Total Project Cost $1,500,000
Gifts for this project should be made to the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation. To support this project, contact Mercedes Bowyer at mbowyer@gtrcf.org or contribute online at www.gtrcf.org/greilick or by clicking this donate button.
For nearly a century, the former Camp Greilick was a beloved place for young people to enjoy the woods and waters of our beautiful area. Located in the Boardman/Ottaway River watershed, the property features 4,310 feet of frontage on Rennie, Spider and Bass Lakes and contains vast areas of upland forests. It is also near thousands of acres of protected land and connects to numerous trail systems.
Plans are underway to renew the land’s use as a community hub for recreation and experiencing nature, with the southern 298 acres set to become part of Traverse City’s Brown Bridge Quiet Area, and the northern 196 acres recently acquired by Grand Traverse County. In collaboration with the County and the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation (GTRCF), the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy (GTRLC) secured a $3.25 million gift from a generous “conservation angel” to purchase and hold the northern property, allowing the County time to conduct due diligence and gather community input before acquiring the land at a reduced price of $3 million.
The property is protected with a conservation easement designed to balance its ecological values with the camp’s future growth. To enhance these protections, the County and GTRLC have doubled the protected shoreline and riparian buffers and will work together to further amend the easement, limiting the construction of new buildings and impervious surfaces. The County has also decided to restrict all outside watercraft, reducing the threat of aquatic invasive species.
The Conservancy is working with the Community Foundation to grow the existing $150,000 Forever Camp Greilick Endowment to a goal of at least $1.5 million. This endowment will be invested to provide ongoing funding for the property’s care and maintenance, easing the County’s financial burden and supporting the land’s ecological health. So far, the County has committed $250,000 to the endowment and has offered an additional $250,000 as a matching challenge only if the Community Foundation can raise $500,000.
“The Endowment will provide sustainable and predictable funding year after year to the County to support its stewardship of the Greilick property,” explained GTRCF President and CEO David Mengebier. “This can include restoring and improving habitats for wildlife and water quality and building and maintaining recreation-related infrastructure such as the existing buildings, trails, signage, and parking areas.”
The endowment also seeks to foster community health and wellness through outdoor recreation, particularly benefiting our region’s youth. A recent survey by GTRCF revealed that a majority of local high school students identify outdoor activities as their primary method of stress relief, underscoring the significant positive impact of nature on mental health.
According to Mengebier, “The future park will be an incredible asset to our community as it will not only support the protection of our local land, air, and water but it will also promote health and wellness through outdoor recreation opportunities for area youth and families.”
Gifts to the Endowment should be directed to GTRCF by contacting Director of Donor Engagement Mercedes Bowyer at mbowyer@gtrcf.org or by contributing online at www.gtrcf.org/greilick. For more information about this project, please contact Mercedes or GTRLC’s Senior Charitable Giving Specialist Erin Whiting at ewhiting@gtrlc.org.