Community Foundation Receives $800K to Establish Boardman Lake Loop Trail Endowment

[Photo credit: TART Trails; Image description: A person in a khaki jacket and jeans is wearing an orange backpack and is riding a bike with a basket along the Boardman Lake Loop Trail. There are light pink flower blooms on a tree in the right side of the image.]

The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation recently received a $800,000 gift from Garfield Township to establish the Boardman Lake Loop Trail Maintenance Endowment, which will support the Trail’s ongoing care and upkeep.

“This gift is among the largest single donations we’ve received so far this year,” said David Mengebier, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “We appreciate the trust Garfield Township has put in us to be a steward of this important project as the completed Trail will contribute toward a healthy, resilient, and thriving Traverse City community for generations to come.”

The Boardman Lake Loop Trail was established through a multi-year cross-sector partnership between TART Trails, Garfield Township, the City of Traverse City, and Grand Traverse County. With the Trail set for completion by next summer, support for ongoing care and maintenance is an essential part of the overall project.

“Through past experience we have learned the hard lessons about the importance of establishing a maintenance fund for new trails at the time they are being developed,” said Julie Clark, Executive Director of TART Trails. “As trails age they need both preventative care and general upkeep to extend their lives and stay operational longer.”

The Endowment will ensure that the Boardman Lake Loop Trail—and the connections, active recreation, and transportation options it offers—can be enjoyed for years to come. By partnering with the Community Foundation, the Endowment will provide sustainable funding for the Trail on an annual basis, in perpetuity.

“Garfield Township is excited to partner with the Community Foundation to create the long-term endowment necessary for the maintenance of the Trail,” said Chuck Korn, Supervisor of Garfield Township. “With so many partners collaborating on this project, we are happy that this commitment will secure the future of the Trail.”

To learn more about the Boardman Lake Loop Trail, visit TART Trail’s website: www. traversetrails.org/projects/boardman-lake-loop/. To support the Boardman Lake Loop Trail Endowment, donations can be made at: www.gtrcf.org/give.