Gov. Whitmer pitches $150 million park plan
(The Center Square) – Michigan is swimming in million of federal stimulus money, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to spend $150 million of those funds on state parks.
That’s on top of her $250 million spending pitch for parks and trails managed by the state.
Whitmer announced the proposal at the Idema Explorers Trail in Ottawa County.
“These two new investment programs, totaling $400 million, mark a once-in-a-generation chance to improve quality of life for our residents, support local economies and bring people back to Michigan as the state continues its recovery from the effects of the pandemic,” Whitmer said in a statement. “These investments will ensure our children and grandchildren continue to enjoy the rejuvenating benefits of natural beauty and outdoor spaces so prized by Michiganders. I look forward to working with the Legislature to secure this investment for our communities.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic and economic shutdowns, many Michiganders escaped to parks and trails for naturally social-distanced activities. Some walked, while others biked, ran, and skateboarded.
Parks are partly funded through the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) via restricted funds called the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (NRTF).
The NRTF, created in 1984, is a constitutionally restricted fund to develop and purchase public land using funds generated from interest and earnings on state-owned mineral rights programs.
Over the last five years, the average of development grant applications to the DNR for three primary grant programs – the NRTF, Recreation Passport Grants, and Land and Water Conservation Fund – has approached $40 million annually. Nearly $20 million of those annual requests weren’t met.
“Local parks are a critical part of the network of recreational opportunities throughout Michigan,” DNR Director Dan Eichinger said in a statement. “People just want good parks, and they don’t usually care who manages those parks provided the work is done well.”
“Our local community partners do an outstanding job and we continue to support their work through a variety of means, including our Recreation Passport Grant program, which provides a portion of money generated by state parks to local communities for their park development. This new program would generally be modeled on our Recreation Passport grants to help local communities develop the recreational assets they need for the next generation.”
Emily Stevens, president of mParks Michigan Park and Recreation Association, estimated Michigan’s 4,000 parks need “substantial” infrastructure repair and improvements.
Michigan’s outdoor recreation industry supports billions in state Gross Domestic Product and sustains 126,000 jobs and over $4.7 billion in wages and salaries in the state, the state says.
“As residents recognized during the pandemic when they flocked to our parks, natural spaces should not be considered a luxury, but a necessity for our wellbeing,” Jason Shamblin, director of Ottawa County Parks and Recreation, said in a statement. “The cost of acquiring natural spaces; designing, permitting, and building park infrastructure; and maintaining these facilities is consistently increasing. To keep providing this critical access to the outdoors through parks and trails, additional funding is an urgent need.”
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