Parks Department staff told the board Wednesday they are pursuing an EPA‑funded Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant to pay for engineering and specifications for bank stabilization and trail improvements near the Waste Inc. site along Singing Sands Trail.

The staff presenter said the grant opportunity—administered through the DNR and EPA—covers engineering work with no local match and could fund bank stabilization, fishing access, benches and other trail amenities. “They approached me with some Great Lakes Restoration Initiative grant funding that's out there right now, with no match. ... The EPA still has jurisdiction over the waste ink site where this project would be, and they're interested in more trail amenities,” the superintendent said, describing planned site visits with EPA representatives during a Michigan Coastal Program meeting being held locally.

Staff noted the site’s proximity to Trail Creek and the potential for erosion to threaten the trail if creek levels rise as they did previously; stabilization work would protect the trail and create public access improvements. The EPA representative had expressed interest in showcasing projects that convert remediated properties into public amenities.

No grant application decision was reported at the meeting; staff said they will gather more information and meet with EPA contacts at an upcoming coastal program event in Michigan City.