Julie Davis
jdavis@cherryroad.com

The Friends of Riverview Park have approval to move forward with two grant applications for park that may provide about $60,000 for park improvements.

Friends of Riverview Park board member Matt Graham brought the application proposal to the Nebraska City City Council on March 17, where it was approved.

Graham said the group is applying for a $10,000 grant from the Nemaha Natural Resources District that would be used for trail upgrades and improvements.

The second grant for $50,000 would come from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and would be used to remove invasive species, such as the tree of heaven and the Amur honeysuckle, from park property and replant native species in place of the invasive ones.

Graham said the Nemaha NRD grant requires 50 percent matching funds and like-kind donations, while the Statewide Arboretum grant has no requirements for matching funds.

Members of the state forestry service will work with the Friends of Riverview Park on a pilot study regarding removal of the tree of heaven, said Graham, who added that that invasive species has been successfully removed from the property of the Missouri River Basin-Lewis and Clark Visitor Center.

Application deadline for both grants is March 31.