A 142-foot-long bridge installed last fall over the Tahquamenon River just got an important addition: a name.
Friends, family, Michigan Department of Natural Resources officials and other colleagues gathered this morning at the Lower Tahquamenon Falls to dedicate the Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge, honoring the man at the helm of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division as chief for 17 years.
The fabricated, all-aluminum pedestrian bridge at Tahquamenon Falls State Park, located in Paradise in the eastern Upper Peninsula, officially opened for use over the Memorial Day holiday weekend. The bridge itself is an apt symbol for Olson, who has built a career around bringing people together and encouraging them to aim for destinations they can’t yet see.
“When it comes to possibilities in parks and recreation, nobody is better at building bridges and getting people to the table than Ron Olson,” said DNR Director Dan Eichinger.
“Ron lives and breathes Michigan state parks, trails and waterways, and he will talk – and listen – to anyone, anywhere about ways to protect and improve these treasured resources so that every resident and visitor can enjoy them and be inspired to love them as much as he does,” Eichinger said. “I am proud to be here today and share in this much-deserved celebration of Ron’s remarkable contributions.”
The bridge’s installed naming plaque reads: “Ronald A. Olson Island Bridge. In honor of his dedication, hard work and accomplishments with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Parks and Recreation Division.”
His accomplishments are many. Olson, who oversees a parks and recreation system that includes 103 state parks, nearly 1,300 boating access sites, 13,400 miles of state-designated trails and 82 state-sponsored harbors, has:
- Championed (through the MI Big Green Gym partnership, with mParks and Blue Cross Blue Shield) the belief that state, county and local parks are the least expensive “gyms” around, and they drive tourism to even the most remote places in the state.
- Helped guide the implementation of the Recreation Passport to replace the old window sticker for vehicle entry to Michigan state parks – a move creating cost savings for individual parkgoers while establishing a more consistent source of operating revenue.
- Advocated for prioritizing a more diverse workforce through programs such as the Summer Youth Employment Initiative and efforts to infuse the department with new voices and perspectives.
- Introduced the Chief’s Challenges to inspire solution-focused ideas built around three goals: Green Initiatives to find energy savings, Marketing and Innovations to find new revenue-generating ventures, and the Million Dollar Challenge that tasked everyone with finding ways to save money, with the goal of saving $1 million in total.
- Pioneered a matching grant program for accessible recreation amenities, promising to match any community or Friends Group that could raise 50% of project funding for a playground, beach chair, Mobi-mat or fishing pier – a challenge that led to greater staff/community collaboration that continues today.
- Overseen some of Michigan’s biggest state park and campground visitation numbers – 35 million visitors a year – fueled in part by residents’ reliance on the outdoors during the COVID pandemic.
Comments