OurMichiganParks.org

From the Detroit Free Press:

Caught in the sad malingering that has become a Lansing hallmark, Michigan’s state parks continue to deteriorate without sustainable funding.

Lawmakers need to proceed promptly when they return this month with a plan to offer annual park admission to car owners as they renew their license plates.

If one in every five drivers signs on for the $10 fee, the program will raise a bit more than park admission fees do now (at a cost of $6 a day or $24 for an annual pass).

If half of drivers sign on, parks funding will improve greatly — allowing superintendents to start tackling their backlogged maintenance projects. The legislation also designates some of the new revenue for local parks, state forest trails and other minor categories.

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From the Detroit Free Press:

Republican State Rep. Arlan Meekhof from West Olive tells The Muskegon Chronicle the bill has bipartisan support and should be passed in January by both legislative chambers.

The plan would eliminate entrance fees for state parks and give motorists the option of paying a $10 add-on vehicle registration fee. Supporters say that, among other things, the plan will pump millions of dollars into a fund for maintaining state park facilities.

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From the Detroit Free Press Editorial Staff:

Once upon a time — about 20 years ago, but it might as well be back in the dinosaur age — Michiganders covered about 70% of the costs of their state parks through their regular taxes. But no more. As the state’s budget has tightened and tightened, the park system got less and less money. For the last five years, the 98 state parks have received no money at all from the state’s general fund.

This situation has to be rectified. Cliched as it is to talk about publicly owned “jewels,” Michigan’s parks surely belong at the top of that category. They deserve a broad and strong financial underpinning, so no citizen is ever priced out of enjoying the state’s beaches, forests, rivers and camping areas.

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