State forest sites get funding

By JOHN PEPIN, Journal Munising Bureau
MUNISING — Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials announced the opening Monday of 20 state forest campgrounds closed last July because of budget shortfalls.


DNR Director Rebecca Humphries authorized reopening the campgrounds, including nine in the Upper Peninsula.


The action by Humphries occurred after the state Legislature recently restored a $500,000 appropriation from the state’s general fund to the DNR’s Recreation and Trail Program.


Tom Kenney, co-owner of Northland Outfitters in Germfask, provides canoe and kayak trips to visitors along the Manistique River. Many of those use the state forest campground at Mead Creek, one of the campgrounds closed last July and now reopened.


“I think it’s a great thing,” Kenney said of the state reopening the quiet, more rustic camping areas.


Kenney said he outfits dozens of canoes full of people who take overnight trips, preferring to spend the first night of their excursions at the Mead Creek Campground.


He said the closures had a negative impact on his customers and belied other efforts by the state to promote tourism and the state’s natural resources.


“I think it was kind of counter productive for that whole effort,” Kenney said.


Jim Radabaugh, recreation and trails manager with the DNR in Lansing, said at the time of the campground closures last July he hoped the fund allocation would be returned to the DNR and the campgrounds would reopen by last autumn.


“We were looking at facilities that weren’t even paying for themselves,” Radabaugh said. “These were not high demand sites, but they certainly were well loved sites. We felt bad about having to close any sites.”


State forest campgrounds are not staffed and are not a part of the DNR’s online reservation system.


Three factors were considered in developing the closure list, including revenue collected per campground, revenue per campsite and revenue per mile. The combined factors placed the closed facilities at the low end of the revenue-producing state forest campgrounds.


On Monday, Radabaugh said the reopening of the sites is “really good news.”


The nine campgrounds reopening in the U.P. are located in Marquette, Luce, Schoolcraft and Chippewa counties.


In Marquette County, state forest campgrounds at Pike Lake and North Horseshoe Lake will be reopened along with Luce County campgrounds at High Bridge, Headquarters Lake and Bass Lake. Mead Creek, North Gemini Lake and South Gemini Lake campgrounds in Schoolcraft County are also reopening, along with Sheldrake Dam in Chippewa County.


Radabaugh said crews are working quickly to open all of Michigan’s state forest campgrounds for the 2008 camping season. Depending on local weather conditions, campgrounds typically open by mid-May.


The 143 state forest campgrounds with more than 3,000 campsites are available on a first-come, first- served basis. These rustic campgrounds have from five to 50 campsites, vault toilets and hand water pumps. They are found throughout the 3.5 million acres of state forests and most are located on a lake or river. Fees to stay in state forest campgrounds are $15 per night.


For specific campground availability and information, call the nearest DNR Operations Service Center or refer to the department Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr, and click on Recreation and Camping.