CHELSEA – On June 6, 2022, the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation formally approved a grant for $3.5 million in matching funds to the Huron Waterloo Pathways Initiative (HWPI) to further develop non-motorized trails throughout Southeast Michigan. The grant, which was broken into two sections of funding, is the largest grant awarded to-date to HWPI. Funds will be distributed over the next three years and will be matched by a combination of public dollars and private funding raised by HWPI.
$1,500,000 of the overall grant will be put towards construction of new sections of the Border To Border Trail (B2B Trail) in Washtenaw County.
The current B2B Trail consists of approximately 35 non-continuous miles throughout the county. When complete, the B2B Trail will span a continuous 43.9 miles from one end of the county to the other. These funds will play a significant role in closing the nearly 10-mile gap and completing the trail in the coming years.
The remaining $2,000,000 of the grant will go towards development of a new segment of the Iron Belle Trail (IBT) in Van Buren Township, which broke ground this week. This section of trail will connect to the easternmost edge of the B2B Trail in Ypsilanti Township in Washtenaw County, and extend into Van Buren Park, through the city of Belleview, and eventually into the Lower Huron Metropark. This project will be operated and owned by Van Buren Township and Wayne County, with significant consultation and partnership from HWPI and Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission (WCPARC).
HWPI would like to thank the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation for their tremendous support of our project, and continued leadership in bettering the Southeast Michigan community. We deeply appreciate the trust that the Board of Directors, President and CEO Dave Egner, and Director of the Parks and Trails Initiative, JJ Tighe, have placed in us through this grant. For additional information about HWPI please visit our website at: huron-waterloo-pathways.org
