The Alliance for Economic Success has received a $34,000 grant on behalf of the Portage Lake Watershed Council to design and complete preliminary engineering at parks and public access sites in Onekama Township with the area encompassed by the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan. The project will set the stage for enhancing the Onekama community as a premier destination for access, use and enjoyment of water resources by people of all ages, needs and abilities, in alignment with the county-wide Explore the Shores program. The importance of the parks and access sites in the watershed to residents and visitors was highlighted in the Portage Lake Watershed Forever Plan completed in 2008, the Onekama Community Master Plan, a joint effort by Onekama Township and the Village of Onekama that was completed in 2010 and the economic development strategy for the M-22 Corridor, recently completed under a grant from the U. S. Department of Agriculture – Rural Development.
An Onekama Coastal Park Grant Leadership Team will be formed to develop a request for proposals to secure a consultant to assist the community in developing design concepts and preliminary engineering for parks and access sites selected by the Team for study. The Leadership Team will seek input from all interests in the community.
Once the site designs and preliminary engineering are completed, the Alliance for Economic Success will partner with the community to seek development and construction funding through such sources as the Michigan Land Trust Fund, Land and Water Conservation Fund, Great Lakes Fishery Trust, and other sources. Several representatives from these funding sources toured the Onekama area during the summer of 2010 to gain a first-hand understanding of opportunities.
“Whether it is fishing, swimming, picnicking, nature observation, education or just plain relaxation, this grant gives the Onekama community the chance to develop area parks and access sites for everyone to use. At the same time, we are determined that these invaluable assets are protected, preserved and maintained.” said Kathy Ervin, Chair of the Portage Lake Watershed forever Council. “We know that preserving public access to waters -- especially those that connect to the Great Lakes -- has been singled out as a national, regional and state priority. This grant will help us make the most of one of our most prized assets and will ultimately benefit residents, families, businesses and students as well as visitors from throughout the world.”
The Leadership Team will be formed in February 2011. The project consultant should be selected by April 2011 and the designs and final engineering should be completed by October 2011, followed by efforts to secure grants and other resources to implement the designs and engineering work.
“This project and the Onekama community as a whole are wonderful examples of our New Economy at work in Manistee County,” said Cyndy Fuller, Executive Director of the Alliance for Economic Success. “The project will be a building block for the community to harness the power of their most prized assets in ways that make sense for current as well as future residents, businesses and jobs. It’s all part of creating world class destinations while maintaining the special look, feel and qualities that makes our communities special places. Manistee County is a where life meets water and the Onekama community is a leader in capturing the full power and value of their very special place.”
The Portage Lake Watershed Council nominated the Explore the Shores project in 2009 where it was identified as a funding priority by the Explore the Shores Leadership Team. As a result the AES sought funding for the project through the Coastal Management Program in 2010. Funders who supported the watershed plan, joint master plan and M-22 corridor economic development strategy include: Manistee County Community Foundation; W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Michigan Coastal Management Program, Oleson Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Portage Lake Watershed Forever endowment (at the Manistee County Community Foundation), the Great Lakes Fishery Trust and others.
The Explore the Shores program was created in 2008 and has secured nearly $2 million to support the development of access to the County’s waters for people of all ages, needs, abilities and interests, including the Arthur Street Fishing Pier, the Stronach Fishing Pier, and two new fishing piers and access sites on the Big Manistee River at Rainbow Bend and at Bear Creek and an access site at the Bar Lake Outlet on Lake Michigan that will be completed during the spring of 2011.
