Michigan Biking: DNR Funding for State Parks and Trails

DNR Funding for State Parks and Trails

Contact your State Legislators

If you need their names, email, or phone information, visit these are links to find your State Senator and State Representative.

You don’t need to write anything elaborate. Any contact in support of this proposal is a help as long as it is constructive.

Sample Email
Sample Letter

If you have the time, feel free to share with your legislators how important these parks and trails are for you or your family. How would these closures affect you?

Please call, write, or email now!

And tell your friends, too.

Good News!

December 13, 2007: Legislative leaders have agreed to a one-time supplemental payment to the DNR in January that reverses the cuts they made in October. This would allow the DNR to resume XC ski trail grooming and a re-open close state forest campgrounds.

Cutting Park and Trail Funding

Continued cuts to the DNR budget have pushed us to a point where it’s starting to hurt real badly.

	Funding Problem	Result
June 2007	$75,000 was cut from the 2007 state forest recreation funding	Closed 20 state forest campgrounds
October 2007	$423,200 was cut from the 2008 state forest recreation funding	Closing another 30 forest campgrounds Ceasing maintenance on all forest trails Stopping XC ski grooming on 16 trails
October 2008	$5.3 million deficit in state park funding primarily due to zero taxpayer support	An estimated 37 state parks will be closed possibly starting as soon as April 2008

There are other DNR funding issues too. In December 2007 the Legislature and Governor enacted legislation that uses the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corp's $20 million savings account to pay down the state's 2008 deficit. Currently the interest on that account provides $1 million a year to pay for DNR park stewardship and maintenance work.

Another major issue involves the hunting and fishing license fees. So far, the Legislature has refused to raise these license fees to cover increased DNR costs. Without the increase, the DNR Wildlife division has begun laying off conservation officers and cutting major wildlife management programs.

And it should be noted that just since Fiscal Year 2005, the DNR has reduced its programs by more than $20 million. Additional cuts will require "more severe budgetary measures than have been implemented to date."

More information is available in the article Our DNR Funding Crisis. [This article is available for reprinting in group newsletters.]

Solving this Crisis

The Citizen's Committee for Michigan State Parks (CCMSP) has been working on a long-term funding solution nearly from its beginning in 2005. The result is the following resolution from our November meeting.

CCMSP Funding Proposal

Of course we haven’t solved anything yet. Our proposal is simply a proposal. It has been forwarded to the Natural Resource Commission, the Governor’s office, and our legislature.

We need you to contact your legislators and ask them to support this proposal!

There has never been a more important time for park and trail users to contact their State Senators and State Representatives. We need to get this proposal written into legislation, passed by the House and Senate, then signed by the Governor – and preferably get this done by April 2008.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Would non-Michigan residents still pay for the parks under this proposal?
A. Yes. The annual and daily rates would remain the same.

Q. Would camping fees change?
A. No. This proposal does not affect the rates for state park or state forest camping. However, Michigan residents would no longer need to purchase a motor vehicle pass, so the cost to camp in a state park would be lower.

Q. Does this proposal address the hunting and fishing license fee issue?
A. No. However, other initiatives (e.g. HB 5503) are being discussed that would address the fee issue to some extent.

Q. Would this proposal address the recently closed state forest campgrounds?
A. Yes, this proposal provides funding for state forest recreation, including campgrounds and trails. As you may know, the legislature cut $75,000 from the forest recreation buget during the Summer of 2007 which led to the closure of 20 state forest campgrounds. The 2008 forest recreation budget was cut by $423,200! As a result, the DNR is being forced to close an additional 30 campgrounds, eliminate most XC ski trail grooming, and stop any further maintenance on state forest pathways. This includes incredible trails such as the High Country Pathway, VASA, and many portions of the North Country Trail.

Q. The Governor recently said she'll never raise taxes again. Is this proposal sunk?
A. Probably not. She was referring to business and income taxes. According to Lansing State Journal, "The Granholm administration still is asking for fee increases to help fund the state departments of Natural Resources and Environmental Quality."

Q. Over time, could this revenue get transferred to the general fund and not go towards our parks?
A. It would require a change to Michigan's Constitution. The proposal would put the revenue into the Michigan Conservation and Recreation Legacy Fund. The Constitution restricts how this money can be spent. This protection is the result of a 2006 ballot issue overwhelmingly passed by Michigan voters.

