November 11, 2011 by Candice Williams/ The Detroit News 

Flat Rock— After almost eight years and some hurdles, the city of Flat Rock is making strides toward a trail project to link into 24 miles of bike paths through Downriver.

The city expects to request bids by year's end to begin work on a 2-mile bike path to link the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority Metroparks to the Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative, said George Mans, Flat Rock economic development director. The new path will start at Huroc Park in Flat Rock and run through Huron Township and Oakwoods Metropark. The project hasn't been without its hurdles. The city recently had to purchase a portion of private land in Huron Township that was headed into tax foreclosure.

The city originally wanted only an easement, but found out that the owners of the property, who have moved to Florida, were in tax foreclosure to Wayne County.

So the city bid on the land for about $5,000, Mans said. Without it, the city would have had to redesign the project, said Flat Rock Mayor Jonathan Dropiewski. Work is expected to begin in 2012.

 

Saturday, October 15, 2011 by Kelli Barrett/News Herald 

The completion of a Downriver greenway trail is cause for celebration at Humbug Marsh . 

The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge will celebrate National Wildlife Refuge Week with the completion of a greenway trail that links Lake Erie Metropark in Brownstown Township to the marsh, which is in Trenton and Gibraltar. The event will include crafts and other activities, family friendly hikes, refreshments and bike inspections. 

“We want to celebrate experiencing nature,” said Jamie Lanier, the refuge’s visitors’ services manager. “We want to encourage people to get outside and explore. 

“It is also a way to work with partners and thank staff and volunteers.” 

The trail, which can be used for biking and hiking, has been in the works for about a year and is part of Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative, a community effort that wants to link Downriver communities through nonmotorized pathways. The trail is now part of 50 continuous miles of greenway trails. 

“Linking two units of the refuge is helping to connect the Downriver region,” Lanier said. 

The event will begin at Lake Erie Metropark, 32481 W. Jefferson Ave., at 9 a.m. The metropark’s $5 vehicle entry fee will be waived for those participating in the event. Participants also can travel from the Gil Talbert Community Center, 29340 S. Gibraltar Road, Gibraltar, to Humbug Marsh, which is a four-mile trip, as opposed to eight miles from Lake Erie Metropark. The marsh’s entrance is at 5437 W. Jefferson Ave., Trenton. 

Festivities will start at 10:30 a.m. 

“It will be like a carnival,” Lanier said. 

The celebration will begin with a dedication ceremony of the trail and then turn into a party with food, crafts, scavenger hunts, information booths and more. Photos with the refuge’s mascot, a blue goose, will be offered. Healthy snacks like apples, granola, raisins and water will be served. 

The free event is family friendly. 

The refuge’s urban location makes it a unique place, Lanier said. 

“Thousands of acres have been set aside to preserve nature, and we should enjoy it,” she said. 

It’s the only international wildlife refuge in the United States. It spans more than 48 miles of Detroit River and Lake Erie shoreline that includes coastal wetlands, islands, marshes, shoals and waterfront lands. 

Humbug Marsh is 410 acres of unaltered wetlands. It has some of the last unaltered U.S. wetlands in the Detroit River. In Humbug Marsh are three miles of trail, two wildlife observation decks, a wetland boardwalk and an environmental education shelter, and it is home to more than a hundred animal species and 90 plant species. 

Lake Erie Metropark is more than 1,000 acres with three miles of Lake Erie shoreline and includes a Marshland Museum, kayaking and fishing, and is home to more than 300 bird species. It also has a hawk watch program. 

Humbug Marsh is only open to the public during educational and special events. One of the reasons is that the refuge staff is so small — there are only four full-time employees. The staff offices are on Grosse Ile because the refuge doesn’t have a visitor or information center yet. 

“We’re still really in our infancy,” Lanier said of the refuge. 

A visitor center is under construction on 44 acres next to Humbug Marsh.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 by Jim Casuba/News Herald: 

WYANDOTTE — Not too long ago a person with physical limitations probably wouldn’t contemplate kayaking. After all, it’s a recreational activity that requires dexterity and flexibility. Perhaps the most difficult move for those with physical challenges is getting in and out of the narrow vessel. But there’s an answer to that problem and it can be found on the shores of Bishop Park. The city recently introduced what is believed to be the only adaptive kayak launch of its kind in Michigan. The launch, made possible through a public/private partnership between the city and Riverside Kayak Connection, uses a hydraulic lift system to transfer a person from a bench to his or her kayak. Although it is designed so that wheelchair users can get in kayaks, anyone can use it. 

Fred Pischke, director of recreation, leisure and culture for the city, said it took about five years for the idea to come to fruition. Riverside Kayak Connection, 4016 Biddle Ave., owned by Patrick and Tiffany Van De Hey, approached the city about it and officials liked the idea. The major factors to consider would be figuring out how to pay for it and where to locate it. 

