LANSING – State Representatives Kate Ebli (D-Monroe) and Kathy Angerer (D-Dundee) today applauded the work of officials from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for their efforts involving projects aimed at expanding Sterling State Park and the Erie State Game Area.
"Monroe County's natural bounty and pristine beauty do more than provide recreational areas for residents – they attract vital tourism dollars to our local economy and support jobs for our workers," Ebli said. "By expanding Sterling State Park and the Erie State Game Area, we are offering even more for visitors, which will in turn make our community more vibrant and create jobs now for our workers."
In the Sterling State Park project, the Parks and Recreation Division of the DNR will administer a $925,000 grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund's acquisition program to secure 52 acres at the entrance of the park. The additional parcel of land will allow for a continuous connection to adjacent state park property.
The North Maumee Bay Coastal Wetland Acquisition project, which the representatives first announced last week, would allow the DNR to acquire up to 126 acres of wetland adjacent to the Erie State Game Area by using $1 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund's acquisition program to match a federal wetlands-protection grant of $1 million. This project would allow the DNR to secure the last major undeveloped parcel of the Erie State Game Area. The 126-acre parcel has 9,200 feet of Lake Erie frontage and 3,960 feet of Ottawa River frontage. Ducks Unlimited and Waterfowl USA have also contributed to this project.
"Sterling State Park and the Erie State Game Area are two resources that help make our way of life so special in Monroe County," Angerer said. "Officials with the Department of Natural Resources should be applauded for their forward-looking strategy of expanding these gems of our community. By acquiring more land for these areas, we are providing a boost to our local economy today while protecting more of our natural resources for future generations."