Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010 - 2015
The Iosco County Recreation Plan was prepared in 2009 - 2010 by the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Commission with professional assistance from Spicer Group of Saginaw, MI.
Iosco County Iosco County Parks and Recreation Commission Board of Commissioners Recommended Adoption on ______Adopted on ______
Jeff Matthews, Chair Bob Cudney Tom Ferguson, Vice-Chair Jeff Matthews Steve Casey, Secretary John Moehring Gary Adams Robert Roulo Duane Caverly Patricia Schmidt Susan Flora Cal McLaren Richard Ranney Roberta Roulo Andrew Taber
Planning Consultant Spicer Group, Robert R. Eggers, AICP Table of Contents
Introduction...... 1
Community Description...... 3
Administrative Structure...... 5
Recreation Inventory...... 7
Community Input...... 13
Goals and Objectives ...... 20
Action Program...... 24
Summary and Adoption ...... 26
Appendix A – Huron National Forest Recreational Features in Iosco County Appendix B – SGMA 2008 Sports and Fitness Participation Report Appendix C – Public Input Documentation Appendix D – Potential Funding Sources for Parks and Recreation Projects Appendix E – Adoption Documentation
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) i Introduction
A Recreation Plan for all of Iosco County
Iosco County has developed a Recreation Plan to serve as a guideline to improve recreation facilities and develop new recreational opportunities. To that end, this document forms the basis to guide policy for implementation of improvements and new initiatives that will meet the recreational goals and interests of the Iosco County community. The development of this plan was guided by the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Commission.
Before any recreation plan is adopted and enacted, it is first important to understand what the needs of the residents are, what recreational opportunities already exist, and what sort of projects and programs are relevant for residents based on age, ability, population, density, and the availability of recreational opportunities in neighboring communities. This plan has carefully considered input and suggestions via active communication from area residents, officials, and other community stakeholders. This input is a critical component to this plan, and, together, the voices of the Iosco County Community have united to develop a recreation plan to enhance the quality of life for everyone.
The foundation for the development of the Iosco County Recreation Plan was based on the following goals:
• Involve the community in the process to develop a five-year Recreation Plan,
• Inventory and map existing Iosco County recreational facilities,
• Build common ground among Iosco County area stakeholders in addressing the future recreational needs and priorities of the Community,
• Enable the County to be eligible for financial assistance based upon the Recreation Plan,
• Facilitate interagency collaboration in establishing recreation goals, objectives, and actions,
• Consistency with and expansion upon goals and objectives set forth in existing planning documents that deal partially or wholly with recreation.
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Broadly speaking, Iosco County officials intend to use this plan to guide their work on all future recreational and parks projects within the County. Specifically, this plan is developed in accordance with the guidelines for Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Plans published by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). A five-year, MDNR-approved Recreation Plan is necessary for the governmental entities to pursue MDNR-administered grants. This Recreation Plan is written for Iosco County. It covers all aspects of recreation within the County.
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Community Description Iosco County
About Iosco County
Iosco County is located on Lake Huron in northeastern lower Michigan. The County is bordered on the north by Alcona County, on the west by Ogemaw County, on the south by Arenac County and on the east by Lake Huron. Iosco County covers an area of approximately 565 square miles. It is a sparsely populated county characterized by a variety of scenic water bodies, large tracts of public and private forest lands, and clustered areas of agricultural land. The majority of the local population resides along the Lake Huron shoreline near US-23, East Tawas, Tawas City and Oscoda. The remaining population concentrations and employment opportunities are found in the west where M-65 connects Hale and Whittemore. The County consists of eleven townships and three cities.
Iosco County has eleven townships and three cities.
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Due to an abundance of scenic natural features, the County is a popular destination for tourism and recreation. It is easily accessible form I-75 via US-23, M-65, and M-55. Iosco County is home to many seasonal residents who are drawn to the county’s attractive natural environment. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, there were 11,727 occupied housing units in the county and another 6,752 housing units classified as “seasonal, recreational or occasional use”.
According to the 2000 U.S. census, the year-round population of Iosco County is 27,339. The Census estimates for 2008 show that the County population has decreased during the decade by 5.1% to 25,932. Some important demographic statistics from the 2000 Census are shown in Figure 1, below, providing a brief snapshot of the area as compared to the State of Michigan.
Figure 1 Selected Census Data for Comparison of Iosco County and Michigan
Iosco County Michigan
Population – 2000 Census 27,339 9,938,444
Population – 2008 Estimate 25,932 10,003,422
% of Population 65 & older 21.6 12.3
% of Population under 18 22.4 26.1
Median age 44.2 35.5
% bachelor’s degree or higher 11.3 21.8
Median household income $31,321 $44,667
Per capita income $17,115 $22,168
Average household size 2.32 2.56
Median housing value $77,100 $115,600
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Administrative Structure
How Parks and Recreation Works in Iosco County
Iosco County parks and recreation functions are handled by the Iosco County Parks Commission which was formed in 1968. The Parks Commission serves as an advisory board to the Iosco County Board of Commissioners. The Commission consists of 10 people. Five are appointed at large by the County Board of Commissioners and the other five include two county commissioners, a planning commission representative, the county drain commissioner, and a county road commissioner.
Iosco County Parks and Recreation Organization Chart
Iosco County Board of Commisioners
Iosco County Parks Commission
Subcontractors
Iosco County Manager
Iosco County does not own any park facilities of its own but it does groom and maintain 95 miles of snowmobile trails that are located on federal and state forest land within the County. Trail maintenance is contracted out annually. The chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission is a vary active volunteer who does a lot of work with the trail groups and other recreation partners in the community.
Relationships with School Districts and Other Public Agencies or Private Organizations
On account of the cooperative agreement regarding the snowmobile trails, Iosco County works closely with U.S. Forest Service and the State Department of Natural Resources.
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It also works and cooperates with other trail mainenance groups such as the Michigan Cycle Conservation Club (CCC) and various snowmobile groups.
Budgets
The main sources of revenue for the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Department are from two Michigan Department of Natural Resources grants. Those include off-Road Vehicle Trail Maintenance Grants and Snowmobile Trail Improvement Grants.
Expenditures for 2008 and 2009 are shown in the chart below:
Figure 2 Iosco County Parks and Recreation Budgets
2008 2009
Operations and Maintenance $39,300 $36,900
Programming N.A. N.A.
Capital Expenditure $10,000 0
Volunteers
Local snowmobile groups volunteer annually to assist with trail maintenance and clean- up. These incluee the AuSable Valley Trail Riders and the Ale Area Trail Blazers.
Grant History
Iosco County does not own any parks, therefore it has never received a Recreation Grant for acquisition or development of parks.
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Inventory
Parks in Iosco County
In order to plan for parks and recreation in the future, one need to examine the types of facilities that currently exist in the community. While Iosco County owns no park facilities of its own, it does maintain nearly 100 miles of snowmobile trails. The County felt it was worthwhile to inventory regional recreational facilities with a particular focus on trails in order to plan for County recreational facilities in the future. The inventory was completed using available data from the County, State of Michigan, and the Huron National Forest.
Regional Recreational Facilities
Iosco County contains thousands of acres of public and private recreational lands. According to mapping completed by Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy, 151,000 of the 362,000 acres in the County are classified as conservation or recreation lands. Map 1 shows these recreational and conservation lands classified by type of owner. The three largest public land parcels are described below.
• Huron National Forest – Approximately 115,000 acres of the Huron National Forest lies within Iosco County. The vast majority of this land is in the northern half of the County surrounding the Au Sable River. Recreational features and amenities offered include camping, ATV trails, hiking, snowmobiling, boating/canoeing, fishing, cross country skiing, mountain biking, and horseback riding. Iosco County works closely with the National Forest personnel on development and maintenance of various trails.
Some of the larger/more popular recreational features in the Huron National Forest include: Eagle Run Cross-Country skiing and hiking trails, Highbanks Trail System, Largo Springs Interpretive Area, Lumberman’s Monument Visitor Center, Tuttle Marsh, and the Corsair Trails. A location map for these features is included in the appendix.
• Au Sable State Forest – Approximately 9,000 acres of the Au Sable State Forest are located in Burleigh, Sherman, and Alabaster Townships in the southern portion of the County.
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• State of Michigan Forest Reserve – The northeast portion of the County contains approximately 16,000 acres of state forest reserve. One of these parcels contains a campground and frontage on Van Ettan Lake. Several miles of ORV trails are located within this area.
• Tawas Point State Park – A 183 acre facility located on Lake Huron, Tawas State Park features camping, fishing, swimming, hiking, and the Tawas Point lighthouse.
Map 1: 151,000 of the 362,000 acres in Iosco County are classified as conservation or recreation lands.
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Snowmobile Trails
The following trails are maintained by the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Department:
• Route 6/Huron Trail – The eastern trailhead for Route 6, also known as the Huron Trail, is located in McQuaig Park in Au Sable Township. Route 6 carries snowmobilers east to west across most of the state. Approximately 36 miles of Route 6 is located in Iosco County.
