The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has awarded a $3 million grant to the U.S. Department of Natural Resources and Environment to help acquire about 171 acres for the $22 milliion Saugatuck Harbor Natural Area in Allegan County. The land consists of open dunes, wetlands, natural jack-pine forest, hardwood-pine dune forest, Great Lakes marsh, an oxbow lake, 1,650 feet of the Kalamazoo River, and 3,650 feet of Lake Michigan shoreline.
According to excerpts from the story:
The Land Conservancy of West Michigan closed on the property Dec. 22, purchasing it from Aubrey McClendon for $19 million. The total cost is about $22.1 million when transactional and management costs are included. With $10.5 million from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and $7.1 million in gifts, $4.5 million was still needed from the general public. The federal grant helps decrease that to about $1.5 million.
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