Story

The City of Buchanan received a $288,000 MNRTF grant in 2012 to fund the development of McCoy’s Creek Trail. The trail friends group had been working to construct a trail in the City of Buchanan 10 years prior to applying for a grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. At the time of the application, an abandoned railroad bed had been purchased and an agreement had been made with a private landowner for access to his property.

“We needed to tie everything together, and the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Grant was perfect fit. We could not afford to complete a project of this magnitude without help. We had already raised $80,000 for our match money and had worked hard on a desired route. The grant process forced us to put everything together in an orderly fashion and the rest is history. We have a fantastic addition to our community which ties together 4 miles of walking/ biking trails through our city.

The ‘new’ trail started in the Arts and Historical District of downtown Buchanan, in a highly visible area of the community and usage became heavy as soon as asphalt was laid. We’ve had two successful 5k Walk/Runs on the new trail, and winter usage has been so good the city has been clearing snow so people can use it to walk and bike along with the usual cross country and snowshoeing activities.”

– William Marx, City Manager/Police Chief, City of Buchanan