Recreation and Trails Assessment 1999

Recreation & Trails Program Statewide Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) Trail System State Forest Developed Water Access Sites Statewide Enforcement Grants to County Sheriffs and Local Units Statewide Snowmobile Trail System State Forest Pathways Statewide Rail- Trail System State Forest Campgrounds

Recreation & Trails Niche WHERE WE FIT Rustic Recreation Opportunities How People Know The State Forests Complements Other MI Providers Built on Partnerships

Understanding State Forests Managed for multiple use Timber, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, oil & gas, environmental quality Significant motorized recreation opportunity Almost all open to hunting Rustic, less developed 3.9 million acres in thousands of parcels spread across the northern 2/3 of Michigan with unsigned boundaries Unlimited, unrestricted access No entrance fee No programmed activities Recreation system has responded to demand

Snowmobile Trail System Designated, groomed system managed through 63 grant sponsors. Includes connections to towns to promote safe access to goods and services. 5,908 MILE DESIGNATED SYSTEM 50% Private Lands 25% National Forest 25% State Forest* * Includes trail mileage in some State Parks

Michigan Snowmobile Use 18% By Visitors 78% of all snowmobiling is on the designated trail system 2.4 Million Snowmobile Days Annually 82% By Michiganians

Michigan Snowmobiling SNOWMOBILE PERMITS 250,000 236,291 MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILES Trail Permits 1998-99 Michigan Registered Snowmobiles 1999

Michigan ORV Trail/Route System Designated, groomed system managed through 12 grant sponsors. Includes area restoration of environmental damage from improper or illegal ORV use on public lands. Only legal places to ride on public forest lands in Lower Peninsula. 15% state forest/County Right of Way 12% Federal 73% STATE FOREST 3,107 miles of designated trails/routes

Michigan ORV Use 123,741 LICENSES (1998-99) 4.1 MILLION ORV USE DAYS ANNUALLY

Marine Safety Enforcement Grants (FY98-99) 80 COUNTIES *with 3:1 match *$3.23 million for personnel & equipment from Marine Safety Fund

Snowmobile Enforcement Grants (FY98-99) 35 COUNTIES *with 3:1 match *$205,000 for personnel funded by snowmobile registrations *will substantially increase next year with increased registration fee

ORV Enforcement Grants (FY98-99) 22 COUNTIES *no match required *$123,000 for personnel from ORV trail improvement fund

State Forest Campgrounds Each campground has 5 - 50 campsites next to a lake or river with picnic table, fire ring, parking, and tent pad. Campgrounds have rustic amenities including vault toilets, hand pump well, trash containers, information station and spacious sites. 145 campgrounds with 2945 sites 7 connected to ORV trails 11 horse trail camps 11 connected to rail trails 90 with developed water access sites 61 connected to pathways All 145 on a lake or stream

Water Recreation and Forest Campgrounds All campgrounds are located on a lake or stream 1 out of 3 campers boat 3 out of 4 campers swim 2 out of 3 campers fish

485 Undeveloped Sites in State Forests Water Access Sites Developed sites have surfaced boat launching facility, toilet, and information station Undeveloped sites are at State Forest road end or crossing of lake or stream, with most accessing trout streams FMD manages 116 Developed Water Access Sites 485 Undeveloped Sites in State Forests with 90 In State Forest Campgrounds

Michigan State Forest Pathways Trails for non-motorized uses only 66 PATHWAYS NO FEES NO DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE 880 MILES 242 MILES GROOMED CROSS-COUNTRY SKI TRAILS

Michigan Rail-Trail Program LOCAL UNITS 92 miles Multiple use trails created from abandoned railroads. Provides for motorized and non-motorized uses. PARKS & RECREATION 203 miles FOREST MANAGEMENT DIVISION 657 miles 952 MILES OF RAIL TRAILS Administer Michigan Recreation Improvement Fund & Recreational Trails Grant Program

Rail-Trails: A Growing Resource 1000 500 MILES OF TRAILS 1970 1980 1990 1998 YEARS

Developed Site Recreation Participation Developed site recreation is dependent on facilities such as campgrounds and trails ACTIVITY Annual Visits (millions) Annual Hours (millions) ORV (Statewide) 4.1 12.3 State Forest Campground/Pathways/ Developed Water Access (State Forests) 3.6 22.2 Snowmobile (Statewide) 2.4 14.4 Rail-Trail (Statewide not including snowmobile use) .3 .9 TOTAL 10.4 49.8

Dispersed State Forest Recreation Participation Dispersed recreation is recreation not dependent on developed facilities. Common dispersed recreation activities include, hunting, fishing, nature observation, mushroom and berry picking, and photography TOTAL REGIONS Annual VISITS (millions) Annual HOURS Largest public land base for dispersed recreation east of the Mississippi Upper Peninsula .9 2.1 Northern Lower 7.1 21.4 Peninsula 8.0 23.5

Total Recreation Participation on Recreation & Trails Managed Facilities/Situations 18.4 million visits 73.3 million hours Equal to 70% of visits to State Park and Recreation Areas

Growth In Recreation PROGRAM PERCENT INCREASE FROM 1994-98

Michigan Tourism and the Role of Outdoor Recreation $16 Billion From Tourism with Direct and Secondary Benefits $3 Billion From Outdoor Recreation with 50,000 Jobs

Economic Impacts of Recreation and Trails Programs 176 Michigan jobs supported by near campground spending $7 Million spent by forest campers near campgrounds $110 Million spending on overnight trips & those 100+ miles from home Supports 6,455 Michigan jobs $235 Million spending on equipment

Important Issues Snowmobile & ORV Marine, ORV, & Snowmobile Safety Clear, consistent sign marking Connecting trails Increase appropriations Marine, ORV, & Snowmobile Safety Future increase in partnerships Coordinate with county sheriffs, enhanced enforcement

Rapidly growing program Important Issues Campground, Pathway, Water Access $4.7 million renovations identified Need additional effort for adequate management Increase fees Rail-Trail Rapidly growing program Recreation Staff Additional recreation effort needed Build partnerships, management, planning budgeting and stakeholder interaction locally

Benefits Increased economic benefits from additional outdoor recreation based tourism Increased participation Enhanced safety for recreationists Motorized trail systems located off county and state roads will decrease car/snowmobile and car/ORV accidents Reduced liability due to better maintenance and infrastructure Improved recreational opportunity Better known, better maintained facilities Access for persons with disabilities to campgrounds and water access sites Healthier environment Environmental restoration at campgrounds, pathways, & access sites Limit improper, unmanaged use of land based resource

Summary Increasing recreation participation Partnerships have benefits and costs Statewide responsibilities Significant benefits Environmental Social Economic

CONTINUING EXCELLENCE