GRAND FORKS, N.D. (KFYR) – A grant of nearly $4.5 million from the National Park Service is giving the City of Grand Forks a chance to begin one of its projects that will create more recreational activities in the area.

Thanks to the funding the state received from this grant, the City of Grand Forks is being provided with $3,489,750 to cover phase one of a three-phased masterplan to enhance the Grand Forks Downtown Gateway and Greenway.

“This funding was available, and we met with the North Dakota Parks and Recreation, with Char, and said ‘Is there any chance at all that our project would qualify for funding?’” said Kim Greendahl, Greenway specialist for the city of Grand Forks.

This is the first time the state of North Dakota has qualified for this grant since the beginning of the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program in 2014.

This year, the program awarded the largest grant investment in its history, giving nearly $254 million in 24 states. To qualify, communities needed to have populations of 30,000 or more.

“Before, the requirements were more stringent; populations of 50,000, so a lot of the cities in North Dakota didn’t qualify, but this year it was opened up to multiple cities,” said Char Langehaug, grants coordinator for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department.

Residents and visitors of Grand Forks can expect phase one to bring a playground area and outdoor learning space, a picnic shelter and a nature promenade. Phase two and three will bring people closer to the water and the addition of a pedestrian bridge.

“The community has really gotten behind this project and it’s exciting, lots of outdoor recreation whilst still being in a flood plain,” said Greendahl.

The City of Grand Forks says it predicts the construction of phase one will officially begin in 2026.

One million dollars of the funds given to North Dakota will be used to enhance the Turtle Mountain Family Recreation Area.

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BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – A New Salem veteran got a long overdue welcome home Friday afternoon.

Randy Christian served in the U.S. Army from 1969-71. He was stationed in Germany and Vietnam. Christian was one of more than 100 veterans from western North Dakota who traveled to Washington, D.C. on the Western North Dakota Honor Flight earlier this week.

He had a medical emergency while in D.C. and ended up in the hospital. He was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and arrived home to cheers and applause from people gathered at the airport.

“It was unbelievable, and when this did happen, the two people that were with me, I will never forget them. They were honest, they did everything for me. They wouldn’t let me do a thing,” said Christian.

Jody Kerzman was on the Honor Flight and for the next several weeks she will share a number of the veterans’ stories, including Christian’s.

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In this week’s segment of “North Dakota Outdoors,” host Mike Anderson tells us about the crayfish, an invertebrate that lives at the bottom of lakes and can also pinch when in defense mode. Joining Anderson is Game and Fish Department fisheries biologist Mike Johnson.