Route 6 traverses through the Huron National Forest. Parking is located at the western end of the trail in Iosco County. Portable restrooms are located in three locations along the trail and one warming shed is located just west of M-65 at Abbot Road.
Nearly all of the Huron Trail is also a designated ORV trail, with the exception of the westernmost ½ mile and the easternmost ¼ mile.
• Route 649/Huron Sand Lake Spur – This 9.1 mile north-south trail runs from the Sand Lake area northward to the Huron Trail. Parking is located at the Sand Lake trailhead. The trail is a designated ORV trail as well.
• Route 645 – This trail is a 15 mile spur that heads east, then south, and then west from the 649 trail A parking lot and portable restroom is located at Monument and Kobs Road.
• Route 647 – This trail is a 6 mile spur that runs south of the Huron Trail along Channel Road.
• Route 96 – This 17 mile trail carries snowmobilers north and east across the Au Sable River along Rea Road and then heads north and westward towards Glennie. Parking and portable restrooms are located in two different locations near the east end of the trail. This trail is located in the Au Sable State Forest and the Huron National Forest. The middle portion of the trail is a designated ORV trail.
• Route 960 – This 5 mile trail carries snowmobilers from Van Etten Lake north of Oscoda to the 96 Trail. Parking and portable restrooms are located at both ends of the trail.
Portions of two other snowmobile trails located in northern Iosco County are maintained by Alcona County Parks and Recreation. These include the westward extension of the 96 trail and the 963 trail.
A map showing these snowmobile trails is shown on the following page.
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Natural Resource Inventory
Iosco County is rich in natural resources. As discussed above, the state and national forest lands cover thousands of acres in the County. There are large tracts of private woodlands as well. The waterways include the Au Sable River and Lake Huron. Scattered around and between these areas are wetlands. These woodlands, waterways, and wetlands provide habitat for unique plants and abundant wildlife. According to the Michigan Natural Features Inventory, the threatened and endangered species in Iosco County include:
Lake sturgeon Trumpeter swan Channel darter Lake cress Prairie warbler River Darter Red-shouldered Kirtland’s warbler Pine-drops hawk Common loon Lake Huron locust Piping plover River redhorse Wild rice Pitcher’s thistle Ginseng Lake Herring Eastern fox snake
A map showing the woodlands, wetlands, and waterways in Iosco County is shown on the following page.
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Van Et
Loud Dam Pond ten Lake
Au Sable River Foote Dam Pond Cooke Dam Pond Long Lake
Loon Lake
Tawas Lake Sand Lake Ü
Iosco County Natural Features
Open Water
Woodlands
Wetlands
Source: Michigan Geographic Library, National Wetlands Inventory, 1992 Iosco County Land Cover Data
Map 3: Iosco County has abundant woodlands and wetlands.
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Community Input
Listening to Iosco County residents and visitors
To comply with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources guidelines for the Development of Community Park, Recreation Open Space and Greenway Plans, the Iosco County Plan Committee offered three opportunities for public input along with a 30 day period for review and comment on the draft plan. Web site
Shortly after the planning process began, a web site (ioscocountyrecplan.wordpress.com) was developed for the recreation plan. It described the process, provided photos and interactive maps and it offered the opportunity to provide input via comments posted to the blog. The web site was located at http:/ioscocountyrecplan.wordpress.com. Further, the web site provided information about and links to the online survey and the 30 day public review. The draft plan was posted on the web site when it was completed so that it could be reviewed. The web site received over nearly 700 visits during the development of the plan.
Online survey
The second opportunity for public input was through an on-line survey. It was made available at www.ioscorecsurvey.com for approximately 6 weeks in the fall of 2009. A link to the survey was posted on the County Web site. Several community leaders sent e- mails with the survey link that was forwarded to many residents and visitors encouraging them to complete the survey and forward the link to others. A story regarding the online survey and the web site ran in the Iosco County Herald. Reminder cards for the survey were developed and distributed around town.
Important highlights from the survey are discussed below. Complete results of the on- line survey are given in the appendix.
About the Respondents
Two hundred forty-six people responded to the Iosco County on-line survey. They provided a good cross section of ages, incomes, and residency. Sixty-four percent of the
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respondents lived in Iosco County. Twenty-three percent owned a seasonal home in Iosco County and another 10% said that they had visited Iosco County.
70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Live in Iosco Seasonal Visited Iosco home in Iosco
Figure 3: What is your role in Iosco County? Respondents to the survey were Iosco County residents, seasonal home owners and visitors.
Slightly more than half, or 53%, of the respondents were between the ages of 50 and 64. Another 20% were between the ages of 40 and 49. Eighteen percent were 65 or older. And 8% were between the ages of 30 and 39.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
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0% 18 or 19 - 29 30 - 39 40 - 49 50 - 64 65 or less older
Figure 4: Age of the respondents Respondents to the survey were Iosco County residents, seasonal home owners and visitors.
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When asked their household income, 35% of the respondents were in the $50,000 - $74,999 category. Twenty-eight percent responded as having household incomes of $49,999 or less. Nineteen percent fell in the $75,000 to $99,999 category and 19% said their household income was $100,000 or more.
Participation
Question 2 asked respondents which of 15 different recreational activities they had participated in during the past year in Iosco County. More than 20% of the respondents had participated in all of the activities indicating that all respondents were active and interested in recreational activities. The most popular recreational activities among the respondents were boating, festivals and special events, fall color tours, and hiking or biking on trails. The least popular activities were camping, snowmobiling on a trail, and riding an off-road vehicle (ORV) on a trail. For complete results of Question 2, see the chart below.
FIGURE 5 - RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY PARTICIPATION
Response Activity Percentage Boating 74.8%
Fall color tours 65.3%
Festivals and special events 64.5%
Used a hiking or biking trail 60.7%
Fished on Lake Huron or an Iosco County Inland Lake 51.2%
Picnicked at a park or some other public land 50.8%
Canoed or kayaked on an Iosco County river 49.6%
Other park uses (sporting events, playgrounds, swimming, etc.) 43.8%
Fished on an Iosco County River 43.0%
Hunting 33.5%
Birding 31.8%
Cross-country skiing/snowshoeing 29.8%
Rode on ORV on a trail 27.3%
Rode a snowmobile on a trail 26.4%
Camping at a public park 21.5%
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Quality of Existing Features
Question 3 asked respondents to evaluate the quality of 13 different general recreational features/activities in Iosco County. Respondents could rate the quality as very good, good, OK/average, poor, very poor, or don’t know. When considering all those who had an opinion, excluding those who answered “don’t know”, the existing facilities and activities scored very well. Eight of the 13 items had at least 80% of the respondents with an opinion answering “Very Good” or “Good”. Even the lowest ranked item, inland lake and river swimming access, had 64% of respondents with an opinion ranking it as “Very Good” or “Good”. This shows that, in general, recreational users in Iosco County are pleased with the facilities and activities available.
The items that most often had the response “don’t know” were the activities/features that typically appeal to a smaller population of recreational users. Those were ORV trails, snowmobile trails, cross country skiing/snowshoeing, birding, and hunting.
Canoe/kayak launches
Lake Huron swimming access
Public campgrounds
Snowmobile trails
Cross country skiing/snowshoeing
Fall color tours
Picnicking/outdoor gathering spots
Birding
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Figure 6: Quality of existing recreational features The percentage of respondents who ranked the activities/features shown above as “Good” or “Very Good” in terms of quality. Note: Those who had no opinion (e.g. “don’t know” were excluded when determining the percentages shown above.)
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Awareness
Question 4 asked respondents to rate their awareness of various recreational features in Iosco County. Respondents were asked to rate their awareness of eight different types of recreational facilities in the County. Respondents could select from four choices: Yes, I know many of them; Yes, I know some of them; Maybe; or No, not really sure.
Respondents to the survey were generally quite aware of the various recreational facilities in Iosco County.
In general, respondents were quite aware of most of these facilities. Respondents were most aware of Lake Huron public beaches, with more than 90% knowing at least some of them. Nearly 86% of the respondents knew some or many of the public access points on the Au Sable River in Iosco County and 83% of the respondents knew many or some of the public campgrounds in Iosco County. Even the feature that respondents were least aware of, groomed cross-country skiing/snowshoeing trails, had 67% of respondents indicating they knew at least some of the trails.
Additional Features Needed
Question 5 asked respondents to indicate which of 13 different potential recreational features or amenities were needed in Iosco County. They also could write in other responses. The most popular response was restrooms along existing trails, checked by nearly 60% of respondents. Other popular responses were more hiking/biking paths (43.9%), and winter activities (39.3%). All of the responses are shown in Figure 7.
