Contact: Dave Bachman
231-723-2533
Issued by the Alliance for Economic Success as a Service to the City of Manistee
For Immediate Release
CITY OF MANISTEE OFFERS UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO
GREAT LAKES FISHERY AND RECREATIONAL BOATING
Manistee, Michigan – The City of Manistee boasts one of the most valued recreational sport-fisheries in the world. And now the opportunity to fish Lake Michigan waters for Great Lakes salmon, trout and other species will be available to more people than ever before.
The City of Manistee has received a $20,000 grant from the Michigan Recreation and Park Association Foundation to purchase two personal lifts for boats that will enable wheelchair bound anglers to readily access boats heading for Lake Michigan for angling and other recreational pursuits.
“Universal access is a strategic priority for our City,” said Manistee harbor master and Chief of Police Dave Bachman. “Our recent work with the Michigan and National Easter Seals organization is helping us emphasize just how critical it is for our City to offer opportunities for access to people of all abilities. With our sport fishing tournaments and the longstanding reputation of our port as a top recreational angling destination, this project made perfect sense and was a natural fit for the Access to Recreation grant program offered through the Michigan Recreation and Park Association.”
“It’s exciting and gratifying to see Manistee area leaders continue to embrace accessibility as a core element of future planes and improvements for residents and visitors.” said Carol Maus of the National Easter Seal organization. “This and other projects are making sure that children and adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions and their families can live, work and plan in Manistee as independently as possible.”
Bachman said that work will begin this spring to install the two chair lifts at Manistee’s Municipal Marina, located in the City on the south side of the Manistee River. The lift will be available to the general public as well as to privately-operated fishing charters. In a separate project, the City of Manistee joined Stronach Township in announcing funding from the Great Lakes Fishery Trust to build two universally-accessible fishing piers on Manistee Lake.