Traverse City Record-Eagle

Cheboygan County

February 26, 2008

Park set for $160,000 expansion

BY SHERI McWHIRTER

CHEBOYGAN -- State officials will spend $160,000 this month to expand a state park, but may keep 20 northern state forest campgrounds closed this year to save $75,000.

Aloha State Park on Mullett Lake in Cheboygan County is a popular summer spot for boaters on the Inland Waterway and tourists heading to nearby Straits of Mackinac. The state will spend $160,000 this month to buy an almost 65-acre addition as part of a future plan to overhaul the park's entrance and camping area.

"We want to relocate the entrance to the park because the current entrance is at a congested intersection and also crosses a recreational trail," said Mary Dettloff, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The Alpena to Mackinaw Trail will no longer cross the park entrance once the road is relocated south to Pioneer Road, but there's not yet any money budgeted or a time frame for the work, she said.

Meanwhile, state officials saved $75,000 last year by closing 20 state forest campgrounds, which may not open again this year. Money for the forest campgrounds currently is being spent to groom cross-country ski trails across the region.

A $1 million supplemental budget bill is pending before the Legislature and would provide funds for new DNR fire equipment, additional fire officers and the state's Recreation and Trails Program, including the forest campgrounds.

"If the supplemental budget is not passed, we will not be able to open all the state forest campgrounds this year. If it is passed, all campgrounds, including the 20 we closed in July, will be open," Dettloff said.

At least one legislator wants to see the forest campgrounds re-opened in the spring and perhaps less focus placed on buying property for future endeavors.

"My concern is we are not taking a hard enough look at operational costs at the campgrounds and are focusing on land acquisitions first," said state Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Bellaire.

The Aloha State Park expansion will be billed to the DNR's land fund, which comes from the sale of state land and only can be spent on purchasing other land for public recreation or resource protection.

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