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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Shortly after 3pm today, Governor Jennifer Granholm signed the four state park funding bills –known collectively as the Recreation Passport — into law.

The Department of Natural Resources is now working on Question & Answer sheets  that explain the effects of this new fundamental change in how our Michigan state parks as well as state forest recreation, are funded.

West Michigan tourism officials are pleased by passage of a plan that will allow Michigan motorists to visit state parks by paying a $10 fee when they renew their vehicle license plates each year.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to sign the plan into law.

Bills setting up a state parks passport system were finalized Thursday by the Michigan Legislature and are headed to Granholm’s desk.

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This morning Detroit News published an article on these bills prior to their passage:

“We have not had any general fund support for our parks for almost six years now, and in the meantime the infrastructure continues to deteriorate,” [Senator Patty] Birkholz said. “We’ve barely been able to keep up (with basic maintenance).

“This gives us a way to streamline how we operate our state parks, so that now we can have parks people that were in booths out working in the parks to improve them.”

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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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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Senate Bill 388 originally was a bill to create the State Park Passport; however, the Legislature substituted language in the bill to simply extend the expiration date on the Motor Vehicle Permits to the end of March 2010. This gives them more time to work on the agreement to create the State Park Passport — which has NOT been approved by the Legislature yet.

I would respectfully ask for a correction from any media outlets that reported this, as many DNR offices are getting calls from angry state park users who already purchased a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit and want a refund. The State Park Passport ($10 license plate fee) has not been approved yet. And if it is approved, it would not take effect until Oct. 1, 2010. In order to enjoy a state park or state recreation area in 2010, people will need to purchase a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit window sticker, as they have in the past. They are available at any state park, or online at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

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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A proposal to change parks funding from a $24 annual fee to a $10 fee for parks users attached to license plates seemed to be enjoying bipartisan support until end-of-the-year marathon legislative sessions cut off the plan at the knees — for 2009 at least.

Republican State Sen. Patty Birkholz, who co-wrote the legislation along with Ann Arbor Democratic Rep. Rebekah Warren, said she was shocked to hear Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon wanted to put the breaks on the legislation late last week.

Birkholz said she managed to negotiate a deal with Dillon that would allow a ready-to-go proposal be introduced at the start of the 2010 session in January and the old system would be allowed to expire after three months.

Birkholz said Dillon agreed not to oppose the new bill.

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The state House and Senate are expected Thursday to reconcile bills that would provide funding for state parks through the sale of “recreational passports.”

State Rep. Mike Lahti, D-Hancock, was among those lawmakers who voted recently in the house to support the plan.

“The U.P. is blessed with beautiful state parks that draw in visitors from all over the state and nation,” Lahti said in a news release. “This plan will make it easier for motorists to enter Michigan parks and enjoy our special way of life. Many people flock to our parks looking for a place to relax, and this pass will give our visitors one less thing to worry about.”

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