At their March 13, 2007 meeting, the Grant Township Board authorized the submission of a grant application to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund for assistance in purchasing property adjacent to Hunter’s Point Park. The purchase was completed December 15, 2009. The purchase includes 45.4 acres immediately adjacent to Hunter’s Point Park. The purchase extends from the western border of Hunter’s Point Park west to North Coast Shores Road and from Lake Superior to Hwy. M-26. Also included is 76 acres on the north side of Brockway Mountain directly south of the Copper Harbor Marina and Hunter’s Point extending from Hwy M-26 south to the Michigan Nature Association’s James Dorian Rooks Memorial Nature Preserve (link to Figure 6).
The purchase of the 45.4 acre parcel links Hunter’s Point Park to the Copper Harbor Marina and assures future public access from the Marina to Hunter’s Point via the trail which runs from the Marina to Hunter’s Point Park. The Brockway Mountain purchase links the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge and the Michigan Nature Association James Dorian Rooks Memorial Nature Preserve trail systems with Hunter’s Point Park.
The purchase was made possible by a 1.1 million-dollar grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and the generosity of the developer who owned the land, Auglaize, LLC. Under the terms of the grant a local match is required and had been pledged by an anonymous donor. When the anonymous donor was unable to honor the pledge, the owners donated land equal to the required $615,000 local match and the sale was able to be completed.
The Hunter’s Point Committee, assisted by the Copper Harbor Improvement Association, conducted a fund drive and raised approximately $50,000 to cover the cost of the grant application, appraisals, and closing costs. Any remaining donations will be set aside for Hunter’s Point Park Land Stewardship programs.
We are extremely grateful for the generosity of all those who contributed to the successful completion of our fund drives and for the opportunity to be able to preserve Hunter’s Point for generations to come.
Richard Powers,
Deputy Supervisor - Grant Township
Chairman - Hunter’s Point Committee
