The Michigan Department of Natural Resources will be making upgrades at a number of Michigan state parks across the state.
The DNR has given the green light – along with $15,962,000 – to state park projects in Bay, Cheboygan, Delta, Iosco, Mackinac, Monroe, Ontonagon, Saginaw, Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
It’s all part of the DNR’s Phase 1 funding made possible through Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Building Michigan Together Plan, a $4.8 million infrastructure package signed in March that included a record-setting $250 million to help address a decades-long backlog of repair and maintenance needs at state parks and build a new state park in Flint. That funding stemmed from the federal relief program, the American Rescue Plan.
DNR Director Dan Eichinger said this first phase of funding is part of a thoughtful, deliberate evaluation of needed projects at Michigan state parks.
“For more than 100 years, state parks have anchored communities and provided safe, clean spaces for people to connect with nature and historical resources and enjoy the outdoors. During the COVID pandemic our parks welcomed people in record numbers,” Eichinger said. “We are grateful and gratified to launch this first phase of critical maintenance, repair and upgrade work, knowing that every project will help us deliver even better visitor experiences and outdoor recreation opportunities for visitors of all ages and abilities.”
Phase 1 projects in the Upper Peninsula
The first round of projects includes the following, listed alphabetically by county:
- Fayette Historic State Park (Delta County): $600,000 to reconstruct the south wall of the west casting house in the park’s historic townsite – where visitors can take a walking tour of 20 original structures from the once bustling, late-1800s, iron smelting industrial community. This is the first phase of a historic preservation project in the park.
- Fayette Historic State Park (Delta County): $400,000 to reconstruct approximately 300 feet of retaining wall adjacent to the historic charcoal kilns in the park’s historic townsite. The kilns were constructed to produce charcoal for blast furnaces to smelt iron ore. This is the second phase of a historic preservation project in the park.
- Straits State Park (Mackinac County): $2 million to replace the two upper campground toilet and shower buildings, which will mirror finish details from newly constructed buildings in the park’s lower campground.
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park (Ontonagon County): $1.4 million to renovate and preserve the Kaug Wudjoo modern lodge, staff quarters, mechanic’s shop, carpenter’s shop and fire barn. Renovations include the construction and replacement of new roofs and siding, as well as enhancements to accessibility features. Utility and structural upgrades also are included in ongoing historic preservation efforts.
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