Keweenaw Land Trust Boston Pond Nature Area roadside park located directly off of highway U.S. 41, west of, and across the highway from, the Houghton County Airport.

UPPER PENINSULA — Organizations in Ontonagon and Houghton counties were two of six recipients of grants from the Upper Peninsula Sustainable Forest & Wildlife Fund (UPSF&W), according to a Thursday press release from the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula.

Ontonagon Soil and Conservation District received a grant of an undisclosed amount for its Youth Natural Resources Education and Outreach Workshop.

The Keweenaw Land Trust, with its office in Hancock, received a grant, again of an undisclosed amount, to establish the new Boston Road Woodland Nature Area.

The Boston Pond Nature Area features an all access walking trail leading from the parking area to the viewing piers along the shore of Boston Pond. The public parking area and trails are not plowed during the winter. The pavilion may be used all year. Boston Pond Nature Area is a family-friendly roadside park located directly off of highway US-41, west of the Houghton County Airport. Featuring a mid-size pavilion, easy walking trail, and viewing pier along the shore of Boston Pond, this nature area is a great space for small gatherings and easy access to nature.

“Our committee is grateful for the foresight of the former Mead Corporation for their desire to have a partnership with their employees; sportsmen and sportswomen and the youth of the Upper Peninsula,” said Charlie Becker, committee and board member of the UPSF&W. “We are proud to be a committee under the auspices of the Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula.”

Becker said it is the committee’s mission to foster a better understanding of the forests and wildlife, as well as assist U.P. residents, including youth, to become more active and enjoy the outdoors as much as possible.

Cheryl Andzejewski, president of the Upper Peninsula Community Foundation, said grant amounts are not publicly disclosed to avoid conflicts between grant recipient groups.

“Sometimes, if one grant is for one amount and another is for a different amount, it adds more questions,” she explained. “They’re like ‘how come I got that much if so-and-so got that much. And they’ve all been informed (individually) already before we put the press release out.”

The Community Foundation of the Upper Peninsula (CFUP) is located in Escanaba. It provides financial support to qualified tax-exempt organizations for projects aimed at solving community problems or enhancing life in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. CFUP provides a leadership role through service as a catalyst for change, an innovator to solve problems, a partner with other community organizations, and as a resource for solutions to emerging community needs. Support comes from the income of permanently endowed funds contributed by individuals, businesses, and organizations. Community foundations do not participate in advocacy or lobbying.

The UPSF&W was created to support research, youth, education, training, and wildlife habitat improvement projects related to the sustainability of U.P. forests and wildlife.

Grants are usually given for one time only, for specific purposes and with the understanding that the Advisory Committee has no obligation or commitment to provide any additional support to the grantee.

Eligibility requirements include:

– Grants are made only to non-profit organizations, exempt from federal taxation.

– Grants are only given to projects that will benefit the residents and visitors to the Upper Peninsula.

– The UPSF&W Advisory Committee does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, disability, sex, or national origin in the consideration of grant requests, and will award grants only to grant seekers who do not discriminate.

Ineligibility:

– Grants may not be used for any political purpose.

– No project will be funded more than once over a 12-month period.

Priority will be given to projects that are collaborative and that will benefit the general public.

For more information on grants or the CFUP, visit their website at https://www.cfup.org/

The other four grant recipients were:

– Alger Conservation District — Chatham Interpretive and Educational Property Project, to develop a vacant lot into a community garden and recreational opportunity.

– Schoolcraft County Community Foundation — Boardwalk repair project.

– Hessle School House, Corp. — Aldo Leopold Festival.

– Maple Ridge Township, Delta County — Rock Lions Park Recreational Project.