Traverse Foundations, Private Investors, Collaborate to Create Acme Township Shoreline
Quality Place Means Implementing a Comprehensive Approach to Land Management
A prime example of current Rotary Charities’ transformational grant making is a grant of $75,000 made to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy’s Acme Township shoreline project.
Charities joined other local foundations and private investors in securing $1 million in matching funds to meet a June deadline of this year. These funds, explained Megan Olds, associate director of the Conservancy, will be used to complete the match required for a lead $3 million grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund.
The monies will be used to complete a multi-phase purchase of private property along a mile-long stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline south of the intersection of M-72 and US-31 in Acme.
Associate Director Olds noted that the plan is to turn the property into a greatly expanded public parkland. “This increase of shoreline will develop a larger, more accessible waterfront.” Later phases of the project will open a full mile of shoreline to the public.
Rotary Charities Director Marsha Smith notes that this type of grant making typifies its focus of economic development and awarding grants that are transformational and impactful. “Acme Township is one of the region’s prime gateways to the Grand Traverse region” observes Smith.
“Helping create a mile-long public parkland on the shores of the East Bay of Lake Michigan, in collaboration with other givers, provides a future economic impact of incalculable value.”
