The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (GTB) announced plans on Tuesday to help pay for an ambitious project that will replace multiple river stream crossings in the Glen Arbor area. GTB has authorized more than $2.1 million for the project, with the money coming from the federal Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, the United States Department of Transportation, and “unrestricted tribal funds.”

The Leelanau Ticker reported in April on plans to replace four bridges at four locations along Crystal River. The goal is to remove restrictive culverts that impede river travel for fish and aquatic wildlife, as well as for human paddlers. Planning for that project is led in part by the Conservation Resource Alliance, but the GTB press release notes that the tribe was uniquely positioned to secure federal funds for the effort “based on GTB’s sovereign status as a tribal government with a direct government-to-government relationship with the federal government.”

Per the release, GTB decided to pursue funding for the Glen Arbor stream projects because they “conform with GTB’s interest in restoring aquatic ecosystem connectivity supporting of the Great Lakes and its native fish communities” and are “consistent with the GTB’s treaty-established fishing rights in the Great Lakes and in-land fishing.”

“We would like the non-Indian community to recognize that GTB provides significant value and resources to non-Indian communities in the reestablishment and restoration of stream crossings that benefit not only the ecological restoration goals of the Tribe, but also the related restoration of fish species that are central to the Tribe’s right to Treaty fish,” said GTB Tribal Chairman David Arroyo. “The two goals – stream restoration and treaty fishing – are related.”

The release concludes by noting that “local contractors, after competitive bidding, have been selected to do the roadwork which will start in fall of 2023 with a completion date expected in fall of 2025.”