BIG BAY, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Eagle Mine and Lake Superior Community Partnership are looking for public feedback on how to improve trails in Marquette county.
The groups are holding 3 open house sessions on February 6th,7th, and 8th that hope to spread awareness about the county wide trail and green space master plan. The sessions are open to anyone who uses Marquette Counties outdoor recreation spots, even those who live outside the community.
The focus of the master plan is to ensure trails are being updated to best serve the community. When asked about what type of improvements will be made Matt Johnson, an eagle mine representative, said “What’s important to [community members] for trail accessibility, connecting neighborhoods, maybe someone has a favorite trail they want us to focus on, maybe there’s a new trail we should be building in the community.”
According to Johnson the Covid-19 pandemic trail usage in Marquette has gone up 20 percent every year, a trend he expects to continue. Investing in trails and green spaces around marquette not only makes residents happy, the eagle mine says it benefits industry around the upper peninsula as well. The outdoor recreation opportunities act as a great recruiting tool for businesses. Johnson says “We need to recruit people to come to work at Eagle Mine, we need to retain employees as well so we want to give back to the community to help maintain trailspace and help maintain our greenspace.
There will be open houses on Tuesday February 7th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Marquette township hall, and on Wednesday February 8th from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at Hygge Center in Ishpeming.
