Friday, October 24th, 2014
New Bremen snags $94,472 state trails grant
Funds will connect Dicke trail to towpath along Miami and Erie Canal
By Jared Mauch
NEW BREMEN - A project to connect a Kuenning-Dicke Natural Area trail to the Miami and Erie Canal towpath got a big financial boost this week from the state.
The village of New Bremen will receive $94,472 from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources toward the $147,040 project along Lock Two Road, north of town. The federal funds are provided through the Recreational Trails Program.
The project is a 3,800-foot asphalt loop that will connect the park to the scenic canal towpath. Messages left today seeking further information from village officials and park foundation members were not immediately returned.
Sixteen recreational trails in Ohio were chosen to receive more than $1.68 million in federal funds. The Kuenning-Dicke Natural Area was the only trail in the Grand Lake area chosen for the funding.
The natural area opened in 2005 as a 71-acre public park. It has 2.5 miles of trails for walking, running, hiking and biking. Also on site is a 3-acre lake for catch-and-release fishing.
More than 800 trees have been planted in the park to aid in the return of native plant and animal life. Also at the park are small memorials honoring American veterans from World War II and the Civil War.
The Recreational Trails Program is a reimbursement grant measure that provides up to 80 percent of a project's funding. Funding is through the U.S. Federal Highway Administration and a portion of federal motor fuel excise tax.
The trails program has provided more than $24.7 million to more than 290 parks since 1993, according to ODNR.