Fifty-seven respondents offered a wide variety of other suggestions. Many just expanded upon something already in the list, such as specific locations for more hiking/biking paths. Some of the other suggestions included: Allowing snowmobiles and ATVs to get into town. Better signage, marketing, maps, communication pieces about recreation facilities Water trail system Kayak launch Dog park Indoor recreational facility/activities
Accessibility
Question 6 asked what kind of improvements were needed in Iosco County recreational facilities that would make them more user friendly. The most popular response was accessible restrooms. The second most popular response was accessible river access.
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Figure 7 NEW OR ADDITIONAL RECREATIONAL FEATURES/AMENITIES NEEDED Response Feature Percentage Restrooms along existing trails 58.9%
More hiking/biking paths 43.9%
Winter activities 39.3%
Warming cabins along existing trails 32.7%
Shore fishing 29.9%
More public access beaches along Lake Huron 29.9%
More trail access points/parking 28.5% More inland lake and river beaches and 22.9% swimming points Canoe/Kayak launches 22.4%
More snowmobile trails 21.0%
More ORV trails 20.1%
More boat launches 18.7%
More campgrounds 13.6%
River/Water Access
Question 7 asked respondents about their feelings regarding river/water access in Iosco County. The vast majority of respondents (more than 85%) agreed or strongly agreed that being able to access rivers and other water bodies in Iosco County had a positive effect on the quality of their lives. When asked if access to river and other water bodies in Iosco County needed to be improved, 47% of respondents strongly agreed or agreed. Another 38% were neutral and 14.6% disagreed or strongly disagreed.
85% of the survey respondents agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “Being able to access rivers and other water bodies in Iosco County has a positive effect on the quality of my life.”
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Open Ended Responses A sample of responses to Questions 8 and 9 asked what they liked best about “What do you like best about parks and recreation in Iosco County and what they parks and recreation in Iosco County?” would do to improve parks and recreation in Iosco County. One hundred twenty-four respondents • Clean water, acres of offered opinions about what they liked best about national forest, diversity of parks and recreation in Iosco County and 133 offered activities in close proximity a suggestion for improvement. • Free, beautiful, quiet • Not crowded
• Wilderness aspect. No Respondents frequently responded that they liked the commercialization. I can take cleanliness of the parks, the fact that they were not my dogs on the trails. crowded, the wide diversity, natural beauty, and the • The variety of things to do, well maintained trails. Frequent responses when something for all ages. asked about what to improve were cleaner beaches, better information (signage, maps, etc.), access into town for ATV/snowmobiles, and more trails.
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Goals
Providing recreation opportunities for Iosco County
Developing goals and objectives is an important part of the recreation planning process. The main goal of the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Department is to provide recreation opportunities for the region it serves. More specific goals must be based on public input, the demographic characteristics of the population served, and the physical and environmental characteristics of the County.
Goals are the broadest level. They are overreaching and general. Objectives carry out the purpose of the goal. An action program is the last level and the most specific because it identifies specific projects. The action plan can also include organizational, staffing, programming, public information, and operation and maintenance actions. Iosco County formulated the following goals and objectives based upon input received through its various methods of community input, comparisons to recommended recreation standards, analysis of accessibility, trends, existing natural resources, and the characteristics of the population.
Goal 1
Promote and provide diverse recreational opportunities to satisfy all age groups and levels of ability.
Iosco County has a wealth of natural resources and a wide variety of outdoor activities to offer residents and visitors. However, based on the community input and comparison to standards, there are still unmet recreational needs in the County. Further, not all residents and visitors are aware of the existing parks and recreational facilities. The County wishes to develop appropriate recreational activities to meet the needs of residents and to create opportunities to draw in tourists and visitors.
Lastly, the County wishes to meet the needs of all people who wish to use recreational facilities, including those who are disabled. One reason that this is becoming more important is that the median age in Iosco County is much higher than that of Michigan. Senior citizens wish to stay active but their mobility may be reduced because disabilities tend to increase with age.
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Objective: Improve general access and signage to all recreational sites, including little known areas such as launch points on lakes and rivers for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing.
Objective: Identify and encourage accessibility improvements at recreational areas by incorporating Universal Design in all new facilities and upgrades, as appropriate.
Goal 2
Promote and create community awareness of Iosco County as an all-seasons sportsman and recreation destination.
Iosco County offers many different kinds of recreation from many different public entities. Currently, information about some of those facilities is available (DNR website, Forest Service, Chambers of Commerce, County web site, etc.) but there is no single comprehensive central location for all of it. Input from the community indicated that there is a need for general information in one place about all that is available in terms of recreation within the County. As a tourism draw, the public needs to be informed of recreational activities that are available across the differing seasons.
Objective: Develop informational brochures and other communication pieces to inform residents and visitors of available public recreational opportunities in the County. Partner with other County organizations where feasible.
Objective: Develop a web site that shares information about all of the public recreation within the County.
Goal 3
Offer a variety of outdoor winter recreational opportunities in Iosco County.
Iosco County has earned a reputation as a snowmobile and cross-country skiing destination. Community input indicated that those activities are well-received but there is a need for additional winter recreational activities. Further, the existing snowmobile trails could be expanded and enhanced.
Objective: Continue to work cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service to provide groomed snowmobile trails.
Objective: Improve access points and amenities on the existing trails.
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Objective: Explore options for adding new winter recreational opportunities or expanding/improving existing facilities.
Goal 4
Acquire lands for public use that will fill a specific recreational need in the Iosco County.
Iosco County has not owned any recreational property in the past. In order to offer the type of recreational facilities that residents and tourists are looking for, the County Parks Commission and other community leaders feel that the County needs to acquire specific properties that will complement and enhance existing recreational facilities in the community.
Objective: Work with Oscoda Township to acquire McCaig Park.
Objective: Identify possible land for acquisition at Loud Dam and Five Channel Dam areas.
Goal 5
Provide a variety of multi-use trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding that can be incorporated into a pathway system.
The development and use of recreational multi-use paths are growing across the United States. Hiking is already a very popular pastime in Iosco County. There is a need in Iosco County to coordinate the efforts of path developers and stakeholders so that path planning can take place on a county wide and regional basis. Some of this is already occurring in Iosco County with the Heritage Route committee. The Heritage Route group is focusing on a trail that runs near US-23 near the shoreline. This route extends north and south of Iosco County as well. However, beyond the Heritage Route there is a need to develop and connect pathways that reach to other areas within the County.
Objective: Explore options for creating a bicycle loop around Iosco County.
Objective: Upgrade and add amenities to existing trails to make them more user-friendly.
Objective: Form a county-based committee to address non-motorized transportation issues that are specific to the broader population of Iosco County.
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Goal 6
Continue to preserve, protect, and enhance the variety of water and natural forest resources in Iosco County and the recreational opportunities that they provide.
The Au Sable River, numerous inland lakes, and Lake Huron are huge recreational assets within Iosco County. Many survey respondents indicated their appreciation of these natural features and their desire to see them identified, maintained, and protected. Further, there may be a need for additional water access points in specific areas that are currently underserved.
Objective: Add shore fishing access within Iosco County.
Objective: Develop an inventory of the types of water access within the County in order to identify the type and location of additional access that may be needed.
Objective: Improve signage and identification for existing water access points.
Objective: Offer support for efforts to improve Lake Huron beach water quality.
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 23
Action Items Potential projects for the next five years
With goals and objectives in place, Iosco County was able to develop a 5-year action program to work toward accomplishing the goals and objectives. The Action Program details the direction the community wishes to take over the next five years in order to maintain and improve the quality and diversity of area park and recreation opportunities.
Projects were assigned a priority of 1 through 5 with 1 being most important and 5 being least important. Each action item relates to one or more of the numbered goals from Section V. Potential capital improvements described in this Plan have been established not only to provide a framework for decision makers but also to enable the County to apply for grant funding for these proposed projects.
The project list in not a fixed element and is neither all inclusive or exclusive. The schedule reflects the results of the input received from the on-line survey, City staff, commission members, and the community open house. Future circumstances, especially availability of funding, may change priorities or require reprioritization of items.
The action plan is shown in the table on the following pages.
Funding Potential Improvements
Funding for parks and recreation capital improvements can come from a myriad of local, state, and federal programs. Grant funding is available for parks and recreation projects. However, applicants need to target potential funding agencies and programs very carefully so as to meet the specific criteria required. Appendix D contains a current listing of programs and agencies that can provide funding for parks and recreation projects.
