Michiganders who love their state parks rose to the challenge of funding them in the past year. That’s the good news.

The state switched from funding the parks solely through admission fees to asking drivers to pay $10 more for their license plate tabs — which gives them a tab marked with a “P” for unlimited entry into the parks. For people who visit a park more than one day a year, this is a tremendous deal.

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Michigan’s new method of paying for state park operations and maintenance met its fund-raising goal for the first year and is proving to be reliable, the Department of Natural Resources said Thursday.

The DNR said 24.7% of the state’s motorists participated in the license checkoff plan during the last year, just above the goal of 24.3%. Director Rodney Stokes said next year’s goal will be 30%.

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This story was also covered by the Detroit News.

Michigan’s 2011 camping season is shaping up to be a big one. A variety of factors — economic gains, higher gas prices and the introduction of the state’s Recreation Passport option for motorists — have residents making plans to head for Michigan’s campgrounds this year. Reservations at both private and, particularly, state campgrounds such as Algonac State Park are up by as much as 18.5 percent over last year.

Macomb Township resident Tom Bemiss, who got in his first camping trip of the year a weekend ago at Algonac State Park near Marine City, understands completely.

“It’s a cheaper way to go on vacation if you stay within Michigan and don’t have to fly somewhere,” said the 48-year-old plant manager. “Nowadays, if you want to get into a decent campsite … you can’t just wait until a month before you go to book it. It’ll be too late.”

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Q. “I recently renewed my license plate and added the $10 park fee to the renewal. The tabs arrived and I placed them on my vehicle, but there was nothing that I can see that says I purchased the state park pass.

“What distinguishes the state park upgrade from a regular renewal?”

— Tom Barry, Livonia

A. Just to recap: The extra $10 Michigan residents may pay for the “Recreation Passport” replaces the traditional state park sticker that allows them into all state parks, state recreation areas and boat launches.

If you opt for this program, your vehicle registration and license plate tab are your proof of purchase, and your recreation passport is valid during the same period as your vehicle registration.

According to the Secretary of State Office, when you buy a recreation passport, your new tab will have a special “P” printed on it.

You will not receive a separate parks sticker.

I saw a copy of it on the SOS website, www.michigan.gov/sos, and have to admit the “P” looks pretty small. Check your tab. It should be there.

If you squint, you can see it.

“It” is a teeny little “P” that tells the world you’ve paid $10 for a year’s worth of admission to Michigan’s state parks.

That inconspicuous letter is the enforcement linchpin of the state’s revamped method of paying for its park system — the mark of honor that distinguishes paying customers from cheating freeloaders.

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About 20% of Michigan drivers who renewed their license plates Oct. 1-Dec. 31 have paid the extra $10 to get the Recreation Passport, new data from the Michigan Dept. of Natural Resources and Environment shows.

While 20% may not seem like a high percent participation, it is a good start, said Ron Olson, chief of the DNRE Recreation Division.

Olson said they needed to get at least 17% participation to match funding from the old state park pass program, and so far, they’re pleased.

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Michigan’s parks and campgrounds are getting a boost from the state’s new Recreation Passport sticker available on vehicle license plates.

Since kicking off in October, more than 325,000 Michigan motorists renewing their license plates have paid an extra $10 ($5 for motorcyclists) for a “P” on their license plate tabs, which offers admission to state parks and recreation areas.

Participation has increased each month, according to the Department of Natural Resources, rising from 17 percent of those renewing license plates in October to 20 percent in December.

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Cross-country skiers, hikers and horseback enthusiasts can expect their favorite state forest trails to be rougher next year.

State officials said there is no money to maintain 60 non-motorized pathways on 4.9 million acres of state forest land.

“We’re going to have to go in a different direction,” said Lynn Boyd, chief of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Forest, Mineral and Fire Management division. “We had another cut in general fund. They took $300,000 out of the forest recreation budget. We’re down to $240,000 for the program. That money went to ski trails and non-motorized trails with no funding source, plus campgrounds.”

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My license plate renewal arrived in the mail the other day. Like most years, I groaned at the prospect of shelling out another 100 bucks.

But, unlike previous years, this package contained something new: the opportunity to get a state park sticker for only $10.

That’s a steal.

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Starting today, Michigan residents renewing their car and truck licenses will have the option of paying $10 for a “recreation passport,” granting them access to all of the state’s parks and boat launches for the year.

Officials are gambling that the option will help maintain the state’s aging and deteriorating parks facilities, which receive no general fund dollars

“We’re hoping residents will make an investment in the great outdoors of Michigan when they go to renew their vehicle registrations,” said Mary Detloff, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

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