MVPs and Gift Certificates

The 2008 Boating Access Permits and Motor Vehicle Permits are on sale. A gift certificate, which can be used for overnight fees, motor vehicle permits and other merchandise, also is available. You can find the gift certificate and the 2008 permits on the Michigan e-store . The new permits also have been distributed to all field locations. Contact a state park or recreation area near you to determine their hours and availability.

Are They Open or Closed?

Just because a park campground is closed for camping in the off-season does not mean the park is closed. All park locations are open for other activities, such as cross-country skiing, hiking, bird-watching, ice fishing and some offer snowmobiling and/or hunting. There also are cabins, mini-cabins and lodges available for rent and some have year-round interpretive programs. Three parks, Rifle River, Traverse City and Mitchell, have campgrounds and warm restrooms open all year. Seven other parks are open for camping, including Waterloo/Portage, North Higgins, Fort Custer, Algonac, Tahquamenon Falls, Ludington and Bay City. Muskegon State Park has a Winter Sports Complex with a luge run, ice skating rink and three Nordic cross-country ski trails.

How about ringing in the New Year from a nice toasty cabin, lodge or yurt?

Temporary Park Closure - Sept. 30, 2007

Parks and Recreation Division personnel were told to shut down all public facilities in the waning hours of Sunday night, Sept. 30, because of the lack of a state budget. This resulted in more than 500 camps that were either asked to leave or were canceled and refunded through the central reservation call center.

In an effort to "make things right" with our customers, we have sent them letters offering them a free night of camping between now and the end of 2008.

Detroit Theatre for the Dramatic Arts

Parks and Recreation Division has partnered with the Detroit Theatre for the Dramatic Arts to  bring more youth into our parks and, at the same time, have this talented group of youngsters present the dramatic work "Dream Girls" to our visitors. The youngsters visited four parks this year and plan to do more touring in 2008. The following is an excerpt from a journal kept by one of the performers:

"We were at Fayette Historic State Park from Oct. 5-7. Fayette was, without a doubt, the most exciting and coolest place that we went to! The ghost town was really awesome. We stayed in the park director's old home (Furnace Hill Lodge).  It was really comfortable and very nice. After settling in, we went to the historic town site. It was so beautiful and a little scary. The history of that place was very interesting. This was my first time in the Upper Peninsula, and it was great! The people are very friendly and they made us feel welcome..." (Kayla, age 13)                      

Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor

After three years of negotiation, the lease for Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor, located in downtown Detroit, has been signed. The state is leasing 31 acres on the Detroit River from the city of Detroit for 30 years. The lease includes two 30-year extensions, for a total life of 90 years. This lease is unique to Tri-Centennial State Park. 

The first phase, completed in 2004, included the renovation of the former St. Aubin marina. PRD is preparing to bid phase two in early 2008, with construction beginning in spring. Phase two, the Lowland Parcel, will include an extension of the Detroit River Walk, a wetland and interpretation of the wetland, urban wildlife, fisheries and waterfowl of southeast Michigan. Most of the phase-two costs are almost 75% funded through a variety of grant partners. Zero dollars for this project will come from tax monies. The wetland will demonstrate how storm water runoff can be effectively treated through natural systems before being returned to the Detroit River.

Early next year, PRD will be seeking public input on the design and development of the remaining park land.  PRD seeks to complete the Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor development in 2010.

Award of Merit

The Department of Natural Resources is receiving an Award of Merit Dec. 13 from the Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan for the Fred Meijer White Pine Trail State Park. The $1 million project was funded by donations from the Friends of the White Pine Trail, the Meijer Foundation and grants from the Michigan Department of Transportation and the DNR.

A total of 8.2 miles of the trail was paved from Russell Road, near the intersection of M‑57 and M‑131, in Kent County to the north side of Sand Lake's village limit. The improvements will provide access to more trail users.

Core Volunteer Steward Program Update

The Parks and Recreation Division Stewardship Unit had a great seed collection season this fall.  We'd like to extend a huge thank you to all the wonderful volunteers who helped collect seeds from native prairie grasses and wildflowers at 23 workdays. Volunteers contributed almost 1,700 hours collecting seed that will be used to restore native tallgrass prairie, lakeplain prairie and oak savanna ecosystems.

Are you looking for a good reason to GO-Get Outdoors this winter? Then join us at monthly volunteer workdays at seven southeast Michigan state parks and recreation areas. We will be cutting, hauling and piling invasive shrubs and could really use the extra help. You will learn how to identify these nonnative invaders in their winter form -- without their leaves -- and have a fun, healthy opportunity to enjoy Michigan's winter splendor.

For upcoming events, go to www.michigan.gov/dnrvolunteers. If you have any questions, please contact Laurel Malvitz at (248) 359-9057 or malvitzl@michigan.gov.

GO-Get Outdoors Calendar -And a New Look to the Web Pages

More than 400 events were held in 2007 in our harbors, parks and boating access sites. The 2008  calendar is being updated and should be posted by the end of December. The web pages for parks, visitor centers and state forests campgrounds have been undergoing a revision.  The new look should be out there before the end of the month and we will be adding a link to each of the pages to the event calendar. 

Cheboygan Lock and Dam

The Cheboygan lock and dam, built in 1845, is undergoing much-needed repairs and renovations this off-season. The lock will reopen in the spring and continue to operate in the 2008 season; however, the area around the dam will be closed to public fishing. The new construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2008 and will include barrier-free walkways, approach platforms, repairs to abutments, replacement of dam components and site work.