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 24
IOSCO COUNTY RECEATION PLAN ACTION ITEMS 2010 – 2015
Project Priority Relates to Goal #
Provide access to amenities and towns via new trail extensions 1 1, 3, 5
Add restrooms along the trail 1 1, 3 Add trail head camping facilities 2 1
Add cabins/warming huts along the trails 2 1, 3
Add an ATV scramble area 2 1, 3
Add hiking and biking trails to create a river loop. 1 1, 5
Implement a marketing plan for County recreational facilities, including 1, 2 brochures, maps, and a web site. 1
Develop a canoe access point at Van Ettan Creek Park 3 1, 4, 6
Acquire Consumers Energy land at 5 Channel Loud Dam Site 5 4, 6
Acquire land from Sawyer Canoe to Mama’s Kitchen – AuSable River 4 4, 5, 6
Acquire McQuaig Park from Oscoda Township 3 4, 6
Acquire US Gypsum Properties 5 4, 6
Acquire County Line School Property in Oscoda 2 4, 6
Acquire the old AuSable River Golf Course Property 4 4,6
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 25
Summary & Adoption A plan supported by the entire community
In its continuing effort to provide quality recreational opportunities for its citizens, Iosco County has developed a Parks and Recreation Master Plan as a tool to guide the development of community park and recreational facilities and locations over the next five years. This plan is the latest effort by the local governmental officials in Iosco County to establish recreational goals and objectives for the community. The plan will also provide the County with eligibility for grants from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) to assist the community in reaching its recreational goals.
Iosco County contracted with Spicer Group of Saginaw, Michigan, to assist them with completion of the Parks and Recreation Master Plan. The consultant worked with the Iosco County staff and the Parks and Recreation Commission through the course of the plan.
Data was collected about the County including maps, demographics, park information and an inventory of existing facilities. This data was collected from a number of resources such as: county staff, other relevant planning documents, various web sites (census, County, National Forest Service, etc.) and through field observations.
Community input was collected via an on-line survey conducted in the fall of 2009. Based upon the existing information and the community input, Iosco County developed goals and objectives for parks and recreation. Then, action plan items were written that would work toward accomplishing the goals and objectives.
The consultant completed the draft Parks and Recreation Master Plan document and it was made available for review at ______for at least 30 days beginning on ______, 2010. This reviewing opportunity was advertised in the ______. The final opportunity for community input occurred at the advertised public meeting held prior to adoption of the plan. This meeting was held on ______, 2010 at __:00 p.m. at ______.
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 26
After the public meeting, the Iosco County Parks and Recreation Commission passed a resolution recommending that the County formally adopt the plan. On ______, the Iosco County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution adopting the recreation plan. Copies of the advertisements and resolutions are included in the Appendix.
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 27
Appendix A – Huron National Forest Recreational Features located in Iosco County
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 28
to Harrisville South Branch to Glennie Key to Map Symbols: Trail Camp 65 Bissonette Rd F41 Campground Rollway Rd Van Etten Lk Picnicground Five Channels Dam Pond Watercraft Access Loud Bissonette Rd Dam 23 Rollways Cooke Dam Travel Information Pond Pond 1 Pine Acres Ranger Station Access 6 Foote Dam Pond Off Road Vehicle Parking Slosser Rd 2 Old Orchard Rd Park R. Fee Area 3 Rea Sable 4 Monument Au 8 Scenic Byway Route d Wells Rd 7 Kokosing to Rifle River Allen Rd 5 Foote Major State Highways Iargo R Oscoda Oscoda State Park Site Schools All Weather Gravel Roads Loud Cr Shellenbarger Rd Village Other Paved Roads Schellenbarger Cornett Au Sable 1 Westgate Welcome Center 65 Old US 23 Welcome Lk Webb Rd 2 Iargo Springs Interpretive Site Silver Rd 3 Canoers Memorial Pond Rd Esmond Vaugn 10 Rd 4 Lumbermans Monument Esmond Rd 10 Cr 5 Hale 10 Brooks 9 Kiwanis' Monument Vaugn Rd Curtis
6 Foote Pond Overlook Tuttle Indian 7 Whirlpool Angler Access Lk Monument Road
8 Eastgate Welcome Center Round Camel Rd Sherman Rd and Eagle Run Trails Lake Island Galion Rd 9 Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area Lk Plank Rd Au Sable 1010 Corsair Trails Sand
Sand Lk Rd. Point Lake lber Tawas Sand Lake Wi Lake
Sand Lk Ro
to US-23 23 and Standish LAKE Location ad of detail map at 55 right to West Branch East Tawas Grand HURON Rapids Lansing Tawas City Tawas Point Detroit State Park To River Road Corsair Trail System 3.0 mi. Gordon Creek
M 27 o 1.5 mi. n u m 1.0 mi. M e n i M 26 c t h R
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r r Cre e i. Silve Pond Road m i. .0 m 1 28 .0 28.1 1 Hiking a n m i. d i. R .7 m id in 29 g .3 . m mi 22 i. 1.3 . 3 25 T i. ra m m il i. .2 .6 m i . Silver mi .7 . i. 4 Valley 24 m ve .5 i. 23 ri D 3 .2 m rd i. mi .3 EASIEST fo m . Wright’s
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le B 5 m i. R 18 . 8 i o .5 . a .8 mi. .2 i. d m m 2.0 m i. i. 16 k e e 11 .4 mi. r 17 . i Lost C r m e Lake lv i 6 S . MOST DIFFICULT
Curtis Road To Tawas r ive e R Sabl Au Whirlpool Boat Access
Loop B 2.5 Miles
Loop C 2.5 Miles
Loop A Eastgate Trailhead 2 Miles
Private Land River Road Scenic Byway To Oscoda
41 2 Miles Oscoda Sault Ste. Marie High School41 Munising 41 2 75 41 Ironwood 41 2
Eagle Run Trails 2 St. Ignace Manistique Escanaba
23 41 Cross-Country Map LEGEND 131 75
Grayling Area Traverse Mio Boat Ramp City 65 23 115 33 Oscoda Skiing and Hiking 31 55 Manistee 55 East Tawas Restrooms 55 Cadillac 37 27 Fishing Access 10 115 Baldwin 131 10 Picnic Table Huron National Forest 31 White 46 Cloud Barrier-free 37 75 GRAND 69 96 RAPIDS 27 69 Parking 31 96 Designed for the beginning skier. Longer LANSING 23 96 Foot Bridge 131 69 loops provide a moderate skier challenge. 196 94 31 DETROIT 75 94
69 23 Highbanks Trail System
Huron-Manistee National Forests Cooke Pond Dam Foote Iosco County, Michigan
65
Five Channels Dam
Pond Sid Pine Acres Town River Access Vista Hale 11 Miles Dam AD i. Cooke m
2.8 AM RO COOKE POND Iargo SEMI-PRIMITIVE Springs NON-MOTORIZED rline AREA COOKE D Oscoda 12 Miles 1.75 mi. Powe Canoers RIVER ROAD Memorial 1.75 mi Trail SCEN IC BYWAY & Hiking Monument back Riding Campground Horse Lumbermans re D Monument ho
R Visitor Center East Tawas T 12 Miles
Shore-to-S
MEN MONU Need more information? Huron Shores Ranger District Legend Distances 5761 North Skeel Ave. Trail Iargo Springs Interpretive Site 11.75.75 mmilesiles Oscoda, MI 48750 to Canoer’s Memorial. 989-739-0728 National Forest Visitor Center On the web at: Boat Launch Canoer’s Memorial to 11.75.75 mmilesiles www.fed.fs.us/r9/hmnf Lumberman’s Monument. Campground The USDA Forest Service is an equal Parking Lumberman’s Monument to 2.802.80 mmilesiles opportunity service provider. Sawmill Point Parking. Scenic Overlook Huron Shores Ranger Station 5761 North Skeel Road Oscoda MI 48750 Iargo Springs Voice (989) 739-0728 TTY (989) 739-0806
Iargo Springs Interpretive Site provides a spectacular panoramic view of the Au Sable River. Glennie It lies next to River Road and has been used as a Au 65 Sable drinking water source since presettlement times. Bissonette South Rd Dams were constructed on the springs by early Branch River loggers, before the turn of the century. The dams Rd Oscoda Iargo River were useful on diverting water to the logging camps Springs Monument nearby. Most of the waters of Cooke Pond were Hale dry land then. Europeans have visited the springs Road for recreation since the 1920’s. A trail was 65 23 constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 55 1934. Early photographs show the dam being 55 East Tawas Tawas repaired and reinforced by the CCC’s. This work Whittemore lasted until a storm took out the dams in 1981.
Iargo Springs Interpretive Site was renovated in FACILITIES AVAILABLE 1991. The “One Step At A Time” campaign raised funds to rebuild the stairway. Additional grant Paved Parking Area & Sidewalks moneys and Forest Service funds were used to 2 Toilet Buildings landscape the area and construct the boardwalks Observation Deck and dams. Benches & Interpretive Signs Highbanks Trailhead LOCATION 300 Step Stairway to Spring Area 1000 Ft. Boardwalk through Springs Iargo Springs is located in Iosco County, 4 Observation Decks at River Michigan. The nearest communities are Tawas to the southeast, Oscoda to the east and Hale to the FEES west. There is no charge, donations are accepted at ACCESS the site to help with maintenance costs.
