Michigan DEQ secures federal dollars to expand Petoskey State Park

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Office of the Great Lakes (OGL) announced last week that it will be increasing the area of Emmet County’s Petoskey State Park by 6.3 acres

The expansion was made possible by a $205,000 federal grant.

The funding will go through the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), which will preserve the new land, including 1,400 feet of shoreline. The land also includes a critical dune area, a trout stream called Tannery Creek and a diverse ecosystem.

“We are pleased, through this collaboration, to be able to fund an addition to the iconic Petoskey State Park and the spectacular Lake Michigan shoreline,” DNR Parks and Recreation Division Chief Ron Olson said.

 The grant funding the purchase came from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration through its Estuarine Land Conservation protram.

“By leveraging these federal funds, Michigan will enhance coastal habitat protection and recreational opportunities within an expanded Petoskey State Park, improving the already-exceptional status of this park as both a natural resource and community asset,” OGL Director Jon W. Allan said.