LANSING MI. - On July 6 Governor Gretchen Whitmer held a conference proposing an investment of $150 million in federal relief funds to Michigan’s community parks and recreation facilities.

The investment will be distributed by the Department of Natural Resources through a grant program , with a goal to support local park systems.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make transformative investments in outdoor spaces and we’ve got to take it,” Whitmer said.

The $150 million proposal comes from federal relief fund dollars from Biden’s American Rescue Plan set in place to address critical needs in local park systems.

“These investments will ensure our children and grandchildren continue to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of natural beauty and outdoor spaces so prized by Michiganders,” Whitmer said, “I look forward to working with the Legislature to secure this investment for our communities."

This $150 million investment plan follows a $250 million rescue plan announced on June 10, proposed to fund trails and parks managed by the state. Together these two plans offer $400 million to maintain local park systems.

Whitmer said, “These two new investment programs, totaling $400 million, mark a once-in-a-generation chance to improve quality of life for our residents, support local economies and bring people back to Michigan as the state continues its recovery from the effects of the pandemic."

Along with these plans, to highlight Michigan’s community parks, Governor Whitmer declared July as Parks and Recreation month. The goal of this being to show off Michigans’s outdoor recreation opportunities.