From East Tawas, follow Wilbur Road north to CONSIDERATIONS Monument Road for 11 miles to River Road. Turn left on River Road, travel about three miles to the Care should be taken to keep the area clean and entrance on the right. in the condition it was found, so visitors are asked From Oscoda, travel 18 miles west along River to please pack out what they pack in. Road to the entrance. The spring area and sand banks are very From Hale, travel 11 miles north and east along fragile. Visitors should stay on the boardwalks and M-65, turn right on River Road for 1 mile to the stairway to help prevent erosion and damage to entrance. delicate plants. Drinking from the springs is not recommended. SEASON Because it causes erosion, swimming in the pools behind the dams is not allowed. This area is open year round, however the parking lot and sidewalks are not cleared during the “USDA Forest Service is an equal opportunity snow season. For the latest information regarding provider and employer.” This information is condition of facility, contact the Huron Shores available in large print upon request. ranger Station at 989-739-0728. 04/16/04
Appendix B – SGMA 2008 Sports and Fitness Participation Report
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 29
“US Sports Participation Study” 2008 Edition ‐ ‐ Methodology
During late January 2008/early February a total of 40,794 online interviews were carried out with a nationwide sample of individuals and households from the US Online Panel operated by Synovate. A total of 15,013 individual and 25,781 household surveys were completed. The total panel has over 1 million members and is maintained to be representative of the US population. Over sampling of ethnic groups took place to boost response from typically under responding groups.
A weighting technique was used to balance the data to reflect the total US population aged 6 and above. The following variables were used: gender, age, income, household size, region and population density. The total population figure used was 276,796,000 people aged 6 and above.
We have focused on CORE participants who are typically the main purchasers of equipment, services and user fees. We’ve also shown the numbers in the two frequency groups that make up the CORE participants: Regular and Frequent. So Regular + Frequent = CORE. The actual definition of CORE in terms of the number of play occasions varies by sport so there is a “definition column”. Using Running/Jogging as an example:
RUNNING/JOGGING 2007 Participants PARTICIPANTS (000s) Definition "Casual" participants 16,824 1~49 times "Regular" Participants 8,237 50~99 times "Frequent" Participants 16,003 100 times or more
"Core" Participants 24,240 50 times or more
Total Participants 41,064 Playing once or more
2007 Core Participants - Trend Total Participants Trend Core ParticipantsCore Participants include: Casual Participants 1 year Core Frequent Regular Casual change (2006- 1 year change 7 year change Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition 2007 2006 2007) 2007 2006 2000 (2006 - 2007) (2000-2007) AEROBIC ACTIVITIES
Aerobics (High impact) 6,283 50+ 4,127 100+ 2,156 50~99 5,004 1~49 6,283 6,451 -2.6% 11,287 10,934 11,790 3.2% -4.3% Aerobics (Low impact) 13,056 50+ 8,533 100+ 4,523 50~99 9,341 1~49 13,056 12,506 4.4% 22,397 21,952 21,384 2.0% 4.7% Aerobics (Step) 4,074 50+ 2,427 100+ 1,647 50~99 4,454 1~49 4,074 3,979 2.4% 8,528 8,676 10,867 -1.7% -21.5% Aquatic Exercise 3,764 50+ 1,975 100+ 1,789 50~99 5,993 1~49 3,764 3,444 9.3% 9,757 9,528 9,303 2.4% 4.9% Cardio Kickboxing 1,825 50+ 920 100+ 905 50~99 2,987 1~49 1,825 1,933 -5.6% 4,812 4,952 8,765 -2.8% -45.1% Cross-Country Ski Machine 1,839 50+ 1,151 100+ 688 50~99 1,857 1~49 1,839 2,051 -10.3% 3,696 4,168 6,541 -11.3% -43.5% Elliptical Motion Trainer 12,614 50+ 7,646 100+ 4,968 50~99 10,972 1~49 12,614 13,194 -4.4% 23,586 24,548 7,371 -3.9% 220.0% Other Exercise to Music 12,633 50+ 8,073 100+ 4,560 50~99 9,661 1~49 12,633 12,907 -2.1% 22,294 21,749 16,065 2.5% 38.8% Running/Jogging 24,240 50+ 16,003 100+ 8,237 50~99 16,824 1~49 24,240 23,086 5.0% 41,064 38,559 31,398 6.5% 30.8% Stair Climbing Machine 6,414 50+ 3,763 100+ 2,651 50~99 7,107 1~49 6,414 7,076 -9.4% 13,521 14,978 15,282 -9.7% -11.5% Stationary Cycling (Recumbent) 5,557 50+ 3,226 100+ 2,331 50~99 5,261 1~49 5,557 5,690 -2.3% 10,818 11,694 8,810 -7.5% 22.8% Stationary Cycling (Spinning) 2,943 50+ 1,722 100+ 1,221 50~99 3,371 1~49 2,943 2,949 -0.2% 6,314 6,610 4,709 -4.5% 34.1% Stationary Cycling (Upright) 12,950 50+ 7,740 100+ 5,210 50~99 11,581 1~49 12,950 14,091 -8.1% 24,531 26,954 27,159 -9.0% -9.7% Swimming (Fitness/Competition) 7,237 50+ 3,291 100+ 3,946 50~99 11,131 1~49 7,237 7,122 1.6% 18,368 18,220 16,144 0.8% 13.8% Treadmill 29,182 50+ 18,454 100+ 10,728 50~99 20,891 1~49 29,182 29,900 -2.4% 50,073 52,161 37,287 -4.0% 34.3% Walking for Fitness 76,837 50+ 56,792 100+ 20,045 50~99 31,903 1~49 76,837 70,885 8.4% 108,740 101,229 90,982 7.4% 19.5%
CONDITIONING ACTIVITIES Abdominal Machine/Device 12,801 50+ 8,482 100+ 4,319 50~99 7,625 1~49 12,801 15,008 -14.7% 20,426 23,656 21,354 -13.7% -4.3% Calisthenics 5,059 50+ 3,687 100+ 1,372 50~99 2,503 1~49 5,059 5,062 -0.1% 7,562 7,120 7,758 6.2% -2.5% Pilates Training 4,107 50+ 2,187 100+ 1,920 50~99 5,085 1~49 4,107 4,809 -14.6% 9,192 10,925 1,556 -15.9% 490.9% Rowing Machine 4,331 50+ 2,722 100+ 1,609 50~99 4,451 1~49 4,331 4,773 -9.3% 8,782 9,500 9,407 -7.6% -6.6% Stretching 28,318 50+ 22,412 100+ 5,906 50~99 7,863 1~49 28,318 25,424 11.4% 36,181 32,858 24,613 10.1% 47.0% Yoga/Tai Chi 6,443 50+ 3,916 100+ 2,527 50~99 7,629 1~49 6,443 6,487 -0.7% 14,072 14,737 6,248 -4.5% 125.2%
STRENGTH ACTIVITIES Free Weights (Barbells) 17,318 50+ 12,368 100+ 4,950 50~99 8,181 1~49 17,318 19,613 -11.7% 25,499 28,887 24,800 -11.7% 2.8% Free Weights (Dumbells) 21,574 50+ 14,980 100+ 6,594 50~99 10,797 1~49 21,574 23,694 -8.9% 32,371 35,462 27,470 -8.7% 17.8% Free Weights (Hand Weights) 28,186 50+ 19,367 100+ 8,819 50~99 15,635 1~49 28,186 30,686 -8.1% 43,821 46,627 33,784 -6.0% 29.7% Home Gym Exercise 16,246 50+ 10,933 100+ 5,313 50~99 9,577 1~49 16,246 16,443 -1.2% 25,823 26,687 20,626 -3.2% 25.2% Weight/Resistance Machines 24,735 50+ 16,723 100+ 8,012 50~99 14,555 1~49 24,735 27,869 -11.2% 39,290 43,651 32,144 -10.0% 22.2%
