research Innovation Center, 13223 S. West Bay Shore Drive (this site is directly across the road from the Discovery Pier). A second stop at FishPass, 301 S. Union St., is set for 2:30 p.m.

"The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has been instrumental in investing in northern Lower Peninsula parks, trails and recreational amenities including those found in the Traverse City area," said Jon Mayes, DNR recreation grants unit manager. "We're incredibly grateful to our partner organizations in this region of the state for their generous support of these meaningful projects that provide awesome opportunities for outdoor experiences and adventures."

‘A remarkable program’

Glen Chown, executive director of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, said he is proud to live in a state where natural resources are valued so highly by its residents and leaders.

“The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is unlike any others in the entire country – it’s a remarkable program,” Chown said. “For everyone who loves our Pure Michigan state, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has done more to protect our natural resources and make them accessible for all time, and it’s been critical to our quality of life both now and into the future, and for our prosperity as a state. As [former Michigan Governor] Bill Milliken said, Michigan is defined not by steel and concrete but by shorelines, forests, world-class rivers, our landscapes and this investment in our future and quality of life.”

Trust Fund projects come to life through community collaborations, said Matt McDonough, CEO of Discovery Pier in Elmwood Township, a community space along West Grand Traverse Bay designed to inspire a deeper connection to the Great Lakes through memorable experiences, on and off the water.

“Our Trust Fund grant was an early win for our redevelopment efforts and demonstrated to other donors that we were serious about our plans, and that our plans had passed the test with a respected funder like the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund,” said McDonough, who credits Discovery Pier’s strong partnership with Elmwood Township with the ability to apply for Trust Fund support. “The Trust Fund allows organizations such as ours to access funds through a unit of government if that unit of government is granted a public use easement. That was an easy requirement to meet because we always wanted the Pier to be a community resource and base for Great Lakes recreation, education and research … The Trust Fund was key to our early efforts.”

Beth Friend, supervisor of East Bay Charter Township, calls the Trust Fund “a remarkable example of taking revenue generated from the development of our state’s oil, gas and other mineral resources and reinvesting it into something that provides lasting public benefit.”

“We are incredibly grateful for our partnership with the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board and staff,” Friend said. “There is something especially meaningful about using the proceeds from Michigan’s natural resources to protect other natural resources and create public spaces that Michiganders can enjoy for generations.”

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is behind some of Grand Traverse County’s “most iconic community assets,” said Julie Clark, CEO of TART Trails.

“These include the Boardman Lake Loop Trail, Vasa Pathway and the soon-to-be constructed Three Mile Trail," Clark said. "Its investments have leveraged local funding and private philanthropy to expand responsible access to the outdoors and strengthen our connection to the natural resources that make this region so special. TART Trails is proud to partner with the DNR in bringing these projects to life for generations to come.”

Projects on land and along the water

Here’s more about each of these Traverse City-area projects.

Discovery Pier
Grant Funding: $300,000
Overview: Trust Fund dollars assisted the development of Discovery Pier at Elmwood Township's Greilickville Harbor Park. This project – a recreation-based redevelopment of a former coal dock – soon will provide the only universally accessible kayak launch and trailhead on the West Grand Traverse Bay Water Trail. The project also includes restrooms, paved parking and a rain garden with native Michigan plants for stormwater management. Funds also support pier-based deepwater fishing, picnicking and birdwatching. The pier will be lit with LED lights and include shade pavilions overlooking West Grand Traverse Bay.

For McDonough, who has a 25-plus-year history working with local government to help them acquire properties using Trust Fund grants for public recreation, working with DNR staff on the Discovery Pier project has been especially gratifying: “It’s been great to continue to work with DNR grants staff – they are the best.”

FishPass
Grant Funding: $300,000 (for the park portion of this project)
Overview: FishPass – the capstone of an approximately 20-year restoration project on the Boardman-Ottaway River in Traverse City – reconnects the river with Lake Michigan. FishPass will replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam with a new barrier that has the ability to sort and selectively pass desirable fish while blocking harmful invaders like sea lamprey. While fully automated selective passage is the long-term goal of the project, passage of any fish during the initial 10 years will be coordinated with fishery management agencies, limited in number, and restricted to fish native to the upper Great Lakes. Trust Fund dollars support the park portion of this overall project; FishPass includes a 6.5-foot vertical barrier across the entire river, a naturelike river channel, a fish-sorting channel, a research and education building and a park.

TART Trails
Grant Funding: $400,000 (Cherry Bend Regional Trail in Elmwood Township) and $400,000 (Three Mile Trail in East Bay Charter Township)
Overview: Trust Fund dollars have supported numerous TART Trails projects in the region over the years, with recent ones including connector projects in Elmwood and East Bay townships.

“These funds, combined with multiple other grants, will allow Elmwood Township to connect the trail along M-22 with the Leelanau Trail where it crosses Cherry Bend Road,” said Jeffrey Shaw, Elmwood Township supervisor. “Currently, the trail stretches from Traverse City, along West Grand Traverse Bay, into Elmwood Township in Leelanau County and ends at Cherry Bend Road. The new trail connector will continue west on Cherry Bend Road and will end at Elmwood Township’s Cherry Bend Park.”

