By David Fleet
Editor
Atlas Twp.– At 2 p.m., April 29 the townships first county park will open.

The public is welcome to check out hiking trails, wetlands and the Atlas mill pond access on the 155-acre parcel on the north side of Hegel Road about 800 feet east of Gale Road.
Amy McMillian, Genesee County Park director announced on Jan. 29 the sale on the property was completed —the culmination of three years of effort to secure woodland in the township.

“Genesee County has about 11,000 acres of park land—we were not really looking for more, but large tracts of property do not come along too often. Also, this land is near the new Gale Road pathway, so it’s just a good fit,” said McMillian.
The wooded property incorporates an abandoned Detroit Urban Railroad rail bed as well as a section of the Kearsley Creek. In addition, walking paths, scenic overlooks, a pavilion and parking area at the front along Hegel Road will be incorporated in the design of the park. The GCP Rangers will police the property which will be open from 8 a.m.-dusk, seven days per week. The park will also include benches and several trails through the interior of the property.
The parks first benches were recently constructed by Zach Bradshaw, 17, a Goodrich High School senior and Life Scout with Troop 340.
“Hikers will now have a place to sit and overlook the Kearsley Creek,” he said. “It’s about a half mile hike back to the bench so it’s a great resting spot in the park.
Bradshaw’s bench, located where an abandon cabin was once located is for his Eagle Scout project—set to be completed later this year.
“We are really grateful to the residents of Genesee County,” she said. “None of this would have been possible without the residents valuing parks, outdoor spaces and what it contributes to the quality of life. The public will be able to hike and use the Kearsley Creek later this spring—it’s an awesome property. We appreciate the support from the township and Village of Goodrich in helping the Genesee County Parks secure the property—such parcels are very difficult to find in southern Genesee County.”
Owned by the Poulos family the wooded parcel was purchased about 40 years ago as a speculative land investment and was for sale for many years; however, in 2015 the family approached the township about purchasing the land for recreational use.
Township officials contacted McMillan to see if the they could possibly apply for a grant to purchase the property. In October 2015, the GCPR contacted the Six Rivers Land Conservancy to determine the possible use of the land that is a mix of wetlands, open space and woodland.
Following an assessment, on April 2016 the GCPR applied for the grant from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund. The NRTF was established exclusively for acquisition and development of public land, and funding comes from royalties on the sale and lease of state-owned mineral rights. When the NRTF was voted into the Michigan Constitution in 1984 it was to be used for conservation, resource protection, public outdoor recreation and to develop outdoor recreation facilities such as the Atlas Township property.
On Dec. 7, 2016 the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board convened at Lansing Community College to announce their decision on 27 applications seeking more than $31 million in requests for funding statewide. The grant for $540,200 sought by the GCPR to purchase the was approved by the board. In June, 2017 the Michigan House of Representatives OK’d the funding with the GCPR paying the balance an estimated $182,000.
“The rest of matching fund came from the sale of a park property on Holloway Reservoir near Mt. Morris Road,” she said. “The property was not being used and will have no negative impact on the county parks. There was even money left over.”
The Poulos family contributed about $7,000 of their own money to the matching funds, said McMillan.