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KBIC to start bay trail

Vanessa Dietz/Daily Mining Gazette Assistant Tribal Attorney Bobby Escobar and Assistant CEO Sarah Maki present details of a grant agreement for a non-motorized trail in Baraga. Seated to the left of Maki are councilmen Rodney Loonsfoot, R.D. Curtis and Fred Dakota.

BARAGA — The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is working with the state and village to start a trail around the bay.

Last week, the tribal council decided to sign the Michigan Economic Development Corporation grant agreement to build a 1.5 mile non-motorized trail from the Sand Point Lighthouse to the Baraga Municipal Arena to the tune of $527,192.50.

The project is part of KBIC’s bigger plan to extend the trail through L’Anse to Zeba, connecting tribal communities.

“Everyone involved believes that if we can get this first section built, the interest and increased tourist popularity would drive the entire pathway towards completion,” according to the tribe’s description of the project following completion of an MEDC funded feasibility study. “The proposed trail routes link numerous areas of interest together and would provide a designated safer option for traveling the corridors between them. The purpose of creating the trail would be to open up new opportunities for recreation which would almost certainly increase the number of visitors to many areas along the potential trail corridor, leading to favorable economic impacts on top of the increased recreational appeal of the entire area.”

As part of the agreement, the MEDC will pay monthly bills for the project up to $377,192.50 by Sept. 29, the trail’s completion date.

KBIC, the village of Baraga and its Downtown Development Authority (DDA) are chipping in $50,000 each towards the project. The Department of Natural Resources is donating the land.

“The village of Baraga is looking forward to working with the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community on improving our town,” Manager LeAnn LeClaire wrote to Swartz offering the village and DDA monies toward the mutually beneficial project.

U.P. Engineers and Architects, Inc. designed the project, which can include signage and markers to promote awareness and preservation of Indian culture and history, including ancient burial grounds.

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