Three grants submissions approved

The St. Joseph County Board of Commissioners recently approved the submission of three grant requests to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
In all, the requests amount to more than $150,000, not including more than $100,000 county-required matching dollars.
County grant writer James Hissong said the first was an appeal to the DNR’s trust fund for development of two accessible docks – one at a recently acquired property along the St. Joseph River in Lockport Township, the other at Reed Riverside Park in the village of Mendon.
Next, commissioners approved a grant request for $62,500 for Cade Lake Park and Campground improvements. Specifically, the funds would allow the county’s parks and recreation department to develop an extended playground, paved walkways and an accessible dock.
The third resolution supported the request for a $45,000 grant through the DNR’s Recreation Passport Grant program. Its funds would allow for the development of an extended playground at Nottawa County Park at Sand Lake.
If the grants are approved, the money would be applied to the various projects between 2017 and 2018.