Oakland County Parks and Recreation has been awarded a $308,000 development grant for natural area accessibility improvements by the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board of Trustees.
The grant will fund construction of boardwalks, wildlife viewing platforms and floating fishing piers at Highland Oaks, Lyon Oaks, Red Oaks and Rose Oaks county parks.
"The goal of our Natural Area Accessibility Improvements Program is to create access for persons of all abilities to some of the most significant natural areas in our 13 parks," Executive Officer Dan Stencil said. "This grant funding allows the parks system to promote the recreational and educational use of unique natural features while ensuring their continued stewardship."
The four parks are ecologically significant because they are located within three of the county's five major watersheds. Highland Oaks bridges two major river systems in Oakland County -- the Huron and Shiawassee rivers. The Huron River runs through Lyon Oaks, the Clinton River crosses Red Oaks and Rose Oaks is traversed by the Shiawassee.
According to Stencil, the total cost for the improvements is $700,000. The trust fund grant will provide 44% of project costs. The Oakland County Parks and Recreation Commission has budgeted $392,000 for the improvements.
"Once a grant agreement is executed by Oakland County Parks and Recreation and the state projects will get underway," he said. "We anticipate construction will begin in the fall of 2011."
At Highland Oaks County Park, 190 feet of boardwalk will be constructed allowing for extension of trail access to the lower two-thirds of the park. Fishing access to a glacial kettle lake will be made possible by 50 feet of floating piers. Both amenities will greatly increase wildlife viewing opportunities. Highland Oaks preserves more than 302 acres of rolling hills, wetlands and old farm pastures.
The grant will also help fund 200 feet of boardwalk and a wildlife viewing platform at Lyon Oaks County Park. The boardwalk will significantly expand access to natural areas by forming key links in a looped trail system. The wildlife viewing platform will provide opportunities for viewing and interpretation of a prairie grassland restoration-in-progress and a 13-acre wetland mitigation project.
Lyon Oaks in Wixom connects 800 acres of environmentally-sensitive wetlands within a 1,041-acre park.
At Red Oaks County Park, 600 feet of boardwalk will help overcome challenges of a narrow park site while preserving and enhancing the value of Red Oaks as an urban natural area, according to Stencil.
Red Oaks in Madison Heights features a 163-acre park built on the George W. Kuhn Drain and offers a golf course, waterpark, dog park and youth soccer complex.
The north-south and east-west trail connectivity will be greatly extended at Rose Oaks County Park with 1,000 feet of boardwalk. The 130 feet of floating piers will provide fishing and non-motorized boat access to a glacial kettle lake.
A viewing platform will raise awareness of the parks system's stewardship activities and create enhanced wildlife viewing opportunities.
Rose Oaks preserves 639 acres of gently rolling open meadows and wooded uplands, including 200 acres of valuable wetlands and frontage on several glacial lakes.
For more information, visit DestinationOakland.com
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