Last Year for Michigan State Park Stickers

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a news release of the Michigan DNR

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm on Wednesday signed into law the "Recreation Passport" legislation, which creates a new funding source for Michigan's state parks, state recreation areas, state forest campgrounds, non-motorized trails and pathways and local parks.

The new law takes effect Oct. 1, 2010, meaning citizens who want to visit state parks this year will still need a 2010 Motor Vehicle Permit.

"This new method will create a sustainable funding source that will support our state parks and forests, as well as local recreational facilities," said Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) Director Rebecca Humphries. "It also makes accessing recreational opportunities easier and more affordable for Michigan citizens."

The Recreation Passport replaces the traditional state park and boating Motor Vehicle Permit (MVP), or "window sticker," system in place now at state parks, recreation areas and boat launches. Motorists may choose to pay a $10 fee when they renew their vehicle plate registration. This fee will authorize entry into state parks and boat launches for the usual one-year period of the registration. Camping fees will remain in place.

When residents opt to pay the $10 passport fee, they'll enjoy a per-vehicle savings of 60 percent over the current $24 annual Motor Vehicle Permit fee. "It is our hope that the less expensive fee will encourage all Michigan residents to buy the Recreation Passport for every vehicle they register," said Recreation Division Chief Ron Olson. "Supporters will be integral in restoring the infrastructure of an aging state park and forest system, while supporting local parks and recreation systems at the same time."

The DNRE's Recreation Division lost all taxpayer support for its programs in 2004. Since then, park operations have been funded primarily from user fees. Currently, we are able to address less than 1 percent of the critical infrastructure repair needs annually ($38 million needed), and are about $4.8 million short of adequately funding day-to-day park operations. Without an alternative funding structure in place, drastic cuts to park programs and services were inevitable, Olson said.

Revenue generated from the Recreation Passport depends on the level of participation from the public, Olson said.

Projected revenue based on participation includes:
25 percent participation generates $18,060,000
50 percent participation generates $36,120,000
75 percent participation generates $55,180,000
100 percent participation generates $72,240,000

This Recreation Passport initiative grew out of a proposal developed by the Citizens Committee for Michigan State Parks, to provide a more stable, sustainable funding source for state parks, which lost all general taxpayer support in 2004. Since then, state parks and recreation areas have operated primarily on user fees and by borrowing from funds intended for capital repairs and improvements.

For the 2010 calendar year, a Motor Vehicle Permit will still be required for entry to state parks, recreation areas and boating access sites. As citizens renew their vehicle registrations on and after Oct. 1, 2010, they will be offered the option to support state parks and recreation areas, state forests and boating access sites by paying an additional $10 toward their vehicle registration fee.

Out-of-state residents will still be required to purchase a $29 annual Motor Vehicle Permit, or $8 Daily permit.

According to Olson, the signing of this new law is timely. In 2011, all fund balances in the restricted funds that operate state parks will be exhausted. "There are $38 million in annual unmet needs for failing infrastructure at our state parks that the current system cannot generate enough revenue to cover," he said. "This new system will prevent the further decline of the state park and state forest system."
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Is $10 State Park Vehicle Pass Off Track?

2008 Michigan State Park sticker

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from Nancy Krupiarz, Executive Director, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance

Dr. Chuck Nelson, Professor at MSU Department of Community Agriculture and Recreation Resources, and the leader of the committee behind the State Park Passport to Recreation bill sent us a message today about the latest activity on the State Park Passport legislation. Just like a terribly misleading election campaign ad, our own Department of State has decided to take a poll that is required before every Michigan citizen goes through the online vehicle registration process. As you will see below, the wording is FLAWED and does not clearly show that the $10 option fee is REPLACING the current $24 annual resident motor vehicle permit. No input was asked for by the Secretary of State regarding this poll and we are concerned it will be used to harm Michigan residents and state parks if the results suit the SOS’s interests.

The wording on the poll simply states: “Would you pay an additional $10 on top of your annual vehicle registration fee to allow you to enter Michigan state parks?”

We believe the language should be changed to more clearly define the proposal in order to get a fully informed response from the public. Dr. Nelson has suggested the following change, “The legislature is considering a proposal to reform the way residents pay for MI state park admission. Instead of paying the current $24 annual fee for a resident motor vehicle permit available only at state parks, would you support instead paying an optional $10 fee in addition to your annual vehicle registration renewal fee during vehicle registration renewal, eliminating the $24 motor vehicle permit for residents, a 60% savings over the current resident motor vehicle permit to enter state parks. Under the proposal, non-residents would continue to be required to purchase a $29 non-resident annual motor vehicle permit. Do you support the reform proposal? Yes or No”

Ballot proposal questions are carefully worded to be as accurate and complete as possible so that voters have an unbiased foundation from which to make up their mind. The Secretary of State is asking the public to weigh in before they pay their annual reg. fee. The wording and the timing of the question are unbiased in our opinion.

See State Park Passport Held Up in House
See Michigan Legislature plug in bill 388 and 389
See New State Park Funding on Brink of Passage
Contact Nancy Krupiarz
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State Park Passport Legislation Held up In House of Representatives

2008 Michigan State Park sticker

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from Nancy Krupiarz, Executive Director, Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance

It’s fantastic that the state park passport bill to create a new source of revenue for state parks has finally moved through the Legislature to the last station in the process, that of being voted on by the House of Representatives. Senate Bills 388 and 389 have passed the Senate and have passed through the House Committee within the last few days. BUT, we have a problem. The Speaker of the House, Representative Andy Dillon (D-Redford), is holding up the bills from entering the House Floor for a vote. Why??? It is because there is a move to tie-bar these bills to other legislation which would double the vehicle registration rate to produce money for roads.

