The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday that Fruitland Township is one of 15 communities who will receive DNR Recreation Passport grants this year.
The township will receive $82,300 to construct accessbile pathways at Nestrom Park.
In all, $1,920,100 in Recreation Passport grants were awarded in this round of funding.
“The Recreation Passport remains one of the best values in outdoor recreation anywhere in the United States,” said DNR director Scott Bowen. “Beyond providing annual public access to dozens of state parks, trailheads, state forest campgrounds and boating access sites, 10% of the proceeds from each $14 Recreation Passport help fund state park improvements and maintenance and grants to communities for additional local park improvement projects.”
The DNR’s Recreation Passport grant program began in 2010 with the goal of boosting visitation and funding for Michigan state parks. The Recreation Passport is a $14 annual pass required for access to 103 state parks and recreation areas, more than 140 state forest campgrounds, Michigan historic sites, hundreds of boating access sites and thousands of miles of trails.
Ten percent of the proceeds from Recreation Passport sales are granted to communities across the state for development and improvement of local public recreation facilities.
The Recreation Passport replaced the DNR’s traditional annual motor vehicle permit for state park access with a purchase program tied to the renewal of license plate registrations.
Beyond the money allocated for Recreation Passport grants, revenue from sales of Recreation Passports supports operations, infrastructure and historic and cultural assets in Michigan’s state parks and recreation system.
Selected projects were scored and selected from a field of 57 grant applications seeking a total of $7.2 million in funding.
With the announcement of this year’s recipients, the Recreation Passport grant program has awarded a total of $22.3 million statewide.
The application period for the next round of Recreation Passport grant funding opens in early 2026, with applications due April 1.
Approximately 97% of state parks funding for operations and maintenance is generated by user fees and royalty revenues.
