DNR grants to support marina repair, upgrades
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MARQUETTE -- Three Upper Peninsula boating locations, including one in Marquette, are recipients of Michigan Department of Natural Resources grants.
Overall, seven communities throughout the state will share $4.035 million in Waterways Grant-in-Aid Program funding to improve public access to recreational boating.
“Michigan is home to more than 1,200 state-sponsored boating access sites, 19 state-managed harbors and 64 local state-sponsored harbors of refuge along the Great Lakes,” said Kristen Kosick, DNR Parks and Recreation Division chief. “As boating remains a cornerstone of Michigan's outdoor recreation, the DNR is committed to investing in and funding these vital waterways for the benefit of all.”
This year, projects in Benzie, Emmet, Mackinac, Marquette, Ottawa and Sanilac counties were approved for projects that include marina dredging, an engineering study and various site improvements.
With each community's matching funds, these projects represent a collective investment of more than $6.5 million.
Here are the individual U.P. projects:
• City of Marquette, Cinder Pond Marina, Marquette County; project includes pier 1, 2, 3 and 4 replacement, including utilities; total project cost, $3,388,000.
• Clark Township, Hessel Marina, Mackinac County; project includes day-use finger dock work, a structural assessment, dive survey and cost analysis of future improvements; total project cost, $200,000.
• Bois Blanc, Bois Blanc Island, marina/riverfront, Mackinac County; project includes engineering study to evaluate dredging, design, ramp integrity and ADA compliance on the island, as well as determining the development possibilities of the property owned by the township on the mainland; total project cost, $54,000.
According to a DNR press release, the funding is ade through the DNR Parks and Recreation Division's Waterways Grant-in-Aid Program, which began in 1949 with the goal of expanding the harbor system along the Great Lakes and boating access sites throughout the state.
Local units of government and state colleges and universities are eligible to apply for grant assistance for recreational boating improvements and development at grant-in-aid harbors and public boating access sites. The Waterways Grant-in-Aid Program provides matching funds to help support quality recreational boating infrastructure. Communities are asked to match 50% of required funds.
The grants are funded through the Michigan State Waterways Fund, a restricted fund derived primarily from boat registration fees and a portion of Michigan's gas tax. These funds support the construction, operation and maintenance of public recreational boating facilities.