Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund

Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. Significant projects in Western Lower Michigan. , Since 1976, the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, using revenue from the development of state-owned mineral resources, has helped the people of Michigan acquire and develop more that 46,000 acres of high quality recreational lands or preserve lands that are environmentally sensitive or special in nature., Significant projects in Western Lower Michigan, 1. Boyle Lake State Game Area , Berrien County , Acquisition of this 350-acre parcel, which includes a 15-acre lake, has provided more land for public recreation in southwest Michigan where there is little public ownership. The site offers good habitat for wild turkey, deer and other wildlife, and anglers must hand-carry boats down to the lake., 2. Allegan State Game Area , Allegan County , Trust Fund revenues have enabled the purchase of thousands of acres of private land that was mixed in with public land at numerous DNR managed units throughout the state. Since 1984, more than 4,000 acres of such "in-holdings" have been acquired for the Allegan State Game Area., 3. Saugatuck Dunes State Park , Allegan County , The Trust Fund Board always has placed a high priority on acquiring Great Lakes shoreline for public use. In 1994, a 22-acre parcel of dunes and mixed hardwood/pine forest was purchased for Saugatuck Dunes State Park, including more than 500 feet of frontage on Lake Michigan., 4. Hart-Montague Trail State Park , Muskegon and Oceana counties , One of Michigan's four linear state parks, the paved 22-mile Hart-Montague trail is part of a developing statewide trailways system, most of it acquired with Trust Fund revenues. The abandoned railroad corridors are converted into multipurpose recreational trails, popularly known as rail trails., 5. White Pine Trail State Park , Kent, Montcalm, Mecosta, Osceola and Wexford counties , Stretching nearly 92 miles from Grand Rapids to Cadillac, this trail crosses 14 open deck bridges along its five-county length. The largest bridge is 319 feet across the Muskegon River, north of Big Rapids. A portion of this trail also is open to snowmobile use., 6. Wm. Mitchell State Park , Wexford County , Since 1992, the Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center has offered visitors the opportunity to learn about Michigan's trapping, hunting and fishing heritage. The center and 2.5-mile nature trail that winds through 70 acres of woods and wetlands were built with Trust Fund support., Photo captions: , 1. Boyle Lake State Game Area , 2. The Karner Blue butterfly, an endangered species, thrives in Allegan State Game Area. , 3. Saugatuck Dunes State Park , 6. Carl T. Johnson Hunting and Fishing Center at Wm. Mitchell State Park