The first potential site was at the foot of Pine Street, at BASF Waterfront Park. But Pischke said getting to a launch in that spot would be difficult for the physically challenged. Another location discussed was behind Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital, but that also had logistical problems. “Eventually they settled on the Bishop Park site,” Pischke said. “There’s a gate and ramp that goes down in elevation from the pier to the dock.” 

 What really got the ball rolling was a $30,000 Access to Recreation Grant that was acquired through the Kellogg Foundation. Anita Twardesky, public relations and marketing manager for Riverside Kayak Connection, said the company she represents applied for the grant.  Twardesky serves on the board of the Michigan Recreation and Parks Association and was chairwoman of the trails and blueways committee when she became aware of the available funds through the Community Foundation for Southeastern Michigan. 

 “That grant money allowed us to come up with out-of-the-box thinking,” Twardesky said. “It had to be a cutting-edge idea, an idea that goes above and beyond mainstream recreation.” According to Pischke, once the grant money was made available, the city pledged $90,000 in Tax Increment Finance Authority funds to pay the rest of the cost. Riverside Kayak Connection employees worked with the manufacturer, EZ Dock in Caro, to build a launch that works for those in wheelchairs. 

“They have a pond up there and we were able to see what worked and what didn’t work,” Twardesky said. She said Bishop Park is an ideal site because it blends in so well with other recreational facilities the city offers at the park. Twardesky also likes the fact the launch is in an inlet that allows beginners to stay out of the main portion of the Detroit River, if that’s their preference. She said some kayak launches use a roller system that runs parallel to the shores of inland lakes, but that type of launch wouldn’t work for the Detroit River. “This adaptive kayak launch with a transfer station and hydraulic lift is the only one of its kind in the state,” Twardesky said. She hopes to partner with other organizations for special events and activities at the kayak launch. Tentative plans call for offering kayak lessons and the sponsorship of a media day to help spread the word that the launch is available to everyone. 

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Think about kayaking in Michigan and one undoubtedly thinks about the pristine rivers, lakes and forests as a setting. Researchers at Michigan State University (MSU), however, say think again.

            

Though the Detroit River has a far-reaching history of industrial usage, a recent survey conducted by the MSU Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies (CARRS) and Michigan Sea Grant Extension finds that the river offers much more.

            

Kayaking enthusiasts now enjoy an urban paddling experience among freighter traffic, skyscrapers and industries as the Detroit River emerges as an important natural resource and provider of ecological services and benefits to the state.

            

“The leadership and collaboration toward water trails and paddling sports in the downriver area is terrific and forward-thinking,” said Christine Vogt, professor in the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. “This recreation and tourism activity can put Michigan on the map with all our Great Lakes and rivers in urban, suburban and rural areas.”

            

The two-year water trail survey, done in conjunction with the Downriver Linked Greenways Initiative,Riverside Kayak Connection of Wyandotte and the National Park Service, was conducted from July 2009 through December 2010 to learn more about people who participate in paddling programs on the Detroit River.

            

Respondents to the survey gave their opinion on whether they viewed the Detroit River as a desirable paddling destination. They also were asked about their spending habits when paddling on the river as a potential economic indicator influencing the Detroit Heritage River Water Trail region. The survey found that respondents recognized the connection between urbanized Detroit and the more natural downriver areas of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge,Huron-Clinton Metroparks and Pointe Mouillee State Game Area, and concludes that the Detroit River is a draw for paddling enthusiasts.

            

“This survey has implications for coastal tourism efforts throughout the region,” says Mary Bohling, MSU Extension educator, Urban Southeast District. “As more coastal communities explore implementation of water trails, it becomes important to understand potential trail users and how to effectively attract them to a variety of recreational options.”

            

Broader marketing through social media and email discussion group lists has led to an increase in visitors from outside of Wayne County. In 2009, nearly one-third of the paddlers participating in kayaking programs on the Detroit River were from outside Wayne County. By 2010, two-thirds of participants came from areas including Ohio, Illinois and Canada.

            

With an increase in the number of paddlers on the river came positive economic impacts. Spending for kayak equipment was the most common expenditure that included small dollar purchases to larger purchases of more than $1,000.

            

“Our business has been thriving and growing as users realize the wonderful natural resources available in southeast Michigan,” says Anita Twardesky, public relations and marketing director of Riverside Kayak Connection LLC.

            

Restaurants and lodging were also popular sources of spending, showing that new paddlers are attracted to new boats and accessories as well as water trails where a day or overnight trip can be staged and enjoyed.

            

“Other areas of Michigan should be following the program innovations of Anita and Mary, and creating even more paddling opportunities,” Vogt said. “The research shows how natural resources and people are connecting and finding urban areas attractive.”