The Starke County Park Board can now apply for grant funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Park Board President Debbie Mix has received notification that the DNR has accepted the board’s five-year plan. That means Starke County is now eligible for grants from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Continue reading
Beaver Relocation Planned to Solve Drainage Issues Near Starke County Forest
Beavers in the Starke County Forest may soon be relocated, in an effort to solve drainage issues in the area. For the past several months, a neighboring landowner has been blaming beaver dams in the forest for flooding, but Forester Bruce Wakeland has disputed those claims. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board Finalizes Five-Year Plan
The Starke County Park Board has finalized a five-year plan for the county’s park and recreation facilities. The document will help guide improvements at parks, such as the Bass Lake Beach and Campground, the Starke County Forest, and Yellow River access sites at Range Road and English Lake. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board to Inspect County Forest
The Starke County Forest will get an inspection by members of the County Park Board, in an effort to resolve drainage issues in the area. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board Unveils Five-Year Plan
Starke County residents got a look at the future of the county’s park facilities Tuesday. Mike Reese with the Troyer Group presented the county’s five-year park plan during Tuesday’s County Park Board meeting. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board to Unveil Five-Year Plan
Starke County’s five-year park plan will be unveiled to the public during tonight’s County Park Board meeting. The Troyer Group has been hired by the park board to create the plan, which would allow Starke County to be eligible for grant funding from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Continue reading
Starke County Forest Drainage Complaints Continue
The Starke County Forest continues drawing complaints about drainage issues. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board to Receive Update on Five-Year Plan
The Starke County Park Board will get an update tonight on the county’s five-year parks and recreation plan. The Mishawaka-based Troyer Group has been hired to gather input from residents and put the plan together. Continue reading
Starke County Park and Recreation Surveys Due Tomorrow
Starke County residents have one more day to weigh in on their vision for the county’s park and recreation facilities.
The Mishawaka-based Troyer group has been hired to craft a five-year parks and recreation plan for Starke County. As part of that process, they’re trying to gauge usage of the county’s recreational areas.
Specifically they are looking at Bass Lake Beach and Campground, Koontz Lake, the Starke County Forest and the trail system as assets to the county. Continue reading
Community Input Sought for Starke County Parks Comprehensive Plan
The consulting firm hired to craft a five-year parks and recreation plan for Starke County wants input from as many local residents as possible. The Mishawaka-based Troyer Group has come up with a survey to gauge usage of the county’s recreational areas. Continue reading
Starke Park Board Hires Consultant, Schedules Five-Year Plan Meeting
The Starke County Park Board hopes to have a five-year plan in place by mid-January. President Roger Chaffins told the county commissioners Monday they’ve enlisted the Troyer Group from Mishawaka to help with the process. Continue reading
Starke County Park Board to Discuss Bass Lake Beach Upgrades, Five-Year Plan
Ongoing improvements at the Bass Lake Beach and Campground will be discussed during this evening’s Starke County Park Board meeting. Lessee Richard Callahan and his attorney Dave Wallsmith are expected to give board members an update on the site’s progress. Continue reading
Starke County to Seek Grant Funds for Park Plan
The Starke County Park Board is moving ahead with efforts to complete a five-year plan for the county’s park facilities. Before the county is able to get most types of grant funding for park projects, it’s required to have a comprehensive plan in place. Continue reading
Park Board Updates Progress on Starke Forest Drainage Issue
The Starke County Park Board is providing an update on drainage issues in the Starke County Forest.
The greenspace and public access area has been a consistent point of discussion for the Park Board due to what county officials say is a back-up of water due to beaver activity in the forest.
Commissioners Approve Purchase to Address Beaver Problem
The Starke County Park Board has come up with a possible solution to the beaver problem in the Starke County Forest. Continue reading
Starke County to Review Bass Lake Beach Lease
Guided Starke County Forest Tours Scheduled Saturday
Enjoy a guided tour of the Starke County Forest on Saturday, Oct. 17. This is the first time since 2011, when forester Bruce Wakeland donated the 129-acres of land near the Starke/Marshall County line to the county in the form of a trust, that he’s showing members of the public around the property. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Defer Forest Discussion
Starke County Park Board members are encouraged to attend the next county drainage board meeting to discuss their concerns about the marsh in the Starke County Forest. Board member Debbie Mix told the commissioners park board members are looking at other sources of grant funds to cover the cost of constructing a bypass ditch along the south end of the property to alleviate drainage issues. Continue reading
Starke County Commissioners Defer Drainage Decision
The Starke County Commissioners have agreed to wait until after next week’s park board meeting to make a decision about drainage issues in the Starke County Forest. Continued beaver dam activity along the Anderson Ditch is causing drainage problems for neighboring landowners. Several sent a petition to Starke County Surveyor Dennis Estok and to the DNR requesting a solution to the problem. Continue reading
Starke County Forest Dam Discussion Continues This Evening
The discussion of how to handle drainage issues caused by beavers in the Starke County Forest will continue during tonight’s county commissioners meeting. Surveyor Dennis Estok and representatives from Walkerton-based Territorial Engineering will present a proposal to the commissioners during their 6 p.m. session. The Drainage Board decided earlier this year to open a drainage point in the Starke County Forest. A beaver dam is causing neighboring land to flood. The Starke County Park Board, which oversees the forest, has since stepped in and asked that a long-term solution be found to the problem. Continue reading