CALUMET -- The route from the Portage Lake Lift Bridge all the way to Copper Harbor has been deemed a National Byway.
Along this route, the Copper Country Trail National Byway Program has applied for grants to help improve historic land and walking trails.
Boston Pond and Paavola Wetlands are two of the project areas that the Keweenaw Land Trust is hoping to upgrade.
"It's kind of an opportunity and story that people don't know about and we basically live right near something really remarkable and special and often people from outside the area appreciate these resources more than we do," said Evan McDonald, executive director of the Keweenaw Land Trust.
This is the Paavola Wetland area and it's one of the places they are looking to improve behind me there is a pond but what they would like to do is make sure its more accessible for people and they want to build a restroom and they want to make sure it's big enough so a school bus can come.
They also want to provide a viewing platform and a small pavilion.
The Keweenaw Land Trust applied for a $192,000 grant and the program itself has agreed to contribute $45,000.
The Quincy Mine Hoist Association is also in the process of applying for a byway grant in an effort to help preserve the structure.
"As you come up 41 one of the first things you see is the Shaft House that's part of the Quincy Mine Company and water penetration combined with weather has caused spalling and concrete to deteriorate and we need to halt that process," said Glena Bierman, manager of the Quincy Mine Hoist Association.
The committee says these improvements will get underway in the spring of next year and the construction process will help create jobs for locals in this area.
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