Garfield Township has given $800,000 to the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation for the long-planned establishment of a maintenence endowment fund for the Boardman Lake Trail.

The endowment will ensure that the Boardman Lake Trail "can be enjoyed for years to come," according to a Community Foundation release. "By partnering with the Community Foundation, the endowment will provide sustainable funding for the trail on an annual basis in perpetuity."

The Boardman Lake Trail loop is being completed through a multi-year, cross-sector partnership between TART Trails, Garfield Township, the City of Traverse City, and Grand Traverse County. With the trail set for completion by next summer, support for ongoing care and maintenance "is an essential part of the overall project," according to the Community Foundation.

"This gift is among the largest single donations we’ve received so far this year," says Community Foundation President and CEO David Mengebier. "We appreciate the trust Garfield Township has put in us to be a steward of this important project as the completed trail will contribute toward a healthy, resilient, and thriving Traverse City community for generations to come.”

TART Trails Executive Director Julie Clark says her organization learned through past experience "the hard lessons about the importance of establishing a maintenance fund for new trails at the time they are being developed. As trails age, they need both preventative care and general upkeep to extend their lives and stay operational longer.”

Garfield Township Supervisor Chuck Korn says the township is "excited to partner with the Community Foundation to create the long-term endowment necessary for the maintenance of the trail," adding that with "so many partners collaborating on this project, we are happy that this commitment will secure the future of the trail."