State endows $600K in grants for park facilities

LANSING (AP) -- Twenty-four park and recreation facilities in Michigan will share nearly $600,000 in grants generated by the state's new method of paying for state park operations and maintenance. The state Department of Natural resources recently announced the awards, which range from a minimum of $7,500 to a maximum of $30,000. The state says the winning entries were chosen from 50 grant applications seeking about $1.2 million in funding. Starting in October 2010, residents were given the option of paying $10 for a "recreation passport" when renewing their vehicle registration. Good for a year, the "recreation passport" grants access to all 98 state parks and recreation areas, plus boat launches. The full list of recipients, grant amounts and projects is posted online at www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants Published: Fri, Nov 18, 2011