The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has announced that the regular Recreation Passport vehicle entry fee for residents will increase for the first time since January 2013. Residents shouldn’t panic just yet, as the fee is going from $11-$12. With the recreation pass, vehicles can access more than 100 state parks and recreation areas, 140 state forest campgrounds, hundreds of miles of state trails, historic sites, and other outdoor spaces starting March 1st.
All other resident Passport fees will remain the same, including those for motorcycles, mopeds and commercial vehicles. The change is due to a statutory provision to adjust the Recreation Passport fee based upon the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. That statutory requirement was put into law when the Recreation Passport funding model was created in 2010 to ensure the funding source keeps pace with inflation.
DNR Parks and Recreation Chief Ron Olson said it isn’t widely known that Michigan state parks are largely self-supporting. The steady growth in Recreation Passport revenue has been a key part in helping the department tackle some high-priority areas.
Reporting for WGRT, Karly Hurley.