We believe the two issues should stand on their own. Our state parks and state trails are desperately in need of this new source of revenue. And it would actually lower the cost of a state park entrance fee and get more people enjoying these natural resource assets that Michigan has in these tough economic times. It is good for the state’s tourism and good for the people.

Please contact the Speaker of the House, Rep. Andy Dillon and urge him to let these bills go without a tie-bar to a vote in the House. We believe there is enough support from the House of Representatives to actually pass these bills and send them to the Governor. But it will take your voice to help them get there. Speaker Dillon’s office phone number is 517-373-0857. Please give him a call, and if you want to read up on the bill one more time before doing so, go to www.michiganlegislature.org and plug in the bill number, 388 and then 389 to see the bill information. Thank you and if you know of any of Speaker Dillon’s constituents in Redford and Dearborn, please also take the time to contact them and have them call as a constituent in support of sending these bills for a vote.

See Michigan Legislature plug in bill 388 and 389
See New State Park Funding on Brink of Passage
Contact Nancy Krupiarz
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New State Park Funding On Brink of Passage

2008 Michigan State Park sticker

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based on news stories in the Detroit News and M-Live

Since April, Michigan lawmakers have been working on options to fund state parks, since money for their operation has been removed from the General Fund. The State Senate has just approved a plan which would eliminate the annual park stickers and replace it with a system which adds a voluntary charge to vehicle license plates.

When a person renews their license plates they will be asked if they wish to pay an extra $10 which will allow them to enter, by honor system, any state park. Those who choose not to pay the extra $10, will be issued a warning if the vehicle is noted within a park. A second offense will result in a fine. Out-of-state visitors would still pay for daily or annual stickers.

If only 17% of vehicle registrations agree to pay the additional $10 a year, funding for the parks would remain at the same level. For individuals, it is a great deal, because the annual cost is reduced from $24 to $10. Montana uses a similar system and about 60% of vehicle owners choose to pay the extra fee.

The bill will now go to the Michigan House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the road construction industry oppose the bill because they believe all transportation fees should go for road and bridge construction. Environmental groups and the Michigan United Conservation Clubs support it, noting that total revenues are very likely to increase.

See State Parks to Get No Money from 2009 General Fund
See State Park Funding Proposal Would Require No Special Plate
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Another Powerful Idea for Your Clothes

Can you imagine that your shirt might be able to power the iPod in its pocket? It's a nanotech idea that is already a step past the wild idea stage.

The journal, Nature, reports that Zhong Lin Wang and colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology covered individual fibers of fabric with nanowires made of zinc oxide. These wires are only 50 nanometers in diameter — 1,800 times thinner than a human hair.

Alternate fibers are coated with gold. The alternating strands rub against each other and the resulting pressure generates a piezoelectric charge that can be captured.

Piezoelectric power is created when pressure is translated into an electric current. Other applications include capturing the power of raindrops hitting a building, or the power of many persons walking over a specialized mat- for example at a turnstile.

So far only very small pieces of fabric have been made, but the results have been very positive. The researchers estimate that one square meter of the cloth would produce enough current to power a portable music player. And although gold is currently being used, other metal fibers would work well. The high-tech fabrics would not weigh much more than typical fabrics. The biggest hurdle at the present time is that the fabrics can not hold up to being wetted. Washing your clothes, or a walk in the rain would destroy their special properties.

from Live Science, "Tech-Stiles: Clothes That Produce Power", by Brian Bergstein, Feb 14, 2008
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Charge It!

Hybrid power from your knees. Power up while braking. Sounds like sci-fi? Nope, it's real.

A small device that straps to the knee harnesses the energy when your knee reaches it's extension in a step and comes back toward the ground. That spins the gears inside the small generator.

The generator adds little effort when it is charged in this "braking phase" of a person's step cycle. More power is generated if it is set to spin the gears throughout the stride, but more effort is required, decreasing the overall efficiency.

This method of generating electricity is much more efficient than hand-cranked generators that are sometimes used on flashlights or radios. Getting the weight of the device itself down is now on the researchers agenda. But it already provides enough power to operate as much as ten cell phones.

Applications for the military, and for hikers, or emergency rescue units come to mind instantly.

This technology does not produce as much power as the backpack generators which have also been recently improved, but its light weight and small size, in an out of the way location, make it an appealing technology.

from New Scientist, "Knee device makes phone charging a walk in the park", Feb 7, 2008
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Strap On Some Power

Arizona State University students have developed a backpack strap that generates power from the motion of the wearer. No motion other than ordinary walking is required.

Space age elastic metallic polymers are used in the generating mechanism. The project was undertaken for military applications. Soldiers often must carry 15-20 pounds of batteries to power such things as "GPS units, radios, satellite links, laptop computers, infrared goggles and lighting — not to mention cell phones and i-Pods."

The straps produce between 20 and 100 volts of electricity using the piezoelectric effect. "Piezoelectric" is the term for material that produces electric current when pressure is applied to them. Familiar devises which use this technique are gas grill lighters and cheap microphones.

Henry A. Sodano, a researcher in ASU’s Adaptive Intelligent Materials Systems Center, added that in civilian applications, someone hiking all day could store enough energy to power a highly efficient LED lighting at a campsite each night.

read the entire article in the Arizona Daily Star, "ASU research team develops power generating backpack strap", by Dan Sorenson, Dec 23, 2007
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