Group Raises $6.4 million for West Michigan Trails
Just over a year after setting the lofty goal of raising $6 million to help fund recreation trails in West Michigan, Dave Heyboer and Peter DeBoer have reason to celebrate. Two weeks ago, the pair had secured $6.4 million in contributions, money that would provide local matching funds needed to leverage $18.4 million in federal and state funds for nine trails in West Michigan. "No one ever dreamed it would happen that quick," said Dave Heyboer, president of the West Michigan Trails and Greenways Coalition, which got its nonprofit status in 2005 and kicked off its capital campaign in February 2006. "We thought it would take two to three years to raise that money. Two years ago we didn't know if we'd survive another day."
The group's ambitious principals have been talking up the idea of building 150 miles of new trails in West and Mid-Michigan by 2008, creating a 14-county trailways system. Having the local match in hand now would begin to make the long-term dream possible of eventually building or connecting 510 trail miles in 20 counties. Peter DeBoer, executive director for the coalition, said the coalition raised $4.7 million in private contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals. Another $1.7 million was pledged from townships and counties. "The Meijer Foundation proved to be key," said DeBoer. "Because after we got $1.2 million from the Steelcase and Frey foundations, Meijer said: 'You still have a long way to go.' "He offered us a dollar-for-dollar match up to $3 million." The Meijer match tops his previous $1 million pledge to leverage state and federal money for paving the White Pine Trail to Cadillac -- an offer accepted by the state which required that the trail be named after Fred Meijer.
Eight more miles of the White Pine are slated to be paved this summer from Russell Road north to Sand Lake and the Kent County line. State officials say it and the group's other projects will move ahead despite the recent state moratorium on distributing grant funds issued March 29 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. That moratorium was one of several to deal with state cash-flow troubles. Building projects, however, funded with "pass-through" federal dollars and funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund are "exempt" from the moratorium, according to Dennis Fedewa, chief deputy director for the Department of Natural Resources. A project also could be exempt from the moratorium if it contributed to job creation. "Any past-due funds or projects under way or where there are commitments for work to be done will continue," said Fedewa, adding that isn't guaranteed for operations funding. Heyboer, also president for the Friends of the White Pine Trails, said his group of volunteers will continue to do trail maintenance even if those funds are not available
Paving on the White Pine Trail is expected to begin in mid-July, according Troy Rife, a recreation planner in Cadillac who is spearheading the effort. "If we get authorization to proceed in the next two weeks, we can bid it out and begin construction July 15th," he said. "If not, it gets moved back two weeks." The trail will paved with a special harder-than-normal asphalt formulation designed to withstand the rigors of studded snowmobiles. The additional $50,000 or so in costs for the material will be covered by the state snowmobile fund. The $10,000 required to develop the material was provided by the Michigan Snowmobile Association. "It's an important contribution," said Bill Manson, with the MSA. "We figured why spend all that money on trails and not do it right. This will hold up under the duress of studs."
DNR state parks chief, Ron Olson, said he is enthusiastic about being able to move forward with this project. "It will be nice to get it moving and have it provide some benefits to the trail users," he said. Olson said it has taken several days to get official clarification about the types of projects covered by the moratorium. Earlier this week, DNR staffers were saying that federal and state funds for White Pine and other trails might be held up until the end of September. DeBoer and Heyboer said that gave them a scare. Heyboer had made a trip to Lansing before New Years to deliver a $202,000 check to Olson to cover the local match needed for the eight-mile paving project. The promised bid dates for the contract already had come and gone with no action. The moratorium, if it applied to coalition projects, would mean losing another building season and setting their three-year plan back at least a year. "It's a relief to know that the approved projects will go forward," said DeBoer. "People ask me all the time, when it will be paved. The White Pine is a popular trail and this should benefit those communities north of Rockford."
By Howard Meyerson - hmeyerson@grpress.com
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor
Friday, April 13, 2007
Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press ©2007
The group's ambitious principals have been talking up the idea of building 150 miles of new trails in West and Mid-Michigan by 2008, creating a 14-county trailways system. Having the local match in hand now would begin to make the long-term dream possible of eventually building or connecting 510 trail miles in 20 counties. Peter DeBoer, executive director for the coalition, said the coalition raised $4.7 million in private contributions from foundations, corporations and individuals. Another $1.7 million was pledged from townships and counties. "The Meijer Foundation proved to be key," said DeBoer. "Because after we got $1.2 million from the Steelcase and Frey foundations, Meijer said: 'You still have a long way to go.' "He offered us a dollar-for-dollar match up to $3 million." The Meijer match tops his previous $1 million pledge to leverage state and federal money for paving the White Pine Trail to Cadillac -- an offer accepted by the state which required that the trail be named after Fred Meijer.
Eight more miles of the White Pine are slated to be paved this summer from Russell Road north to Sand Lake and the Kent County line. State officials say it and the group's other projects will move ahead despite the recent state moratorium on distributing grant funds issued March 29 by Gov. Jennifer Granholm. That moratorium was one of several to deal with state cash-flow troubles. Building projects, however, funded with "pass-through" federal dollars and funds from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund are "exempt" from the moratorium, according to Dennis Fedewa, chief deputy director for the Department of Natural Resources. A project also could be exempt from the moratorium if it contributed to job creation. "Any past-due funds or projects under way or where there are commitments for work to be done will continue," said Fedewa, adding that isn't guaranteed for operations funding. Heyboer, also president for the Friends of the White Pine Trails, said his group of volunteers will continue to do trail maintenance even if those funds are not available
Paving on the White Pine Trail is expected to begin in mid-July, according Troy Rife, a recreation planner in Cadillac who is spearheading the effort. "If we get authorization to proceed in the next two weeks, we can bid it out and begin construction July 15th," he said. "If not, it gets moved back two weeks." The trail will paved with a special harder-than-normal asphalt formulation designed to withstand the rigors of studded snowmobiles. The additional $50,000 or so in costs for the material will be covered by the state snowmobile fund. The $10,000 required to develop the material was provided by the Michigan Snowmobile Association. "It's an important contribution," said Bill Manson, with the MSA. "We figured why spend all that money on trails and not do it right. This will hold up under the duress of studs."
DNR state parks chief, Ron Olson, said he is enthusiastic about being able to move forward with this project. "It will be nice to get it moving and have it provide some benefits to the trail users," he said. Olson said it has taken several days to get official clarification about the types of projects covered by the moratorium. Earlier this week, DNR staffers were saying that federal and state funds for White Pine and other trails might be held up until the end of September. DeBoer and Heyboer said that gave them a scare. Heyboer had made a trip to Lansing before New Years to deliver a $202,000 check to Olson to cover the local match needed for the eight-mile paving project. The promised bid dates for the contract already had come and gone with no action. The moratorium, if it applied to coalition projects, would mean losing another building season and setting their three-year plan back at least a year. "It's a relief to know that the approved projects will go forward," said DeBoer. "People ask me all the time, when it will be paved. The White Pine is a popular trail and this should benefit those communities north of Rockford."
By Howard Meyerson - hmeyerson@grpress.com
Grand Rapids Press Outdoors Editor
Friday, April 13, 2007
Courtesy of the Grand Rapids Press ©2007
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