Michigan: DNR and Van Buren County expand state park by 17 acres
Michimich.com/10097584

Contact: Matt Metzger (DNR), 269-637-2788 or John Faul (Van Buren County), 269-657-8253 Agency: Natural Resources

Jan. 12, 2021

Van Buren County officials have approved a 25-year lease with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to expand Van Buren State Park's footprint to include the Northpoint Conservation Area located in South Haven Township. The 17-acre parcel of land borders the northern boundary of the park and boasts significant natural, scenic, ecological, biological and recreational assets. Existing hiking trails are popular for bird watching and lead visitors through rare, forested dunes to breathtaking views of Lake Michigan. The trails are open to hiking year-round. The new arrangement will place day-to-day management with the DNR. "We're excited to formally connect both parcels of public land through this unique partnership with the DNR," said Richard Godfrey, chair of the Van Buren County Board of Commissioners. "Because the DNR already manages the adjoining land, we determined that establishing common management would best ensure that the fragile, critical dune land is preserved and remains accessible to the public." More on Michimich.com Fighting Pest Problems with The Safest Pest Control Dubai Residents Can Get Best Advertising Methods To Attract People To Your Events Post COVID-19 by Duluth Businessman Ismail Sirdah Thirteen MBK Senior Living Communities Receive "2021 Best of Senior Living" Distinction Grassroots Advocacy Group Urges Biden Administration to Appoint a Doctoral Level Mental Health Professional to Lead SAMHSA Michigan: Virtual public meeting Jan. 27 for M-3 (Gratiot Avenue) project in Macomb County

Set along a 1-mile-long stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline, the state park is home to high dune formations, a modern campground, woodland trails and a day-use area. The park's most prominent natural features are its sandy beach, forested dunes, interdunal wetlands and diverse vegetation. Approximately 340 feet of additional lakeshore will join seamlessly with the already existing mile of state park beach. "This is a great opportunity to partner with Van Buren County," said Matt Metzger, supervisor for Van Buren State Park. "We look forward to playing an active role in management of such a unique piece of land and helping make it a special place for visitors to enjoy for years to come." While much will remain the same, visitors can expect to see new site signage, revised hours of operation, and more consistency among land use rules and the requirement for the Recreation Passport between both parcels. Parking along Ruggles Road will now require a Recreation Passport. For more information, contact Matt Metzger, park manager, at 269-637-2788 or MetzgerM1@Michigan.gov or John Faul, Van Buren County administrator, at 269-657-8253 or FaulJ@VBCO.org. More on Michimich.com Michigan: AG Nessel's Office Files Response with SCOTUS in Last-Standing Lawsuit That Seeks to Overturn Election Results Michigan: Administration, Fiscal Agencies Reach Consensus on Revenue Estimates Michigan: Deer Private Land Assistance Network grant application period open Michigan: Grand Traverse County Court Sentences Former Jail Administrator to Prison for Misconduct in Office, Other Charges Michigan: AG Nessel, Department of Civil Rights File Appeals to Protect Residents from Sexual Orientation Discrimination

/Note to editors: Accompanying photos of the new 17-acre parcel at Van Buren State Park are available for download./

• Van Buren shoreline
• Van Buren trail
• Van Buren dunes
• New Van Buren SP signage: Visitors to Van Buren State Park in southwest Michigan have 17 more acres to explore, courtesy of a lease agreement with Van Buren County. New signs mark the trailhead entrance and one of the boundaries of the land parcel.

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