In East Bay Township, connecting the Three Mile Trail to the cluster of school campuses near Hammond Road has been a long-standing community priority and remains a critical yet unfinished effort. Currently, the trail extends approximately 1 mile along Three Mile Road, beginning at Keith J. Charters Traverse City State Park on U.S. 31, connecting to the TART Trail at Parsons Road, and ending just south of East South Airport Road. Continuing the trail south of Hammond Road and completing this gap is essential to creating a safe, continuous corridor that supports students, families and residents who rely on nonmotorized transportation.

“For communities like East Bay Township, the impact of the Trust Fund cannot be overstated,” Friend said. “Projects such as TART trail segments, the Ridge Nature Preserve and the Holiday Woodlands Natural Area simply would not have been possible by relying on local funding alone. Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants allow limited local dollars to be leveraged into significant investments that otherwise would be beyond the financial capacity of most communities. These projects protect important natural areas while ensuring they remain accessible for the public to experience and enjoy.”

Brown Bridge Quiet Area (land acquisition)
Grant Funding: $2,352,200
Overview: At more than 1,800 acres and featuring six miles of trail for hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, Brown Bridge Quiet Area is a scenic, peaceful city-owned property located 11 miles southeast of Traverse City. The Boardman-Ottaway River runs through the property and until the fall of 2012 the Quiet Area was also the site of Brown Bridge Pond, which was formed by the construction of the Brown Bridge Dam in 1922. The removal of Brown Bridge Dam eliminated the pond and allowed the Boardman-Ottaway River to return to its historic channel and status as a high-quality, free-flowing river. This year, with Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund support, nearly 530 acres were added to the property. This also included the acquisition of a 43-acre lake.

The Ridge (easement)
Grant Funding: $4,813,600
Overview: The acquisition of a perpetual conservation easement by East Bay Township extinguishes development rights on 333 acres and provides public access for recreational use. The acquisition, known as The Ridge Nature Preserve, is adjacent to and across Five Mile Road from Holiday Woodlands Natural Area. The acquisition allows for future development of hiking trails that connect to the regional TART trail system and provides visitors with expansive views of Grand Traverse Bay and Old Mission Peninsula, as well as parts of Leelanau and Antrim counties.

Celebrating 50 years of the Trust Fund

During this anniversary year, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is highlighting investment and impact in several areas of the state. In April, the community event was held in Flint; in June, it was Detroit. Last month, an anniversary event took place in Marquette.

Established in 1976 and enshrined for permanent protection in Michigan’s Constitution, the Trust Fund provides grants to state and local governments to purchase land for conservation or recreation, and for development of public outdoor recreation facilities.

The Trust Fund is financed through interest earnings on royalties from state-owned oil, gas and mineral leases and administered by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The concept – that money received from the use of the state’s nonrenewable resources should benefit all generations of Michigan citizens – was unique at the time of its inception in 1976, and Michigan remains one of the few states in the country with such a program.

For over five decades, the Trust Fund has awarded nearly $1.4 billion to buy land or land rights, and to develop quality outdoor recreational facilities and opportunities in Michigan.

This brief anniversary video highlights the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund’s history, ingenuity and impact.

For more information about the Trust Fund 50th anniversary or any of the community celebration/tour events, contact Jon Mayes at 517-284-5954.

Note to editors: Accompanying photos are available below for download. Caption information follows.

• Discovery Pier: Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund dollars assisted the development of Discovery Pier at Elmwood Township's Greilickville Harbor Park. This project – a recreation-based redevelopment of a former coal dock – soon will provide the only universally accessible kayak launch and trailhead on the West Grand Traverse Bay Water Trail in Traverse City.
• Cycling family: The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has supported numerous TART Trails projects in the Traverse City region over the years, with recent ones including connector projects in Elmwood and East Bay townships. Photo credit goes to Jes Ryan Photography.
• Boardman Lake Loop Trail: The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is behind some of Grand Traverse County’s “most iconic community assets,” said Julie Clark, CEO of TART Trails. These projects include the Boardman Lake Loop Trail. Photo credit goes to Prein & Newhof.
• FishPass: FishPass, a project supported in part by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, will replace the deteriorating Union Street Dam in Traverse City with a new barrier that has the ability to sort and selectively pass desirable fish while blocking harmful invaders like sea lamprey.
• Three Mile Trail: In Grand Traverse County's East Bay Township, connecting the Three Mile Trail to the cluster of school campuses near Hammond Road has been a long-standing community priority and remains a critical yet unfinished effort. Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund support will help complete this project. Photo credit goes to Jes Ryan Photography.
• Trail runners: Runners enjoy the Vasa Pathway, a trail system on the east side of Traverse City that has benefited from Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund support. Photo credit goes to Jes Ryan Photography.