Q. Didn't the DNR just "discover" $10 million surplus? Can't that pay for parks?
A. It's not a surplus. According to the DNR Director, "Per the direction of the Natural Resources Commission, we try to maintain a $10 million fund balance in case funding emergencies come up that we need to address immediately. This year we thought we would be well below the goal ($4 million)... We were able to maintain the goal, but it came at significant cost in the form of program reductions and vacancies." Also, this money is from hunting and fishing license fees. It's deposited in the Fish and Game Fund and cannot be spent on State Parks according to the Michigan Constitution and federal regulations.

Related Legislation

HB 5503 of 2007
Would earmark $8 million in existing sales taxes for the game and fish protection account of the Michigan conservation and recreation legacy fund. If passed, this legislation would help fund our state forest campgrounds
HB 5075 of 2007
Would roll back state forest campground fees, add various discounts, and remove the DNR's authority to set these rates. This bill is in response to the DNR increasing forest camping fees in 2007 to cover a projected $500,000 shortfall in the program. If these fees are rolled back, that shortfall would exceed the original projections.
SB 0799 of 2007 PASSED
Spends the $20 million Michigan civilian conservation corps endowment fund which pays for parks stewardship projects.
HB 4354 of 2007 (PA 122 of 2007) PASSED
The Department of Natural Resources budget for fiscal year 2007-2008.

In the Media

Don't sidetrack state Natural Resources Fund Detroit Free Press, December 21, 2007
Back to the budget grind The Daily News (Escanaba), December 7, 2007
DNR cutbacks: Ski trails, parks hit The Mining Journal, December 2, 2007
Finally, a good plan for funding state parks Grand Rapids Press, November 30, 2007
At last, a breath of fresh air. That's what I thought of a sweeping proposal put forth and adopted by the Citizens Committee for State Parks when they met here Wednesday.

Someone is finally stepping forward with courage and conviction. The group has a smart plan for how to avert the $38 million state park funding crisis that looms in 2009 when as many as 37 state parks could be closed.

And better yet, their proposal doesn't steal money from one state program to pay for another. It wisely provides a comprehensive approach to funding state parks, local parks and state forest recreation programs.
Legislator pursues tax revenue for DNR Detroit Free Press, November 22, 2007
DNR chief says natural resources are in danger Petoskey News Review, November 20, 2007
People come to Michigan, and live in Michigan, a large part, for the recreational opportunities the state has. It’s only our natural resources that set us apart. I think they’re our future, in terms of looking at people who want to stay in Michigan and enjoy Michigan. And tourism.
Legislature slow to act on DNR funding crisis Grand Rapids Press, November 2, 2007
For 1.2 million anglers in the state, 800,000 hunters and millions of state park and state forest users, these are truly troubling times. On matters of natural resource management, the Michigan legislature seems to have lost its bearings.
Legislature doesn't deliver for DNR Detroit Free Press, November 1, 2007
As the Legislature finishes cobbling together a state budget that makes Frankenstein look beautiful, it apparently will not pass increased hunting and fishing licenses fees that the Department of Natural Resources needs to avoid laying off 14 conservation officers on Dec. 2.

The Legislature also must come up with some way to provide relief for the state's superb park system. It's one of the biggest and best in the country, but it is falling apart because it's broke and can no longer afford to keep up even with daily maintenance.

Additional Resources

DNR Parks Funding Information

Michigan State Parks and Recreation system spends on average $1.71 per visitor compared to a nation-wide average of $2.73 per visitor. Note that some of these financial documents are a little out of date. The DNR is in the process of updating them and putting them on-line.

State Park Funding Challenges 2004 through 2007

Heart of the Lakes Conservancy

"Michigan’s weakened economy can be stimulated by the state’s unique natural resources according to a series of research reports compiled by the Land Policy Institute (LPI) at Michigan State University (MSU) through a joint project with Heart of the Lakes Center for Land Conservation Policy."

Michigan Conservation Summit

The first-ever statewide Conservation Summit was hosted by the Michigan Natural Resources Commission in February 2007. Over 200 conservation leaders and stakeholders from around Michigan gathered to discuss funding concerns for conservation and how to plan for the future. Below are some of the documents presented at the Summit.