INDIVIDUAL SPORTS Adventure Racing 441 2+ 226 10+ 215 2~9 257 1 441 372 18.5% 698 725 -3.7% Archery 1,111 25+ 424 52+ 687 25~51 4,839 1~24 1,111 1,684 -34.0% 5,950 7,215 6,285 -17.5% -5.3% Billiards/Pool 20,294 13+ 13,470 25+ 6,824 13~24 30,795 1~12 20,294 20,337 -0.2% 51,089 47,953 46,336 6.5% 10.3% Bowling 15,422 13+ 10,197 25+ 5,225 13~24 44,762 1~12 15,422 14,357 7.4% 60,184 54,421 51,938 10.6% 15.9% Boxing 1,110 13+ 838 25+ 272 13~24 1,169 1~12 1,110 1,115 -0.5% 2,279 2,040 4,084 11.7% -44.2% Darts 8,603 13+ 5,652 25+ 2,951 13~24 16,106 1~12 8,603 8,758 -1.8% 24,709 22,974 7.6% Horseback Riding 3,768 13+ 2,739 25+ 1,029 13~24 8,330 1~12 3,768 3,846 -2.0% 12,098 11,384 6.3% Ice Skating 1,916 13+ 1,146 25+ 770 13~24 9,514 1~12 1,916 1,748 9.6% 11,430 9,653 11,835 18.4% -3.4% Martial Arts 5,499 13+ 4,808 25+ 691 13~24 1,366 1~12 5,499 4,626 18.9% 6,865 5,998 6,161 14.5% 11.4% Roller Skating (2x2 wheels) 1,917 13+ 1,242 25+ 675 13~24 7,004 1~12 1,917 1,566 22.4% 8,921 7,553 7,746 18.1% 15.2% Roller Skating (Inline wheels) 4,720 13+ 3,355 25+ 1,365 13~24 6,094 1~12 4,720 6,071 -22.3% 10,814 12,314 21,912 -12.2% -50.6% Scooter Riding (Non-motorized) 4,460 13+ 3,375 25+ 1,085 13~24 2,322 1~12 4,460 5,493 -18.8% 6,782 7,653 9,968 -11.4% -32.0% Skateboarding 3,840 25+ 2,349 52+ 1,491 25~51 4,589 1~24 3,840 5,671 -32.3% 8,429 10,130 9,859 -16.8% -14.5% Trail Running 1,273 25+ 730 52+ 543 25~51 2,943 1~24 1,273 1,511 -15.8% 4,216 4,558 4,167 -7.5% 1.2%
Triathlon (Non-Traditional/Off Road) 279 2+ 111 10+ 168 2~9 103 1 279 188 48.5% 382 281 35.9% Triathlon (Traditional/Road) 467 2+ 149 10+ 318 2~9 252 1 467 362 28.9% 719 640 12.3%
RACQUET SPORTS Badminton 2,272 13+ 1,362 25+ 910 13~24 4,785 1~12 2,272 2,109 7.7% 7,057 5,981 8,769 18.0% -19.5% Racquetball 1,937 13+ 1,393 25+ 544 13~24 2,292 1~12 1,937 1,864 3.9% 4,229 3,559 4,475 18.8% -5.5% Squash 289 8+ 223 15+ 66 8~14 323 1~7 289 207 39.5% 612 503 21.6% Table Tennis 5,091 13+ 3,298 25+ 1,792 13~24 10,864 1~12 5,091 4,316 17.9% 15,955 15,091 12,712 5.7% 25.5% Tennis 7,925 11+ 5,090 21+ 2,835 11~20 9,015 1~12 7,925 6,761 17.2% 16,940 14,563 12,974 16.3% 30.6% 2007 Core Participants - Trend Total Participants Trend Core ParticipantsCore Participants include: Casual Participants 1 year Core Frequent Regular Casual change (2006- 1 year change 7 year change Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition 2007 2006 2007) 2007 2006 2000 (2006 - 2007) (2000-2007) TEAM SPORTS Baseball 11,565 13+ 8,785 25+ 2,780 13~24 4,493 1~12 11,565 10,730 7.8% 16,058 14,586 15,848 10.1% 1.3% Basketball 18,005 13+ 13,726 25+ 4,279 13~24 7,956 1~12 18,005 17,963 0.2% 25,961 23,680 26,215 9.6% -1.0% Cheerleading 2,134 25+ 1,486 52+ 649 25~51 1,145 1~24 2,134 1,868 14.3% 3,279 2,931 2,634 11.9% 24.5% Field Hockey 577 8+ 515 15+ 62 8~14 550 1~7 577 375 53.8% 1,127 774 45.6% Football (Tackle) 4,239 25+ 2,661 52+ 1,578 25~51 3,700 1~24 4,239 4,780 -11.3% 7,939 8,404 8,229 -5.5% -3.5% Football (Touch) 6,445 13+ 4,153 25+ 2,292 13~24 6,543 1~12 6,445 6,886 -6.4% 12,988 12,344 12,047 5.2% 7.8% Gymnastics 1,804 50+ 982 100+ 822 50~99 2,262 1~49 1,804 1,537 17.4% 4,066 3,630 4,876 12.0% -16.6% Ice Hockey 1,282 13+ 1,028 25+ 254 13~24 558 1~12 1,282 1,124 14.1% 1,840 1,717 2,432 7.2% -24.3% Lacrosse 709 13+ 582 25+ 127 13~24 349 1~12 709 325 118.0% 1,058 871 518 21.5% 104.2% Paintball 2,281 8+ 1,546 15+ 735 8~14 3,195 1~7 2,281 2,230 2.3% 5,476 4,547 3,615 20.4% 51.5% Roller Hockey 803 13+ 598 25+ 205 13~24 1,044 1~12 803 594 35.2% 1,847 1,383 3,888 33.6% -52.5% Rugby 316 8+ 245 15+ 71 8~14 301 1~7 316 368 -14.1% 617 514 20.0% Soccer (Indoor) 2,371 13+ 1,566 25+ 805 13~24 1,866 1~12 2,371 2,603 -8.9% 4,237 4,701 -9.9% Soccer (Outdoor) 6,366 25+ 2,830 52+ 3,536 25~51 7,342 1~24 6,366 7,381 -13.8% 13,708 13,598 0.8% Softball (Fast Pitch) 1,332 25+ 763 52+ 569 25~51 1,013 1~24 1,332 1,010 31.9% 2,345 1,759 2,693 33.3% -12.9% Softball (Slow-Pitch) 6,070 13+ 3,949 25+ 2,121 13~24 3,415 1~12 6,070 6,681 -9.1% 9,485 9,518 13,577 -0.3% -30.1% Track and Field 2,714 25+ 1,562 52+ 1,152 25~51 1,977 1~24 2,714 2,562 5.9% 4,691 4,031 16.4% Ultimate Frisbee 1,318 13+ 848 25+ 470 13~24 2,720 1~12 1,318 1,032 27.7% 4,038 3,698 9.2% Volleyball (Beach) 1,330 13+ 752 25+ 578 13~24 2,549 1~12 1,330 985 35.0% 3,878 3,315 5,248 17.0% -26.1% Volleyball (Court) 4,056 13+ 2,874 25+ 1,182 13~24 2,930 1~12 4,056 3,964 2.3% 6,986 6,132 13.9% Volleyball (Grass) 1,658 13+ 889 25+ 769 13~24 3,282 1~12 1,658 1,313 26.3% 4,940 4,372 13.0% Wrestling 1,458 25+ 907 52+ 551 25~51 1,855 1~24 1,458 1,558 -6.4% 3,313 2,914 3,743 13.7% -11.5% 2007 Core Participants - Trend Total Participants Trend Core ParticipantsCore Participants include: Casual Participants 1 year Core Frequent Regular Casual change (2006- 1 year change 7 year change Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition Participants Definition 2007 2006 2007) 2007 2006 2000 (2006 - 2007) (2000-2007) OUTDOOR SPORTS Backpacking Overnight - More Than 1/4 Mile From Vehicle/Home 6,637 7,067 -6.1% Bicycling - BMX 1,137 13+ 968 25+ 169 13~24 750 1~12 1,137 1,150 -1.1% 1,887 1,655 3,213 14.0% -41.3% Bicycling (Mountain/Non-Paved Surface) 3,841 13+ 2,838 25+ 1,003 13~24 3,051 1~12 3,841 3,850 -0.2% 6,892 6,751 2.1% Bicycling (Road/paved surface) 21,151 25+ 12,482 52+ 8,669 25~51 17,789 1~24 21,151 22,061 -4.1% 38,940 38,457 1.3% Birdwatching More Than 1/4 Mile From Home/Vehicle 11,783 11,070 6.4% Camping (Recreational vehicle) 8,226 8+ 5,194 15+ 3,032 8~14 7,942 1~7 8,226 - 16,168 16,946 17,893 -4.6% -9.6% Camping Within 1/4 Mile of Vehicle/Home 31,375 35,618 -11.9% Climbing (Sport/Indoor/Boulder) 4,514 4,728 -4.5% Climbing (Traditional/Ice/Mountaineering) 2,062 1,586 30.0% Fishing (Fly) 2,833 8+ 1,858 15+ 975 8~14 2,923 1~7 2,833 3,235 -12.4% 5,756 6,071 6,717 -5.2% -14.3% Fishing (Freshwater-Other) 23,714 8+ 15,452 15+ 8,262 8~14 20,145 1~7 23,714 23,990 -1.2% 43,859 43,100 43,696 1.8% 0.4% Fishing (Saltwater) 