ADRIAN, MI December 12, 2017 - Lenawee County has been recommended for $300,000 in funding for the Kiwanis Trail Expansion and Improvement Project. The grant recommendation was part of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) Board’s $40.3 million dollar recommendations for a variety of land acquisition projects and outdoor recreation improvements.

The MNRTF Board considered a total of 166 applications seeking $76.1 million in funding. All eligible applications were evaluated on a highly competitive scoring criteria developed by the board. Lenawee County was among the highest recommended for funding with a $300,000 recommendation.

Development of the Kiwanis Trail Expansion and Improvement Project will connect the two largest cities in Lenawee County—Adrian and Tecumseh—with 7.7 miles of paved, dedicated trail. This improvement will provide over 10 contiguous miles of paved trail to its users. Completing the connection is the number one priority in the 2015 Connecting Lenawee Plan—a Non-Motorized Trails Vision. The existing trail and proposed connection is ADA-accessible and will use Universal Design principles. The trail parallels the River Raisin and intersects at many points, providing a variety of recreation opportunities in addition to use of the trail by walkers, runners, bicyclists, in-line skaters, skateboarders, and snow-shoe and cross-country ski enthusiasts.

“We are very excited to see that this collaborative project is being recommended for funding,” said Lenawee County Administrator, Martin Marshall. "This is another great example of the leaders in our community working together. There was great cooperation in communicating the need for this project."

One Lenawee, Kiwanis, Visit Lenawee, River Raisin Watershed Council, City of Adrian, Adrian Charter Township, Raisin Charter Township, City of Tecumseh, Lenawee County Road Commission, and the County of Lenawee all worked together on the grant application.



“Through the county wide strategic visioning process, one thing we heard continuously from our citizens is that quality of life resources like our Kiwanis Trail is something we should continue to invest in,” further explained Marshall. “I’m very happy that as a group, these organizations and governing bodies could work together to seek grant funding for this project that is going to further enhance our community.”

The MNRTF Board's recommendations will go to the State Legislature for review as part of the appropriations process. Upon approval, the Legislature will forward a bill to the governor for his signature.