A $2.13 GRANT from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund will restore public access while protecting more than 4 miles of riverfront property on the Sturgeon River in Waucedah Township. (Superior Watershed Partnership photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation authorizing $37.8 million in Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants that will support outdoor recreation projects throughout the state, including $2.13 million for the purchase of more than 4 miles of riverfront property on the Sturgeon River in eastern Dickinson County.

The Sturgeon River parcel is about 1.5 miles south of U.S. 2 and just west of County Road 569 in Waucedah Township. It includes whitewater rapids, waterfalls, granite cliffs and old growth forest. It will connect to more than 3,700 acres of state forest and provide numerous recreational activities, including kayaking, fishing, bird watching, hiking, and swimming, the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said.

Under the grant, Waucedah Township will acquire the property with the Superior Watershed Partnership holding a conservation easement and assisting with management, monitoring and trail development. The Great Lakes Conservation Corps will help with maintenance.

Township Supervisor Louis Sturm described it as “a gorgeous area that will be a real asset.”

Township Trustee Chuck Adams, who was supervisor when the application was submitted, explained that the parcel once was held by We Energies under Commercial Forest provisions, allowing some public access. It went into private ownership more than a decade ago, but development plans never materialized.

“It came as surprise to me,” Adams said of the offer from the Superior Watershed Partnership to assist in acquiring the property at minimal cost to the township.

Superior Watershed Partnership is a non-profit organization that implements a variety of conservation and public education projects. Environmental education kiosks are planned for the site.

Recreational opportunities might include bike paths and snowmobiling but not ORVs, Adams said. A canoe and kayak launch is envisioned. The SWP’s conservation easement will further landscape-scale conservation efforts by expanding and protecting important wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors from future development.

Across the state, 76 recreational development projects and land acquisitions were recommended for funding, the Department of Natural Resources said. A total of 136 applications sought more than $60 million in funding, with all eligible applications evaluated based on scoring criteria approved by the Trust Fund board.

“The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund supports quality outdoor recreation, giving Michiganders the ability to safely enjoy the outdoors and boosting local economies,” Whitmer said while signing the legislation Thursday. “This funding is crucial to helping communities utilize their natural resources and make Michigan’s public spaces more accessible and attractive to residents and visitors. I am proud to sign this piece of bipartisan legislation into law and support Michigan’s recreational resources and economy.”

The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund is a restricted fund established in 1976 to provide funding for public acquisition of lands for resource protection and outdoor recreation, as well as for public outdoor recreation development projects. It is funded through interest and earnings on funds derived from the revenues of state-owned oil, gas and minerals. Over the past 44 years, the Trust Fund has granted more than $1.2 billion to state and local units of government to develop and improve recreation opportunities in Michigan.

The Trust Fund board’s recommendations go to the Michigan Legislature for review as part of the appropriations process. Upon approval, the Legislature forwards a bill to the governor.

Four other acquisition projects are in the Upper Peninsula:

— Delta County, Michigan DNR, Lake Michigan Dune and Swale Complex, $2.6 million. This includes acquisition of 952 acres of unique forestland that has more than 1.5 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline; 220 acres of wooded dune and swale complex and 27 acres of sand dunes; 308 acres of wetlands; upland timber; nearly 1/2 mile of Virginia Creek corridor; and the entirety of Little Sucker Lake.

— Gogebic County, Gogebic County Forest expansion, $3.2 million. This is for the acquisition of 4,000 acres of unique forestland within the existing 50,000-acre Gogebic County Forest. The property supports the forest products industry while providing critical wildlife habitat and natural resources for public outdoor recreation.

— Ontonagon County, Ontonagon Township, Lake Superior Sandy Beach Acquisition, $100,000. The township will acquire 3 acres of lakefront property featuring 275 feet of sandy beach frontage on Lake Superior in Ontonagon Township.

— Chippewa County, Whitefish Township, Saturn Memorial Township Park expansion, $185,000. About 5 acres will be acquired to expand the park, which will feature more than 600 feet of shoreline on Lake Superior, west of Whitefish Point. The park is named for the historic wreck of the barges Saturn and Jupiter, which went down in 1872 with no survivors.

Development projects in the U.P. include:

— Gogebic County, City of Ironwood, Norrie Park Renovation and Montreal River Water Trail , $111,300

— Houghton County, Michigan DNR, Sturgeon River Sloughs Bridge Development $300,000

— Mackinac County, Portage Township, Portage Creek Fishing Access, $50,000.

— Mackinac County, Portage Township, Shoepac Creek Fishing Access, $50,000.

— Marquette County, City of Marquette, Mattson Lower Harbor Park — Inclusive Playground, $300,000.

— Marquette County, City of Negaunee, Jackson Mine Park Playground Development, $125,700.

— Marquette County, Michigan DNR, Little Presque Isle Trail Development and Renovation, $300,000.