Contact: Jon Rose
City of Manistee
Community Development Director
231-398-2805
Issued As a Service to the City of Manistee by the Alliance for Economic Success
For Immediate Release
SEPTEMBER 26 CELEBRATION MARKS ACHIEVMENT FOR MANISTEE AND MICHIGAN
Manistee, Michigan – A public celebration of a milestone for the City of Manistee and the State of Michigan will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2009 to recognize the acquisition of the Man Made Lake property. The property is located in the City of Manistee and encompasses 23 acres of land that abuts Lake Michigan and encompasses most of Man Made Lake. The acquisition was made possible through a partnership of organizations and will ensure the preservation and protection of unique Lake Michigan resources in perpetuity for public benefit.
The Community Celebration and Dedication of Man Made Lake will begin at 2 p.m. under the tent in the Man Made Lake parking lot on September 26. Celebrants may park at the City’s Fifth Avenue Beach Parking lot where a bus will shuttle them to the event.
The acquisition is an important step toward the City of Manistee’s vision of being a “destination of choice” since it will dramatically increase the amount of Lake Michigan shoreline, Man-Made Lake and duneland resources available for enjoyment by the community as well as visitors. The acquisition of Great Lakes shoreline property is also a high priority for the State of Michigan and Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy who were instrumental in making the acquisition a reality.
Funds were provided to acquire the property from Sand Products Corporation, private citizens, the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy and the City of Manistee, leading up to a grant application to complete the acquisition to the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund in the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The Land Trust Fund was created in 1976 to help local governments and the State DNR purchase land or rights in land for public recreation or protection of land because of its environmental importance or scenic beauty. The Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy made a grant of $100,000 to support the acquisition. The Conservancy’s mission is to protect significant natural, scenic and farm lands – now and for future generations. Since 1991, the Conservancy has helped secure over $40 million from the Natural Resources Trust Fund on behalf of similar community-led conservation efforts. The Conservancy has another Manistee County initiative underway, seeking funding to preserve the Arcadia Marsh.
Man Made Lake resulted from years of sand mining when sand was shipped to Detroit from Manistee for auto industry use. In 1997, the City entered into a lease with Sand Products Corporation that allowed public use of the property. When Sand Products proposed developing the property in 2006, community leaders encouraged the City of Manistee to keep the property for public use.