DAN EICHINGER

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer recently announced her plan to invest $250 million of federal relief funding into modernizing Michigan state parks and trails to enhance tourism and boost local economies.

This was tremendous news for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ Parks and Recreation Division, which has been battling a $264 million backlog of maintenance projects statewide over several years.

Meanwhile, attendance at state parks increased 30% over the past year, creating heightened demands on parks and recreational trails facilities.

The money for the governor’s plan has come to Michigan from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan. The state Legislature will now work to reconcile provisions of the plan with the governor.

While details are still being worked out, we know the needs extend to each of the 103 parks in Michigan’s 101-year-old state park system, and revolve around priorities such as upgrading water and sewer lines, electrical service in campgrounds, roads, parking lots, bridges, restrooms and recreational structures, and making sure our facilities meet current accessibility standards and more.

The governor announced her plan in the Upper Peninsula, along the shores of Lake Huron, at Straits State Park in St. Ignace, which would see a $1.8 million project realized to replace bathroom and shower buildings if the plan is ultimately approved.

Another example would be at Fort Wilkins Historic State Park in Copper Harbor, where $3.8 million would be invested for utility improvements, rehabilitation and upgrades to historical buildings and the park sanitation station, replacement of the park’s water distribution system and construction of a new fire suppression system to protect 18 historic structures.

In addition, the needs for recreational trail revitalization are also great. Among them is the Houghton to Lake Linden Trail in Houghton County, which was devastated by the Father’s Day flooding of 2018.

The governor’s plan would provide the remaining roughly $4 million necessary to finish trail reconstruction. This trail provides life blood for surrounding communities, especially during the wintertime, when snowmobile tourism is extremely important to area economies.

“Tourism is vital to Michigan’s economy and to our overall economic health, and COVID disproportionately harmed our tourism and hospitality sectors,” Gov. Whitmer said in announcing the funding plan. “Investments in our public spaces make Michigan a more competitive and attractive destination for tourism, position us as a recreation leader, and are critical components of our seasonal and rural economies.

“This is a valuable use of our federal funds to help the communities who rely on tourism rebound from the public health crisis. Parks bring us together. They are equally beloved by all Michiganders, regardless of geography or income, race or class or politics.”

On average, every $1 invested in land conservation leads to $4 in economic benefit. Investments in parks uplift communities and this will help Michigan continue to jumpstart its economy as the state emerges from the pandemic.

From what we’ve seen so far, 2021 is expected to be another banner attendance year at Michigan state parks. In some cases, park reservations have already sold out. Interest in our more than 13,000 miles of state-managed recreational trails, especially for hiking, mountain biking and off-road vehicle riding, continues to climb.

We see this opportunity laid out in Gov. Whitmer’s plan as a historic once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

We need and want to provide the state parks and trails Michiganders deserve; parks able to meet the demands of the 21st century. These beloved places are tremendous memory makers, where friendships and family bonds have been forged. They offer healthy places to hike, ride, fish, hunt, boat and camp. State parks also conserve some of the most beautiful and important cultural and natural resources found across this tremendous Great Lakes State.

From the Lime Island Recreation Area in the St. Marys River to the historic town streets of Fayette in Delta County to the wondrous sunsets of F.J. McLain State Park in the Copper Country and the heights of the Porcupine Mountains, this plan to revitalize Michigan’s state parks and trails is a tremendous and historic investment in the Upper Peninsula and Michigan as a whole.

Considering the additional spinoff economic and tourism benefits for local communities, this is good news for all of us.