We reported earlier on the Senate passing the Recreation Passport legislation which should provide a stable, sustainable funding source for our state parks (including linear trails), state forest recreation, and more.

While the House speaker initially held up the House vote, it eventually went forward and passed. However, the House passed a different version of the legislation, which now much be reconciled with the Senate version.

According to a report in the Free Press, “Republican State Rep. Arlan Meekhof from West Olive tells The Muskegon Chronicle the bill has bipartisan support and should be passed in January by both legislative chambers.” That article incorrectly says that if passed by both houses and signed by the Governor, it would take effect in April.

If signed into law, the starting date would be October 1st, 2010.

The DNR provided this clarification:

We had several media outlets erroneously report on Monday, Dec. 28, that the Governor signed legislation to create the State Park Passport, the $10 fee added to Michigan license plate renewals that would take the place of the Michigan State Park Motor Vehicle Permit window sticker. This is not true.

Senate Bill 388 originally was a bill to create the State Park Passport; however, the Legislature substituted language in the bill to simply extend the expiration date on the Motor Vehicle Permits to the end of March 2010. This gives them more time to work on the agreement to create the State Park Passport – which has NOT been approved by the Legislature yet.

I would respectfully ask for a correction from any media outlets that reported this, as many DNR offices are getting calls from angry state park users who already purchased a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit and want a refund. The State Park Passport ($10 license plate fee) has not been approved yet. And if it is approved, it would not take effect until Oct. 1, 2010. In order to enjoy a state park or state recreation area in 2010, people will need to purchase a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit window sticker, as they have in the past. They are available at any state park, or online at www.michigan.gov/dnr.

You can also keep on top of this critical funding issue at www.OurMichiganParks.org.

This is long-awaited good news from the DNR.

Dec. 3, 2009

Contacts: Eric Cowing 734-289-2715 or Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014

The Department of Natural Resources announced that the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is now officially open to the public.

Phase II development of the park is complete and the construction fences have been removed. Phase II development includes an innovative storm water management design that establishes a wetland environment and serves as a natural water filtration system for storm water run-off from the park and future nearby development properties. Energy efficient LED lighting and plantings native to southeastern Michigan were also included in the Phase II developments.

William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is 31 acres in size and is located on a reclaimed brownfield that had been impacted by many decades of industrial use. Coastal wetlands are an important part of the Detroit River ecosystem as they provide habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. Ninety-seven percent of the native coastal wetlands along the river have been lost to development, making the wetlands an imperative, eco-friendly and educational addition to the riverfront.

“I encourage visitors to come see the wetlands and, if you enjoy fishing, toss in a line along ‘Anglers Avenue’ at the river’s edge,” said Ron Olson, chief of the DNR’s Parks and Recreation Division. “Park visitors will find fishing opportunities on the Detroit River, quiet seating at the Peter Stroh Memorial, two picnic pavilions, an historic dry dock area, the wetlands complex, four learning stations set up throughout the park, and accessible bicycle and pedestrian trails that connect to the Detroit RiverWalk. Also keep an eye out for new residents in the wetlands. Geese, hawks, pheasants, muskrats, and foxes have already been reported in the area.”

The public harbor has 52 slips for transient and seasonal boaters, and reservations can be made on-line at www.midnrreservations.com, or by calling the DNR central reservation system at 1-800-447-2757. The park is an anchor to the Detroit RiverWalk development and will soon include a trailhead for the Dequindre Cut Trail Greenway to connect the riverfront to the Eastern Market. A dedication ceremony for the William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor (formerly the Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor) was held on Oct. 22, to officially rename the park in honor of the longest-serving Governor in Michigan history.

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It is expected that Senate bills 388 and 389 for the Recreation Passport will be voted on by the Michigan Senate and House this Thursday, November 12th, 2009.

There is a summary analysis on-line as well. This analysis provides all the details of what these bills would do if passed and signed into law. There’s also additional information (as well as media coverage links) on the Citizen’s Committee for Michigan State Parks web site.

We urge you to please contact your state senator and state representative and ask that they support these bills to help fund our state parks.

This funding is absolutely critical as the state parks have been kept afloat for years by relying on previous fund balances. Those fund balances are now drained. We should also note that since 2004, no state taxpayer money has gone towards our state parks.

This funding would also be a huge boost to Michigan trails, not only in state parks, but in state forests as well. Those trails are significantly unfunded.

The recent reduction in posts to m-bike is largely due to the past eight days being absolutely packed with bicycle advocacy work in Detroit, Royal Oak, and across Michigan. Below is brief chronology for two of those days.

