1. Recreation and Trails Assessment
1999

2. 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

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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Michigan Snowmobiling
SNOWMOBILE PERMITS 250,000
236,291 MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILES
Trail Permits
Michigan Registered Snowmobiles
1999

8. 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

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

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

11. 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

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

13. State Forest Campgrounds
Each campground has 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Growth In Recreation
PROGRAM
PERCENT INCREASE FROM

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

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

29. CONTINUING EXCELLENCE