Michigan voters will decide next month whether to change how money can be spent under a popular program that buys land for public use
Traverse City – Michigan voters will decide next month whether to change how money can be spent under a popular program that buys land for public use and supports projects such as construction of trails, playgrounds and boat launches. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund uses royalties paid by developers of state-owned minerals – primarily oil and natural gas – to protect sensitive lands and boost outdoor recreation. More than $1.2 billion has been distributed since the fund was established in 1976. Last year’s awards ranged from $49,000 to improve a floating boardwalk in Munising Township to $2.7 million for a non-motorized pathway in Detroit. Under rules governing how the money is parceled out, about three-quarters has been spent on land purchases. A proposal on the Nov.3 election ballot would alter the formula, potentially giving a greater share to development projects. It also could pump more money into the fund, although not immediately. The measure, known as Proposal 1, is backed by an array of conservation and business groups. But it has divided environmental activists, with opponents arguing that protecting land should remain the program’s top priority. “One of the things that make Michigan a wonderful state is all the public land we’ve got,” said Marvin Roberson, a forest ecologist with the Sierra Club. “I’ve got friends in Ohio who say they’d kill to have the public lands that we have.” Supporters agree the state should continue buying scenic and ecologically valuable parcels, but say it’s just as important to fund the playgrounds, fishing platforms, restrooms and parking lots that draw people to the outdoors.
