DNR cutbacks
Ski trails, parks hitBy JOHN PEPIN, Journal Staff Writer
Article Photos
The DNR will also not enter into any new volunteer grooming agreements during the current fiscal year and said some further closures of state forest campgrounds may occur.
Officials said the disruption of these services are part of the impact of a general fund allocation reduction of $423,200 on the DNR’s Forest Recreation Program budget for the current fiscal year, which began Oct. 1.
“As the snow begins to fall, we have immediate concerns related to groomed cross-country ski trails,” said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. “Many of these trails are important to recreation activities that help the local economy and they are very popular destinations. However, given the general fund reduction, we cannot continue with business as usual.”
The state pathway trail systems that will not be groomed, maintained or have their parking lots plowed this winter by the DNR, include: Anderson Lake in Marquette County, Canada Lakes in Luce County, Lake Glidden/Lake Mary in Iron County, Merriman East in Dickinson County, Days River in Delta County, Cedar River in Menominee County, Indian Lake in Schoolcraft County and Algonquin and Pine Bowl in Chippewa County.
Seven other state pathways will not be maintained downstate in Cheboygan, Otsego, Grand Traverse, Lake, Crawford and Roscommon counties.
“It is a very difficult decision for the department to impact these public recreation trails, especially as we are entering the popular cross-country ski season,” Humphries said. “Michigan’s natural resources rank at the top of our state’s assets, contribute millions to the state’s economy and provide for an excellent quality of life for our citizens.”
Under Humphries’ direction, the DNR’s Forest, Minerals and Fire Management Division is currently working on ways to further cut spending in other program areas to allow for the administration of contracts and volunteer agreements that were in place historically for cross-country skiing.
General Fund tax dollars have provided support to this program in the past to allow DNR staff to administer grants, contracts and volunteer agreements for trail maintenance and grooming activities, and for DNR staff to plow parking lots and do trail brush cutting.
Staff with the DNR have been directed to implement the steps necessary to enter into cross-country ski grooming contracts for the Blueberry Ridge Pathway in Marquette County, the VASA Pathway in Grand Traverse County and the Ogemaw Hills Pathway in Ogemaw County.
Grant-funded contract services that have been provided in the past for the grooming of the VASA, Blueberry Ridge and Ogemaw Hills pathways will continue to support the grooming of those trails.
Staff from the DNR will continue to work with organizations that have existing volunteer agreements with the DNR for Peter’s Creek in Mackinac County, and others downstate in Presque Isle, Alpena and Wexford counties.
“We have many other forest recreation responsibilities that will be impacted by the general fund reduction of $423,200,” said Jim Radabaugh, DNR statewide trails coordinator. “We are currently reviewing what reductions will be necessary, including the potential for additional campground closures in the state forest campgrounds program for Fiscal Year 2008.”
This past July 9, the DNR shut down 20 such campgrounds, including nine in the U.P., by order of Humphries for budget concerns.
Three days prior to the campground closures, the DNR issued a press release saying the closures would be executed to “facilitate” a $75,000 reduction in state general fund appropriations to the DNR’s Recreation and Trail Program for the 2007 fiscal year.
State forest pathways provide non-motorized trail activities, such as hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and cross-country skiing. The pathways are located within state forest lands in the Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula, and are not a part of state parks.
There are more than 550 miles of pathways in state forests, of which 242 miles were groomed for cross-country skiing. The state forest pathway system is offered for public recreation at no charge to the trail user and has been entirely supported by general fund tax dollars, competitive grants and local volunteer efforts.
Officials with the DNR said in a release Thursday that annual operations were $169,000 in fiscal year 2007, and grants received by the DNR for state forest pathway improvement projects and ski grooming totaled $930,000 over the last five years.
Annual donations provided locally at the pathway trailheads averaged $4,000 annually statewide for the past 10 years.
The DNR also manages trails for motorized recreation uses, such as snowmobile and off-road vehicles, and also offers a network of trailways developed from former railroad corridors.
These programs are not affected by the department’s directive related to cross-country ski grooming.