5,977 8+ 3,808 15+ 2,169 8~14 8,460 1~7 5,977 5,209 14.7% 14,437 12,466 14,739 15.8% -2.1% Hiking (Day) 29,965 29,863 30,051 0.3% -0.3% Hunting (Bow) 821 8+ 756 15+ 65 8~14 2,997 1~7 821 1,006 -18.4% 3,818 3,875 4,633 -1.5% -17.6% Hunting (Handgun) 1,023 8+ 574 15+ 449 8~14 1,572 1~7 1,023 1,009 1.4% 2,595 2,525 2.8% Hunting (Rifle) 3,675 13+ 1,933 25+ 1,742 13~24 6,960 1~12 3,675 3,795 -3.2% 10,635 11,242 -5.4% Hunting (Shotgun) 4,374 8+ 2,577 15+ 1,797 8~14 4,171 1~7 4,374 4,664 -6.2% 8,545 8,987 -4.9% Shooting (Sport Clays) 1,519 8+ 994 15+ 525 8~14 2,596 1~7 1,519 2,059 -26.2% 4,115 4,062 4,437 1.3% -7.3% Shooting (Trap/Skeet) 1,325 8+ 863 15+ 462 8~14 2,051 1~7 1,325 1,358 -2.4% 3,376 3,013 3,416 12.0% -1.2% Target Shooting (Handgun) 5,514 8+ 3,424 15+ 2,090 8~14 6,222 1~7 5,514 4,570 20.7% 11,736 9,995 17.4% Target Shooting (Rifle) 5,693 8+ 3,596 15+ 2,097 8~14 6,743 1~7 5,693 5,162 10.3% 12,436 11,803 10,022 5.4% 24.1% Wildlife Viewing More Than 1/4 Mile From Home/Vehicle 22,974 20,294 13.2%
WINTER SPORTS 2006/2007 Skiing (Alpine/Downhill) 2,912 8+ 1,492 15+ 1,420 8~14 7,450 1~7 10,362 Skiing (Cross-country) 1,243 8+ 674 15+ 568 8~14 2,287 1~7 3,530 Skiing (Freestyle) 885 8+ 479 15+ 406 8~14 1,930 1~7 2,817 Snowboarding 2,319 8+ 1,266 15+ 1,054 8~14 4,522 1~7 6,841 Snowmobiling 1,997 8+ 1,198 15+ 799 8~14 2,810 1~7 4,811 Snowshoeing 626 8+ 295 15+ 331 8~14 1,774 1~7 2,400 Telemarking (Downhill) 345 8+ 198 15+ 147 8~14 828 1~7 1,173
WATER SPORTS Boardsailing/Windsurfing 322 8+ 201 15+ 121 8~14 796 1~7 322 358 -14.0% 1,118 938 1,739 19.2% -35.7% Canoeing 2,109 1,044 9,797 9,154 10,880 7.0% -10.0% Jet Skiing 2,727 8+ 1,669 15+ 1,058 8~14 5,328 1~7 2,727 2,606 4.9% 8,055 6,918 9,475 16.4% -15.0% Kayaking (Recreational) 1,563 953 4,702 4,134 13.7% Kayaking (Sea/Touring) 487 210 1,485 1,136 30.7% Kayaking (White Water) 303 156 1,187 828 43.4% Rafting 600 276 4,340 3,609 5,259 20.3% -17.5% Sailing 1,421 8+ 771 15+ 650 8~14 2,365 1~7 1,421 1,441 -4.7% 3,786 3,390 4,405 11.7% -14.1% Scuba Diving 1,018 8+ 573 15+ 445 8~14 1,947 1~7 1,018 887 14.8% 2,965 2,965 4,305 0.0% -31.1% Snorkeling 1,919 8+ 888 15+ 1,031 8~14 7,374 1~7 1,919 1,969 8.0% 9,294 8,395 10,302 10.7% -9.8% Surfing 950 8+ 548 15+ 402 8~14 1,256 1~7 950 981 -3.2% 2,206 2,170 2,191 1.7% 0.7% Wakeboarding 1,116 8+ 666 15+ 450 8~14 2,405 1~7 1,116 1,456 -24.6% 3,521 3,046 4,558 15.6% -22.8% Water Skiing 2,110 8+ 1,303 15+ 807 8~14 3,808 1~7 2,110 1,734 20.0% 5,918 5,273 8,765 12.2% -32.5%
Appendix C – Public Input Documentation
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 30
Iosco County Recreation Plan Survey
1. What statement best describes your role in Iosco County?
Response Response
Percent Count
I live in Iosco County. 63.9% 156
My family owns a seasonal home 23.0% 56 in Iosco County.
I have visited Iosco County. 9.8% 24
None of the above 3.3% 8
answered question 244
skipped question 2
1 of 8 2. I have participated in the following recreational activities in Iosco County in the past year: (check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
Boating 74.8% 181
Rode an ORV (Off Road Vehicle) 27.3% 66 on a trail
Rode a snowmobile on a trail 26.4% 64
Used a hiking or biking trail 60.7% 147
Canoed or kayaked on an Iosco 49.6% 120 County river
Fished on an Iosco County river 43.0% 104
Fished on Lake Huron or an Iosco 51.2% 124 County inland lake
Picnicked at a park or some other 50.8% 123 public land
Camping at a public park 21.5% 52
Hunting 33.5% 81
Fall color tours 65.3% 158
Birding 31.8% 77
Festivals and special events 64.5% 156
Cross-country skiing/snowshoeing 29.8% 72
Other park uses (Sporting events, 43.8% 106 playgrounds, swimming, etc.)
answered question 242
skipped question 4
2 of 8 3. Please rate the QUALITY of the following existing recreational features in Iosco County:
Very Very Don't Response Good OK/Average Poor Good Poor Know Count
9.4% 24.8% 53.0% ORV Trails 11.4% (23) 1.0% (2) 0.5% (1) 202 (19) (50) (107)
12.7% 28.4% 52.0% Snowmobile Trails 4.9% (10) 2.0% (4) 0.0% (0) 204 (26) (58) (106)
21.2% 38.2% 19.3% Hiking/Biking Paths 17.5% (37) 3.3% (7) 0.5% (1) 212 (45) (81) (41)
Canoe/Kayak launches and access 24.8% 33.8% 26.7% 13.8% (29) 1.0% (2) 0.0% (0) 210 points (52) (71) (56)
25.2% 39.0% 18.8% Fishing access 15.1% (33) 1.4% (3) 0.5% (1) 218 (55) (85) (41)
19.8% 34.3% 32.9% Public Campgrounds 11.1% (23) 1.0% (2) 1.0% (2) 207 (41) (71) (68)
30.3% 38.4% 11.8% Picnicking/Outdoor gathering spots 16.6% (35) 2.4% (5) 0.5% (1) 211 (64) (81) (25)
39.0% 32.9% 9.9% Lake Huron swimming access 15.5% (33) 2.8% (6) 0.0% (0) 213 (83) (70) (21)
Inland lake and river swimming 21.6% 31.0% 4.7% 18.3% 24.4% (52) 0.0% (0) 213 access (46) (66) (10) (39)
15.7% 30.9% 35.8% Hunting 15.7% (32) 1.5% (3) 0.5% (1) 204 (32) (63) (73)
41.1% 37.5% 10.7% Fall color tours 9.8% (22) 0.9% (2) 0.0% (0) 224 (92) (84) (24)
35.8% 20.2% 37.8% Birding 5.7% (11) 0.5% (1) 0.0% (0) 193 (69) (39) (73)
31.5% 20.8% 40.1% Cross Country skiing/snowshoeing 7.1% (14) 0.5% (1) 0.0% (0) 197 (62) (41) (79)
answered question 239
skipped question 7
3 of 8 4. Please rate your awareness of the following recreational features in Iosco County.
Yes, I know Yes, I know No, not really Response Maybe many of them. some of them. sure. Count
I am aware of ORV trails in Iosco County and could find them if I 35.0% (83) 35.0% (83) 13.5% (32) 16.5% (39) 237 wanted to.
I am aware of snowmobile trails in Iosco County and could find them 36.1% (84) 35.6% (83) 13.7% (32) 14.6% (34) 233 if I wanted to.
I am aware of walking paths/bike trails in Iosco County and could 30.7% (70) 43.0% (98) 14.9% (34) 11.4% (26) 228 find them if I wanted to.
I know where the Lake Huron public 60.0% (141) 31.1% (73) 6.8% (16) 2.1% (5) 235 beaches are located.
I am aware of public campgrounds in Iosco County and could find 47.0% (109) 35.8% (83) 11.6% (27) 5.6% (13) 232 them if I wanted to.
I know where there are public access points on the AuSable River 41.2% (96) 43.3% (101) 10.3% (24) 5.2% (12) 233 in Iosco County.
I know where there are inland lake public access points in Iosco 33.3% (78) 47.4% (111) 13.2% (31) 6.0% (14) 234 County.
