Gov. Rick Snyder appoints Ann Arbor's Brad Canale to Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund Board

"Brad brings decades of leadership experience to this post, and I am confident he will do great work to enhance Michigan's public recreational land resources," Snyder said.

Canale is executive director of advancement for the University of Michigan's College of Engineering, where he was worked for 30 years. He previously served as the college's campaign director and director of development.

He gave the maximum allowed $3,400 donation to Snyder when he was running in the Republican gubernatorial primary in 2010.

Canale will serve a four-year term that expires Oct. 1, 2016, and his appointment is subject to the consent of the Senate. He replaces Frank Torre of Pontiac.

Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County came out big winners last December with nearly $3.5 million in DNR Trust Fund dollars going to five projects, including $300,000 for the Ann Arbor Skatepark and $300,000 for improvements to the Gallup Park Canoe Livery on the Huron River.

The county also received nearly $2.3 million from the DNR Trust Fund to buy more than 54 acres of Domino's Farms land for a nature preserve project called Arbor Vistas Preserve.

Additionally, $300,000 from the DNR Trust Fund went to the Rutherford Pool renovation project in Ypsilanti, and $289,400 went to the Ypsilanti Heritage Bridge project for a pedestrian bridge and fishing pier over the Huron River under Michigan Avenue in Ypsilanti.

The city of Ann Arbor is hoping to get future DNR Trust Fund dollars to help transform properties it owns at 721 N. Main and 415 W. Washington into a greenway anchor parks. The city is focusing first on 721 N. Main and plans to submit a grant application in the spring for funding in 2013.

"That's the major focus right now and the city is doing the preliminary work right now to put in a strong application," said Mayor John Hieftje, noting part of the plan is to figure out a way to safely connect pedestrians and bicyclists with the Border-to-Border Trail.

The city also is studying options for driving a pedestrian tunnel underneath the railroad tracks that act as a barrier between the Main Street/Depot Street area and the Border-to-Border Trail.