Our State Parks: To Fund or Not to Fund, That is the Question!

After moving back to Michgan eight months ago, one of my first orders of business was getting my State Parks sticker on my car.  Our State Parks are wonderful places to view a Great Lake sunset (seen here from Fisherman's Island State Park in Charlevoix).

But, as the perpetual battle for conservation and environmental protection funding continues, the legislature is debating a new approach to funding state parks that would create a voluntary add on fee to vehicle registration.

While this is not an ideal funding mechanism, it is a creative approach to a critical problem. MLCV would prefer to see a meaningful increase in general fund dollars the current budget situation makes that nearly impossible. Allowing the citizens of Michigan to voluntarily pay for something they value represents a commitment to find innovative solutions during difficult times. The Detroit Free Press recently wrote a piece on this issue. To read it, click here.