State Grant To Mean New Hunting Preserve In Berrien County

woodsfall-22
woodsfall-22

A new hunting preserve is coming to Berrien County now that Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation authorizing a grant for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to buy the land. The DNR will receive $4.7 million to acquire 839 acres of property near Berrien Springs and owned by Andrews University. DNR wildlife biologist Ken Kesson told us last year the property south of Berrien Springs is along the St. Joseph River and near Range Line Road.

“Currently, there are several trails on the property, and a lot of them are for various maintenance activities as part of ownership and stewardship of the property,” Kesson said. “There are also trails along the power lines and they’ve  established several parking lots.”

Andrews University approached the DNR about selling the parcel so it could be preserved for the public forever. Kesson told us the area in question is popular with locals and he looks forward to helping to preserve it for them. The Berrien Springs SGA project has the support of Berrien and Buchanan townships, as well as the Berrien County Administrator, and the county parks department.