On Monday, the Dowagiac City Council announced its support for The Lake Michigan Trails Network, a plan for the creation of a continuous system of land and water trails across the greater Lake Michigan region.

Started several years ago, the concept is being heralded by regional planning commissions, government institutions, recreation organizations and other groups across the four states that border the Great Lake: Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. One of the organizations to adopt and promote the idea is Southwest Michigan Regional Planning Commission, where Mayor Pro Tem Leon Laylin serves as a representative of the City of Dowagiac.

While largely a ceremonial action, it may seem odd at first that Dowagiac, a city separated by at least 30 minutes from the nearest lake beach, would throw its support behind something that would primarily serve other communities.

As explained by city leaders and representatives with the SWMPC, Dowagiac stands to benefit in several ways from working together: primarily, the city’s support for the agreement will assist the city with its own vision for an expanded trail system, something local leaders have considered for over a year now. The city now stands a higher chance of receiving grant funding for any trail-related projects through its partnership with the regional planning commission; conversely, SWMPC also has a better chance of receiving funding for its projects as it receives more support from communities like Dowagiac.

More and more communities across the country are increasingly dependent on state and federal grant dollars to improve the quality of lives of their residents, and Dowagiac is no different. In light of this reality, city hall has done a commendable job in recent years reaching out to entities like SWMPC, forming mutually beneficial relationships.

A recent example of how these partnerships can pay off can be observed with an afternoon visit to Russom Park. You may see a little league baseball team playing a game on one of the park’s baseball diamonds. You may see a group of kids enjoying the playground equipment. You may see a couple taking a leisure stroll along the paved trail lining the exterior of the park.

All of these things were made possible by the cooperation of the city and Silver Creek Township, who worked together in recent years to capture grant money from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. These dollars funded the improvements to the park, which serves a hub for activity for residents in both communities.

We commend the city for continuing to form new bonds outside the city limits. We’re hoping that the leadership’s legwork will pay off — literally — for years to come.

 

Opinions expressed are those of the editorial board consisting of Publisher Michael Caldwell and editors Ambrosia Neldon, Craig Haupert, Ted Yoakum and Scott Novak.