justnorth posted on May 16, 2007 05:24 :: 1848 Views
The fees for camping at state forest campgrounds increased effective Monday - May 15, following action taken by Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries at Thursday's meeting of the Michigan Natural Resources Commission.
"Fees paid by campers in state forest campgrounds are put right back into the campgrounds for the operation and maintenance of these facilities," said Humphries. "For several years, the campgrounds have not generated the revenue needed to meet these costs, and this has created both a short- and long-term deficit in the Forest Recreation Fund."
Fees for state forest campgrounds will increase for many different types of camping. For designated campground sites, the fees will go from $10 to $15 per campsite, per night. For equestrian, off-road vehicle and semi-modern campgrounds, the fee will increase from $10 to $20 per campsite, per night. Designated group campground rates will increase from $3 to $6 per person, per night. And for cabins at two state forest campgrounds - Presque Isle and Lime Island - the rates will be raised from $35 and $45 per night, respectively, to $65 per night. Senior rates at campgrounds and weekly rates at cabins will be eliminated. There will be no fee for dispersed camping on state forest land.
The fees paid by campers have historically been used to pay for routine maintenance and capital outlay needs of managing the campgrounds. These costs include the annual licensing and inspection fees from regulatory agencies; trash removal; vault toilet pumping and cleaning; well water supply and testing fees; environmental restoration, renovation and stabilization; lawn mowing and trimming, replacing damaged or aged facilities; road grading and gravel; cleaning supplies; toilet paper; maintenance fuel; the printing expense for informational posters and brochures; and the salaries and wages of personnel who work in the campground program.
"Maintaining the integrity of the Forest Recreation Program is critical to the DNR's land management responsibilities," Humphries said. "State forest campgrounds were first developed in the 1920s as a fire control initiative, and have since expanded to 143 campgrounds with 3,361 designated and group campsites."
Support for the increases came from several statewide organizations that are part of the DNR's Forest Management Advisory Committee. Groups that offered support for the increases included the Michigan Snowmobile Association, the American Motorcyclist Association, the Sierra Club of Michigan and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs.
Article Source:
http://justnorth.com/Articles/tabid/105/articleType/AuthorView/authorID/12/justnorth.aspx