QUIET AREA: Brown Bridge addition gets $2.3M

Jordan Travis, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.
·2 min read

Dec. 14—TRAVERSE CITY — Brown Bridge Quiet Area will grow by 528 acres, thanks to Traverse City voters and a hefty Natural Resources Trust Fund grant.

Trustees for the fund on Wednesday approved a $2,352,200 grant to buy two parcels along the park's north border, according to a release from the city.

One of those parcels largely surrounds Spring Lake, while another is the southern portion of Greilick Outdoor Recreation and Education Center, not including the former scout camp buildings and campsites.

That had Jennifer Jay, Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy's spokeswoman, ecstatic.

"I am on cloud nine, I am so excited," she said.

The GTRLC helped the city secure purchase agreements for the property and to apply for the NRTF grant, Jay said. City voters in November agreed by a more than 80-percent margin to spend up to $746,245 out of the city's Brown Bridge Trust Fund, a pot of oil and gas royalties from wells on the parkland.

Michigan's NRTF also comes from oil, gas and nonmetallic mineral royalties from state land, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Jay said grants from the fund have provided millions through the years to protect land and develop parks in the northern Lower Peninsula.

"So many acres of our most important land has been protected because of the trust fund, and we're really grateful to them and also to have that very unique funding source available to Michiganders," she said. "This property is just a classic, great trust fund project."

Next, the state Legislature and governor must approve the NRTF grants before the state appropriates the money, Jay said.

Traverse City will take ownership of the land once the purchase is complete.

Then the city will work with its Brown Bridge Advisory Committee and Grand Traverse Conservation District, which manages the park for the city, on plans for the expansion.

Jay said she's hopeful the new parkland will be open to the public by late 2024.

Mayor Amy Shamroe was similarly thrilled about the grant, she said.

"The Brown Bridge Quiet Area has stood as a testament to our commitment to preserving natural beauty and fostering a haven for quiet recreation," she said in a release from the city. "This expansion is not just an acquisition of land; it's an investment in our community's well-being and the preservation of our natural heritage for generations to come."