October 22nd: Royal Oak, Governor Milliken, the DNR and Detroit

The Active Transportation Alliance (ATA) was in town. The city of Royal Oak is contracting with them to develop a non-motorized master plan. I joined them in a morning meeting for a very early discussion on this future planning process. The city is expecting their grant money, which is funding this effort, will be available very early next year. When that occurs, the planning will begin.

After lunch, I dragged our ATA consultants down to the Detroit RiverWalk. As mentioned earlier, Tri-Centennial State Park has been renamed to honor former Governor William G. Milliken. I took advantage of many opportunities to share our Detroit Greenways Network brochure with those attending the renaming ceremony.

Among those attending was Senator Patty Birkholz. The Senator is leading efforts to create a sustainable funding source for our state parks. She gave me a quick update on the Recreation Passport legislation she’d introduced earlier this year. Among other things, this legislation would add an optional $10 fee when registering vehicles. In return, there would be no fees to enter state parks. Senator Birkholz says she doesn’t expect any progress until A.B. (“after budget”.)

That evening we pulled together a small group for dinner for a discussion on bicycling in Detroit and how we can vastly improve it. The meeting was graciously hosted by John and Vivian Stroh. Vivian’s two younger brothers started a little cycling company called SRAM. The meeting was filled with great information and energy. It was a big help have both Carolyn Helmke, the ATA’s senior planner, and Randy Neufeld, the former ATA executive director and now manager of the SRAM Cycling Fund and president of America Bikes. They brought both a Chicago and a national perspective to the meeting.

But for me, one local perspective was my biggest takeaway. Tawanna Simpson from Detroit Bike Riders United told the story of her running for the Detroit School Board. She rode her bike to a nearby forum. Some voters said they wouldn’t vote for her because she rode her bike to the event and that wasn’t normal. This really highlighted the community outreach we need to do in Detroit and beyond. Biking shouldn’t be viewed as a last choice for transportation. It should be better than normal. The fact that Tawanna is a positive role model for kids riding their bikes to school should gain her votes, not lose them.

October 23rd: The Chicago experience and WDET

The morning was filled with a monthly meeting of the Detroit Greenways Coalition. Carolyn and Randy were able to join us and give a brief overview of their Chicago bicycling efforts with an emphasis on programming. It seems we have a good understanding of how to build proper and safe bicycling and walking facilities in Detroit, but we come up short in programming. How do we overcome the barriers to people bicycling more in the city? Chicago has a long track record of success, some of which we may try duplicating in Motown.

Another key takeaway? Chicago relies heavily on Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) federal funding. Much of the Metro Detroit CMAQ funding is allocated by SEMCOG and their prioritization formula makes bicycle projects not competitive. Nationwide, 13% of CMAQ projects are biking and walking related, while 0% are in Metro Detroit. We need to change that.

Later that afternoon, Randy and I were guests near the tail end of the Detroit Today program on WDET. A podcast of that radio interview is on their web site. Detroit Today’s host, Craig Fahle is a former bike mechanic from Alfred E. Bikes in Kalamazoo.

The day’s heavy downpour led us to cancel plans for a Detroit bicycle tour. Still, I managed to drive our Chicago guests around Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck to give them a quick overview of our cycling landscape. They gave some great cycling facility ideas along the way and were simply overwhelmed with the excessively wide and overbuilt roads.

Detroit is fortunate having another Midwestern city nearby that has invested so heavily in bicycling and walking. And while Randy mentioned how our situation is special and unique, there is still much opportunity to learn and apply what Chicago has done.

There really is no need to rebuild the bike wheel.

As we mentioned earlier, the DNR is renaming Tri-Centennial State Park on the Detroit RiverWalk to the William G. Milliken State Park.

Given the Governor’s background in conservation, this it certainly fitting. This background is highlighted in the name change resolution (see below) that was passed by the Natural Resources Commission last month.

Another conservationist will also be honored at the park. The Stroh family contributed funding in honor of the late Peter Stroh to help make this park possible. As the N.Y. Times reported, “Mr. Stroh was a founding board member of Conservation International and served on the boards of the Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society and the Atlantic Salmon Federation.”

Speaking of the park, the big question is when will this new section be open? The last we checked, portions of the bike path have been paved but more landscaping needs to be completed. The weather is really the determining factor on when the project will be done. The contract specifies a November completion and the DNR is still hoping for the end of this month. However, the rain and cold weather aren’t helping.

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