Protecting The Watershed

Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund Celebrates 20th Anniversary and New Grant Recipients

The Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund is celebrating 20 years of funding programs that protect and enhance the Muskegon River watershed.

The fund was established at Fremont Area Community Foundation in 2002 through the generosity of Great Spring Waters of America, Inc., now BlueTriton Brands. In 2018, Ice Mountain renewed its support with a $2 million commitment over the next 20+ years. As an endowed fund of the Community Foundation, this fund is a permanent, ever-growing resource dedicated to improving the overall health of the watershed.

“We have been proud to partner with Ice Mountain over the last 20 years to support sustaining the waters of the Muskegon River watershed,” said Shelly Kasprzycki, president and CEO of the Community Foundation. “The Muskegon River has always been a critical resource to our communities. Thanks to Ice Mountain’s generosity and the work of partner organizations throughout the watershed, we are striving to ensure that the river and its watershed are protected and enhanced for generations to come.” 

More than $800,000 has been awarded from the fund to projects focused on conservation, enhancement, and restoration of the watershed. 

Since 2002, grants have supported erosion control and bank stabilization projects, environmental assessments and studies, clean up and waste collection programs, educational programs for local students and property owners, and more. Grant recipients have included multiple school systems, conservation districts, parks commissions, municipalities, and other organizations doing important work in the watershed.

“BlueTriton Brands and Ice Mountain are committed to supporting initiatives to protect and enhance the health and natural beauty of the Muskegon River Watershed, which as Michigan’s largest watershed, is important as an ecologic and economic resource,” said Arlene Anderson-Vincent of the company’s commitment to the IMESF. “We value our longstanding partnership with Fremont Area Community Foundation to fund conservation, community, and environmental group projects across the entire stretch of the watershed.”
Anderson-Vincent continued, “In creating the IMESF 20 years ago, our goal was to inspire esprit de corps–a shared passion for the watershed as a resource for present and future generations. Today, we see the impact that many dedicated organizations have made over the years. The fund is accomplishing its mission and we look forward to continuing this work.”   

This year, grants totaling $56,500 were awarded to five projects, including Mecosta Conservation District’s hazardous waste collection, the Dragon Trail at Hardy Dam, and Central Michigan District Health Department’s scanning of septic and well records.

Anderson-Vincent said, “Each year for 20 years now, we have been inspired by the diversity and caliber of projects that groups bring forward – this year being no different.”

Mecosta Conservation District Director Brook Baumann said, "Household hazardous waste, if not disposed of properly, can cause severe environmental damage by contaminating ground and surface water. With the support from the Ice Mountain Stewardship Fund and other community partners, we were able to collect over 37,000 pounds of hazardous waste in Mecosta, Osceola and Lake Counties." 

Grant Public Schools received a grant to create a buffer zone at Sandy Beach with hundreds of new plantings and stone. The buffer zone will increase habitat for pollinators, decrease the amount of stormwater runoff that enters Hardy Dam Pond, and provide a valuable educational opportunity for Grant students. 

Muskegon River Watershed Assembly received a grant for their Maple River Vision project, a continuation of their ongoing work to restore this abandoned river channel. In addition to raising awareness of the Maple River throughout the community, the project will create a rendering of the restored Maple River Channel for use in outreach, education, and restoration planning programs. “This resource allows MRWA to provide stakeholders in the Maple River area an opportunity to visually experience a compelling, fully restored channel today, and funds a coordinated, innovative storytelling component for multigenerational families in the area,” stated Scott Faulkner, Executive Director for MRWA.

Work to complete the 47-mile multi-use Dragon Trail at Hardy Dam is also progressing. Goals of the project are to protect Hardy Pond as a natural resource, enhance recreation opportunities, and add to the region’s tourism economy as visitors access the trail and local businesses. The Dragon Trail system is entirely within the Muskegon River Watershed.

Grant applications for the Ice Mountain Environmental Stewardship Fund are accepted online each year from June 1 until July 15. Individuals and organizations interested in supporting the health of the watershed are also invited to contribute to the fund at any time. More information on the fund, how to donate, and how to apply for a grant can be found at facommunityfoundation.org/icemountain.