The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund has awarded Ferndale Parks and Recreation over $200,000 in grant funding.

Wilson Park has been awarded $141,000 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for walkway and playground improvements. This $141,000 will be combined with matching City funding for a total of $282,000. This will include developments for accessible paths, play equipment, shade structures, parking lot improvements, landscaping, and additional amenities.  

Martin Road Park has been awarded $68,000 from the Trust Fund Grant for walkway and pavilion improvements. This $68,000 will be combined with matching City funding for a total of $136,000. This will include developments for a pavilion, a basketball court, accessible paths, landscaping, and additional amenities.

“The planned improvements under this funding will make both parks accessible, welcoming, environmentally friendly, and more comfortable, which in return will extend visitors’ time at the park. In addition, we will be able to activate unused spaces and increase usage,” said Parks and Recreation Director LaReina Wheeler.

The Michigan Natural Resources Recreation Grant projects provide funding for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. This is a result of a recommendation from Governor Gretchen Whitmer to the Michigan Legislature for millions of dollars in recreation and development projects. Ferndale was selected through a competitive process of scoring criteria.            

“The grant process was pretty labor-intensive, however, the benefits of being awarded a grant outweigh the initial time investment. It’s a great feeling knowing we have dedicated funding to help implement the City’s and community’s vision for Wilson and Martin Rd Park, and that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources supports our projects. This is a huge win for Ferndale and our residents; they’ve been with us throughout the entire project planning process,” Wheeler stated. “Although there is limited funding for major park improvements, the Ferndale Parks and Recreation Department will continue to work tirelessly to secure funding to improve our parks and programming to better serve our community."

To learn more about the program, visit the project page.