MANISTIQUE — Manistique Township has been awarded a $63,400 grant by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to improve access to the Schoolcraft County Environmental Education Lab, a local trail system. Eighteen communities in Michigan will benefit from the Recreation Passport Grant funding, totaling $1,993,500, in 2020. Two counties in the Upper Peninsula received awards — Schoolcraft and Houghton.

Manistique Township Supervisor Allen Hutchinson first heard of being awarded funding in early January.

“In the beginning of January, scores came out and we had an idea we were going to get it,” said Hutchinson. “Jan. 8, I received an email from the DNR offering us a project agreement.”

The Schoolcraft County Environmental Education Laboratory is a system of trails, seven loops totaling 1.79 miles, located east of Manistique on 80 acres. The lab provides hiking, nature appreciation and environmental opportunities. At the trailhead are public restrooms, parking, and an observation deck. The Main Trail and Girl Scout Hemlock Trail both start from the trailhead. Off the Main Trail are two loops, Hardwood Loop, Bear Trail Loop and the Boy Scout Troop 400 Trail. Nipissing Trail runs from the Boy Scout Troop 400 Trail to the Cut Across and to the Manistique Papers Inc. Boardwalk.

“With the grant money we’ll make the trail more accessible, handicap accessible,” said Hutchinson. “We’re going to put material down on the trails that will make it easier for people to get through and navigate.”

The Environmental Education Lab has a wide variety of plants and animals from the region, topography, and soils.

“The lab has interpretive signage to educate school kids to help them learn about different plants and forest management. In the winter, people snowshoe on the trails, cross country ski, and enjoy the outdoors,” said Hutchinson.

Currently, the township is in the early planning stages and waiting for spring so they can start the work.

“We’re getting ideas together, and planning,” said Hutchinson. “We’ll probably start doing the work in April and finish in the fall, October. I can’t see it taking longer than a summer.”

Seventy grant applications were received by the DNR grants management staff, requesting $7.3 million in funding.

The Recreation Passport Grant program was created to provide funding to local governments to develop new public recreation facilities and renovation of old ones. Grants are applied for through MiRecGrants and submitted by April 1 of each year. After the DNR staff recommend applicants to the DNR director, the applicants are chosen in December.

Each applicant has a chance to be awarded between $7,500 to $150,000. Grants are funded with revenue generated from camping fees and by people purchasing a Michigan Recreation Passport for a one-time fee. The passport allows people to enter 103 state parks and recreation areas, 140 state forest campgrounds, miles of state trails, historic sites, and DNR boat access sites. The funding is held in the Local Parks and Recreation Facilities Fund.

The program started in 2010 and saw the largest request for grant money last year. The money spent on outdoor activities goes back into the recreation areas each year.

Recreation passports can be purchased when renewing a Michigan license plate, online, or at the entry of any state parks.

Application information can be found online at Michigan.gov/DNRGrants, and are due April 1 for this year.

To get to the trail system from Manistique, go east on US 2, turn left on County Road 433, and left on Krummich Road. The Environmental Education Lab is located at the end of Krummich Road.