OurMichiganParks.org

From the Grand Rapids Press:

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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From the Grand Rapids Press:

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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From the Grand Rapids Press:

It has taken a year and half of political wrangling, but a smart proposal for funding Michigan state parks finally is law. A four-bill package was signed Wednesday by Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

The bills create a state park passport that will go into effect in October. The passport will do away with daily entry fees for Michigan residents and reduce the cost of annual admission from $24 to $10.

It wasn’t an easy passage. The Chamber of Commerce and transportation lobby opposed it. Speaker of the House Andy Dillon held it up over the holidays, reportedly to help an old college buddy, now a transportation lobbyist.

But in the end, wiser heads prevailed.

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An editorial from the Grand Rapids Press:

Some local lawmakers championed a smart idea for fixing this problem — a “Parks Passport” plan that would change the $24 annual fee system to a $10 fee on license plates for Michigan residents who opt in to the plan.

The Passport plan got shoved aside in December by House Speaker Andy Dillon, who said lawmakers needed to concentrate on school reforms. But he also pledged that the legislation could come back to life this month.

Sen. Patty Birkholz, R-Saugatuck, and others spearheading this idea should hold him to that promise. This legislation deserves to pass, and promptly.

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