Millersburg trailhead project recommended for funding

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) board of trustees today recommended to Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm that 117 recreation projects and land acquisitions totaling $102,098,400 be funded in 2011.

The board this year had considered 165 applications for development and acquisition projects totaling $140.4 million, which were competitively evaluated based on scoring criteria developed by the MNRTF board.

Presque Isle County is recommended to receive $492,100 for development of a trailhead at the Millersburg Historic Depot. The development would include a restroom/shelter facility and fire pit to serve year-round users of the to-be-constructed Alpena to Cheboygan State Trail. Also included are interpretive signage along the trail and a fishing/overlook platform on the Ocqueoc River.

?I think it is going to be a great thing,? said Virgil Freel, Millersburg Historical Society president. ?It?s going to be a good thing for the whole county.? Freel was involved in the process to select Millersburg as the site to construct the facility.

?It was probably four years ago they were considering to do this that we had to convince them that Millersburg was the place to have it, that the trails intersected here.? ?Michigan’s remarkable natural resources help to make our state more appealing to residents and visitors alike,? said Granholm. ?The important work of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund makes it possible to acquire and safeguard some of our most beautiful natural and recreational areas for the enjoyment of current and future generations.?

Th

e trust fund is a restricted fund that was established in 1976 to provide a source of funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation. The funding is derived from royalties on the sale and lease of state-owned mineral rights. In 1985, Michigan voters chose to make the MNRTF part of Michigan’s constitution, ensuring this program’s future. ?Michigan’s leadership in conservation and outdoor recreation continues to be enhanced by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund,” said Department of Natural Resources and Environment director Rebecca Humphries.

From here, the recommendations go to Granholm for her review. She will then forward them to the Michigan Legislature for appropriation of the funds from the MNRTF. Typically, this part of the process is completed by the end of the summer following the Trust Fund board’s recommendations.