Michigan State Recreation Funding Update
Apr 17th, 2009 by Di
This is a rather long post, so I’ve highlighted some of the key concepts for those of you who simply want the gist of it.
The State Park, Boating Access Site and Forest Recreation Passport Fee bill passed the Michigan House of Representatives Tourism, Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources Committee and is currently under consideration by the Michigan Senate Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.
Senate Bill 389 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to provide for a State park, public boating access site, and forest recreation passport that a Michigan resident could obtain by paying an additional fee when registering a motor vehicle; and require the Secretary of State to transfer the fee revenue to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
Senate Bill 388 would amend the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA) to do the following:
– Prescribe the distribution of revenue from the proposed recreation passport fee.
– Apply existing provisions regarding motor vehicle park permits and fees to nonresident vehicles and commercial motor vehicles (CMVs).
– Eliminate provisions establishing park permit fees for resident motor vehicles, and eliminate the January 1, 2010, sunset on nonresident motor vehicle fees.
– Prescribe a daily park permit fee of $15 for CMVs.
– Create the “Local Public Recreation Facilities Fund” to provide grants to local units of government for the development of public recreation facilities.
– Authorize money from specified accounts within the Conservation and Recreation Legacy Fund to be spent as provided in the bill.
– Require the Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks to make recommendations to the Legislature for savings in State park and forest recreation programs.
– Eliminate legislative intent language regarding the use of General Fund/General Purpose money for State park operations.The bills are tie-barred to each other. They would take effect on January 1, 2010.
Further analysis of these bills:
• S.B. 388 & 389
• H.B. 4677 & 4678
The biggest misconception regarding this bill is that the State Park, Boating Access Site and Forest Recreation Passport Fee is a tax. I cannot state this enough:
THIS FEE IS NOT A TAX!!!
A tax is mandatory and can be channeled into the state’s General Fund to be distributed at the state government’s discretion. The State Park, Boating Access Site and Forest Recreation Passport Fee is an optional fee that is considered a donation. This donation is protected by two state laws guaranteeing that this money will be distributed to the parks as described in the STATE PARK FEES S.B. 388 & 389: COMMITTEE SUMMARY.
The following was sent out by the Citizen’s Committee, last month:
Dear Michigan State Park, Forest Recreation and Local Park Supporter:
Many of you were able to attend the press conference on March 12 where state Senators Birkholz and Basham and Representatives Warren and Meekhof announced a set of bills to eliminate the motor vehicle permit for Michigan residents to Michigan State Parks and Michigan boating access sites and better fund the state park system. These bills reflect the spirit and direction of recommendations made by the Citizens Committee on Michigan State Parks, who have studied state park funding around the nation for the past two years. They are modeled on Montana’s successful program that eliminated motor vehicle permits for residents and replaced it with an optional fee on vehicle registrations.
The new system proposed in Senate Bills 388 and 389 would ask every Michigan driver to pay an optional $10 fee each year when renewing their Michigan vehicle registration on non-commercial vehicles. While non-residents would still have to purchase a non-resident motor vehicle permit, worker time in entrance booths at most parks would be drastically reduced, resulting in cleaner bathrooms, less litter, better resource stewardship and increased interpretation and security. In addition to providing support for state parks and boating access sites, this would also provide funding for our outstanding and underfunded state forest recreation system including more than 140 rustic campgrounds and almost a thousand miles of non-motorized pathways that serve hikers, mountain bikers, cross country skiers and equestrians. Finally, it would approximately double the amount of grant money annually available to local units of government to renovate or improve recreational facilities in local parks across Michigan.
As you probably know, our State parks have not received any general tax dollars since 2004. They are funded mainly by camping fees, motor vehicle permits and some support from the State Park Endowment fund. This Endowment was established by voters in 1994 and enshrined Michigan’s constitution and was envisioned to provide adequate monies to renovate and replace failing infrastructure. Unfortunately, the total absence of general fund dollars has forced State Parks to use Endowment funds on day to day management to keep the parks open. As a result, the system is one catastrophe short of collapsing and driven by user fee revenue, limiting its conservation mission. With the collapse in March 2009 of the roof at the visitor center at Ludington State Park and the bridge washout from flooding at Warren Dunes State Park on the only road to the busiest beach in the state park system, the park system is stretched to the breaking point.
The Citizens Committee on Michigan State Parks is reaching out to the public to come to the rescue of our great state park system and its important partners in outdoor recreation, state forests and local parks. We need your help! We need to let every citizen and every legislator know that we treasure our state parks and forests and local parks and will no longer stand by and let them fall further into disrepair. We need to let them know that these public lands are our legacy to our children and grandchildren and we can never replace them once they are lost. We need to let them know that we support this innovative alternative to involve more people in funding our state parks, increase convenience for Michigan residents as your license plate is your state park passport and convert thousands of park worker hours from cashier duty to better maintenance, security, interpretation and resource stewardship. Please take this opportunity to communicate with your legislators and support this innovative approach to better conserve and fund Michigan state parks, boating access sites, state forest recreation system and local parks.
Sincerely,
The Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks
If you support this bill, contact your senator and representative letting them know that this is the right choice for Michigan’s natural resources. Find your senator and representative by clicking on the following links:
• Michigan State Representatives
• Michigan State Senators
I didn’t have a form letter to work off of, this time, 
so I had to write up this little gem that is tailored to my unique situation:
State Representative Mike Lahti & Senator Mike Prusi:
I am writing to you in support of HB 4677 and 4678/SB 388 and 389 regarding the State Park, Boating Access Site and Forest Recreation Passport Fee.
The importance of this bill, for me, stems from two different viewpoints: one as someone who grew up in the Lansing area and the other as a Keweenaw resident. Having lived downstate for much of my life, I recognize the great importance of the limited green space provided on public lands at an affordable cost, one that any family of any income level can afford. As a Keweenaw resident, I am a mountain biking advocate and volunteer trail builder. I strongly encourage people to visit the Keweenaw and am frequently contacted for advice regarding the area. For those that are making a long trip, the lower cost of a state park versus a hotel can be the deciding factor of whether or not to come. During those times when tourism is at its highest, the state parks are an absolute necessity because they offer a place to stay for many more people. Of course, I don’t need to tell you how important tourism is to us.
Last, but not least, the greatest reason for me to maintain my loyalty to Michigan is access to public lands throughout the state. Michigan’s abundance and type of natural resources are unique to this state. Michigan has a character all its own. Even in this economically-challenged time, our natural resources are what keep Michigan a desirable place to live.
The Recreation Passport Fee is a method of funding that has been successfully proven in Montana. If Michigan residents respond in the same manner, our state parks will not only break even, but will have additional funding to create more jobs and improve what we already have. I truly believe in the Recreation Passport Fee. Please support HB 4677 and 4678/SB 388 and 389.
Sincerely,
Diane Ursu
