DNR establishes new state game area in Van Buren County
WAVERLY TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has established a new 350-acre recreational area in Van Buren County: the Paw Paw River State Game Area.
The agency called the land an “exciting addition” for residents in southwest Michigan — an area where “public hunting lands are limited.”
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“We are thrilled for this land purchase, as it reinforces our dedication and the dedication of our partners to wildlife conservation and better, broader access to public recreation,” Mark Mills, southwest regional manager for the DNR’s Wildlife Division, said in a statement.
The new state game area includes 1.2 miles of frontage along the Paw Paw River, which starts in the village of Paw Paw and runs for 68 miles before eventually joining the St. Joseph River near Benton Harbor.
According to the DNR, public hunting access is quite limited in Van Buren County. The county maintains only 0.02 acres of public hunting land per capita.
Before the purchase, the property was enrolled in the DNR’s Commercial Forest Program. Public hunting, trapping and fishing were allowed on the property prior to the sale, but under DNR ownership, the state game area will be able provide more accommodations, including more parking and improved access.
The Paw Paw River State Game Area will share a boundary with two other conservation easements owned by the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy. The nonprofit helped facilitate the purchase and wanted the property to remain protected.
“The establishment of this new state game area adds to SWMLC’s land protection efforts along this critical riparian corridor identified as a high-priority protection area,” SWMLC land protection director Kaleigh Winkler said in a statement. “Maintaining these floodplain forests protects water quality and all the wildlife that call these important communities’ home.”
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The land was purchased through a grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Paw Paw River State Game Area will be open to the public with no time restrictions or entrance fee. Currently, the property can be accessed by river or land, with roadside parking available on 42nd Avenue.
The DNR is working to install property boundary signs. A parking lot will eventually be added to the western side of the property.
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