Grants
Parks and Trails Improvement Grant Program
Project Name: Massie Cliffside Preserve Drive Improvement Project
Project Location: Put-in-Bay
The Put-in-Bay Township Park District (PIBTPD) was awarded a Parks and Trails Improvement Grant in the amount of $20,000 to upgrade access to the Massie Cliffside Preserve. The Preserve has one entrance on State Route 357 with a foot trail to the lakeshore. Massie Drive provided a second access and parking lot for those who were mobility impaired. The narrow road had been in a state of disrepair with deep potholes. Proper grading, widening and a pervious gravel base was completed in fall/early winter 2022 and speed bumps were installed in March 2023. A new two-sided sign purchased by the Put-in-Bay Township Park District will allow the many island visitors to clearly see their parking/access options from State Route 357. The sign will be completed after input from residents on Massie Lane and installed before the 2023 summer season begins. It acknowledges the contributions from the Park District of Ottawa County ($20,000), as well as Shores & Islands Ohio ($8,800) to the project.
There is a new gate at the parking lot that can be opened for maintenance and special visitors if needed. The newly improved Massie Drive will allow easier access to the beautiful Lake Erie views, wildflowers, birds, and benches for mobility impaired and elderly visitors.
Project Name: Cedar Meadow Preserve Trail Improvement Project
Project Location: Catawba Island Township
The Cedar Meadow Nature Preserve was purchased in 2005 by Catawba Island Township with assistance from the Clean Ohio Fund and the Black Swamp Conservancy. By the spring of 2022 trails in some areas of the preserve had become impassible or difficult to maneuver due to normal use over time, poor drainage, and wet weather conditions. The Catawba Island Parks Board and Township Trustees applied for assistance through the Parks and Trails Improvement Grant Program offered by the Park District of Ottawa County and the township was awarded a grant for $20,000 to repair and enhance the trails located in Cedar Meadow Nature Preserve.
A limestone path spanning nearly 1,300 feet of the main north-south trail was laid ten feet wide and another 150 feet of limestone now spans the east-west trail ending near the pond observation deck. Crossover drainage pipes were installed near the Buttonbush wetland to allow the free flow of water from one side to the other and not affect hydrologic flow. The sixty-two acres of mixed meadows, walking trails, and forested wetlands is a conservation legacy for the community and Catawba Island Township is grateful for the financial support from the Park District of Ottawa County.
Parks and Trails Improvement Grant Program