Press Release: New Park Property - Stearns Creek

For immediate release - February 26, 2019
Press contact: Jessica VanGinhoven, 616-738-4810

The Ottawa County Parks and Recreation Commission and Ottawa County Parks Foundation reached an important landmark today in its effort to create a new ecologically important park along the Grand River Greenway.

Agreements were reached with three landowners to sell 118 acres of land in Robinson Township at the south end of Stearns Bayou. This land includes 6,350 feet of frontage along Stearns Creek and will protect nearly 27 acres of high quality wetland. The acquisition helps accomplish the goal of adding 700 acres of park land to the  Grand River Greenway over the next five years; a donation to the campaign is a key part of the funding for the purchase.

The Grand River Greenway Campaign Committee is part of the Parks Foundation and is co-chaired by Peter Secchia, Monica Verplank, and Samantha Verplank.

The purchases are expected to be completed in March and are funded by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program (CELCP) grant, a Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant, and a gift from the estate of John J. Helstrom. In honor of the gift, the new park will feature the Helstrom Family Trail System.

“Land acquisition is a priority for completing the Greenway and for the Parks Foundation,” said Parks Commission President and Foundation Board Member David VanGinhoven.” Donations like the one from the John J. Helstrom estate are so important to helping the County Parks protect critical properties and have an impact that goes well beyond the amount given, because they can leverage other public funding sources. In this case, the impact of the gift was multiplied over tenfold.”

In order to secure the CELCP grant, Ottawa County Parks competed against proposals from the entire Great Lakes region. Similarly, the Trust Fund grant involved statewide competition.

“The bayous along the Grand River are critical for the ecology of the river in part because of the unique way they are influenced by the fluctuations of Lake Michigan. They serve an important function in the life cycle of many species, including rare plants and fish,” said Ottawa County Parks Director John Scholtz. “Much of the bayou land along the River has been developed. However, a significant portion of this property has not been impacted since the logging era and also is ideal for natural restoration. That is why the project received funding at a national level and protecting this land was a priority for the Parks.”

The property will be one of the most biodiverse in the entire parks systems. Therefore, it is likely to be a passive recreation focused park that is designed to further enhance its natural features. The upland portions of the site include a former family farm. Restoration work on the wetland and farm areas will likely be undertaken in order to foster diversity and provide a favorable environment for native plants, rare and uncommon birds, and other native wildlife. There are also ravines with mature forest and scenic views of the Stearns Creek corridor.

Once purchases are completed, the new park will be opened to the public this summer. The park will feature a small parking area, trailhead, and hiking trails that will become ungroomed cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing trails in the winter. Future additional uses and amenities that will be considered by the Parks include access to the bayou for fishing and kayaking/canoeing, an accessible crushed stone trail loop, and overlooks for birding and wildlife viewing. Archery deer hunting may be permitted in the future.