Governor Gretchen Whitmer has proposed using $250 million in one-time federal COVID money to fix up the state’s parks. That might sound like a lot, but Michigan Environmental Council President Conan Smith tells us there has long been a need for hundreds of millions of dollars of work at state parks. He says the governor’s proposal comes at a perfect time.
“Throughout the whole pandemic, we’ve seen a giant uptick in the use of our outdoor recreation facilities, but I think Michiganders have also noticed that over the course of decades, a number of those facilities have fallen into disrepair,” Smith said.
Smith says there’s a constant need for maintenance at state parks. Visitors to the trails can attest to that.
“You get on a trail in the woods and it’s subject to the last windstorm or rainstorm, and portions of trails can get washed out pretty easily, or a tree can blow over. And trees just get old and die. So there’s always a need for maintenance, particularly on trails across the state.”
Smith says the state’s parks are maintained by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which is almost entirely supported by fees and not taxes. Therefore, it’s harder for the DNR to get large infusions of cash for major projects. His group is supporting the governor’s proposal as it says facilities like bathrooms or camping areas are in need of modernization and trails need attention.