I know where there are groomed cross-country skiing/snowshoeing 37.4% (85) 29.5% (67) 11.9% (27) 21.1% (48) 227 trails in Iosco County.
answered question 241
skipped question 5
4 of 8 5. What additional or new recreational features or amenities are needed in Iosco County? (check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
More snowmobile trails 21.0% 45
More ORV trails 20.1% 43
More hiking/biking paths 43.9% 94
Warming cabins along existing trails 32.7% 70
Restrooms along existing trails 58.9% 126
Canoe/Kayak launches 22.4% 48
Shore fishing 29.9% 64
More trail access points/parking 28.5% 61
More campgrounds 13.6% 29
More public access beaches along 29.9% 64 Lake Huron
More inland lake and river beaches 22.9% 49 and swimming points
More boat launches 18.7% 40
Winter activities - cross-country 39.3% 84 skiing, showshoeing, sledding
Other (please specify) 57
answered question 214
skipped question 32
5 of 8 6. If there is a person with a disability in you family, please indicate which of the following would make the recreational facilities in Iosco County more user friendly. (check all that apply)
Response Response
Percent Count
No one with a disability in our 82.4% 168 family
Flatter, easier grades 8.3% 17
Accessible river access 9.3% 19
Accessible lakefront access 7.4% 15
Accessible parking 7.4% 15
Paved trails 6.9% 14
Accessible restrooms 12.3% 25
answered question 204
skipped question 42
7. Please rate your feeling regarding the following statements concerning river/water access in Iosco County.
Strongly Strongly Response Agree Neutral Disagree Agree Disagree Count
Being able to access rivers and other water bodies in Iosco County 53.2% 32.1% (76) 13.1% (31) 0.8% (2) 0.8% (2) 237 has a positive effect on the quality (126) of my life.
Access to rivers and other water bodies in Iosco County needs to be 12.8% (28) 34.2% (75) 38.4% (84) 12.3% (27) 2.3% (5) 219 improved.
answered question 238
skipped question 8
6 of 8 8. What do you like best about parks and recreation in Iosco County?
Response
Count
124
answered question 124
skipped question 122
9. What is one thing you would do to improve parks and recreation in Iosco County?
Response
Count
133
answered question 133
skipped question 113
10. What is your age?
Response Response
Percent Count
18 or younger 0.8% 2
19 - 29 2.1% 5
30 - 39 7.5% 18
40 - 49 19.6% 47
50 - 64 52.5% 126
65 or older 17.5% 42
answered question 240
skipped question 6
7 of 8 Iosco County Recreation Plan Survey
How many people are in each of the following age brackets in your household?
Number of people
Response 0 1 2 3 4 5 or more Count
0 - 17 years 31.9% (29) 26.4% (24) 29.7% (27) 5.5% (5) 3.3% (3) 3.3% (3) 91
18 - 24 years 44.3% (27) 32.8% (20) 21.3% (13) 1.6% (1) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 61
25 - 34 years 45.9% (28) 23.0% (14) 24.6% (15) 4.9% (3) 1.6% (1) 0.0% (0) 61
35 - 49 years 20.4% (20) 31.6% (31) 42.9% (42) 1.0% (1) 3.1% (3) 1.0% (1) 98
50 - 64 years 7.2% (11) 32.2% (49) 59.9% (91) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.7% (1) 152
65 years and up 28.6% (20) 35.7% (25) 35.7% (25) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 0.0% (0) 70
answered question 239
skipped question 7
1 of 1 Iosco County Recreation Plan Survey
Please indicate your household income.
Response Response
Percent Count
$49,999 or less 27.5% 61
$50,000 - $74,999 34.7% 77
$75,000 - $99,999 18.9% 42
$100,000 - $149,999 13.5% 30
$150,000 or more 5.4% 12
answered question 222
skipped question 24
1 of 1 IOSCO COUNTY RECREATION PLAN ON-LINE SURVEY (OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2009) OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS (answers not edited for grammar, spelling, etc.)
#5 What additional recreational facilities or amenities are needed in Iosco County? (Responses of “nothing” or “none” were removed.) • "During the 1940s and 1950s there was a winter rec area known as Silver Valley. It was in the Huron National Forest off of Monument Rd. where the present Silver Valley cross-country ski area is today. Due to the lack of ""mountains"" it had good hills for sledding, ""saddle skiing"" saucer sledding, tobogganing(sp). It had a winter festival once a year, a ""King and Queen"" selected from the local community during the ""Silver Valley Festival Week"". I would suggest that be looked into as a possible choice for folks to due during winter visits." • Better game management than what the DNR is doing now • Snowmobile and ORV trails need widening. They are too narrow. More gas stations needed. Since you can't go into town, it would be nice to have restaurants, party stores more accessible. • "Need clean beach fronts with out goose poop! Also need dogs allowed beach areas. (Hmmmmmm more dogs would = less geese!!)" • "Around towns, with an insert or guide as to how long it takes to walk to somewhere on the map. Bike rentals places" • I love to tube down the river. It takes approximately 4 hours to go from Whirlpool to the River Road exit. It would be nice if there was a shorter trip maybe about 2 hours long. • MORE PLACES OPEN ON WEEKENDS WHERE WE CAN GET INFORMATION ABOUT AMENITIES • "Tennis courts for public use (High school ones locked)" • Less light pollution • We would like to see more biking paths - for our visitors, as well. We are limited to what we have for any sort of distance riding. • Maybe develop water trail systems for kayaks/canoes, etc. provide maps for these, document which are good for fall color viewing, birding, nature viewing, etc. Also, may want to promote the wind activities, such as sailing, kite flying, wind surfing, kayak sailing, Tawas Bay is a great sailing resource being a protected bay. • Allow Machines (Snow/ATV) into town to get supplies, Bank, Food, Motels and Gas. Stop sending them West. They have no reason to ride East of Foote Site. • orv scrammble area, more hilly terrain for orv's • "Family recreational areas like: - fitness trails - frisbee golf" • More horseback riding trails - connecting trails
1 • Signs like we used to have indicating how to get to local businesses/restaurants/bars • Keep the ORV's OFF the snowmobile trails during the snow season. • Better access to the trails • "More Pot-a-Johns along the orv and snowmobile trails. Access from Hale to South Branch, ORV, Less gated off areas, this is accessible in the Winter, why not in the Summer? No 4-wheelers on the snowmobile trails, if so then they need to pay the same trail fee! They tear up the trail a lot worse than a snowmobile! Let's make them accountable." • "WAYS TO GET TO THE TOWNS BY SNOWMOBILE AND ORV FOR FUEL, FOOD, LODGING. THIS AREA IS NOT SNOWMOBILE OR ORV FRIENDLY IN THIS REGARD THEREFORE MOST VISITORS BYPASS THIS AREA AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. I LIVE HERE AND KNOW THAT THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO BY SLED IN IOSCO, I CAN GET TO GAS AND FOOD IN ALMOST EVERY CITY AROUND UNLESS IT IS IN IOSCO COUNTY. MIO, ST. HELEN, GLENNIE, BARTON CITY, ROSE CITY, BUT NOT HALE, TAWAS, OR OSCODA. SIT DOWN WITH FOREST SERVICE AND WORK WITH THEM TO MAKE THE ORV ROAD ACCESS THING MAKE SENSE. I LIVE ON CHAIN LAKE, I CAN GO ALMOST BUT NOT QUITE, AROUND THE LAKE ON MY ORV, BECAUSE FOREST SERVICE OWNS 80 ACRES THAT TOUCHES ON CEDAR RD. TRAVELING ACROSS WICKERT RD, ONE GOES FROM LEGAL TO ILLEGAL THREE TIMES IN ONLY A 4 MILE STRETCH, I HAVE AN ORV TRAILHEAD ONLY 3 MILES FROM MY HOUSE BUT HAVE TO TRAVEL THRU THREE ILLEGAL STRETCHES TO GET THERE. OUR TAXES PAY TO MAINTAIN THESE ROADS, WE VOTED IN THE ORDINANCE, YET WE TAXPAYERS CAN'T USE THEM BECAUSE THEY CROSS FOREST SERVICE LANDS. MAYBE IOSCO COUNTY SHOULD REFUSE TO MAINTAIN THESE STRETCHES UNTIL OR UNLESS FOREST SERVICE GETS MORE REASONABLE." • Yes to golf cart usage around Big Bass Lake, Hale • Sledding, tubing, winter sports venues with warming houses and rest rooms • More tennis courts. Fix current tennis courts in Hale. They are in poor condition. • MAJOR ISSUE: you need a place to PARK CARS/TRAILERS and a way to access snowmobile trails from Hale proper. We very often go elsewhere(Ogemaw facilities) because of this issue=no money spent in Hale(gas,food,lodging,parts,etc) • have some Iosco days: Incorporate the out doors recreation with 4 days of varied music and or art downtown, and advertise all over the state: 4-5 days of Iosco Festival. Feature some good food stops, also. • Handicap viewing locations of Lake Huron • For all these things we also need better restaurants. And, of course, the weather. • Need the Old 65 Bridge for snowmobiles to cross River • Allow ATVs on Federal Forest fire and access roads • BETTER QUALITY LAKE HURON ACCESS. THE BEACHES ARE TOO GREEN AND FULL OF BIRD FECES OR MUCK. • More use of Furtaw Field
2 • better run campgrounds • Access fees are too costly! • less orv access • I would like to see the laws recently passed to allow ATV access to county roads, be revoked. In my experience to-date, I've seen much additional damage in the national forests, state land, and power line right of way that seems only recently have occurred. I suspect our law enforcement officials are unable to deal with the additional work of keeping track of protecting our forests from people who use the roads to then make trails for themselves on public and private lands. I think we're going to find that severe damage is being done to our county environment that will be very hard to repair in our lifetime. And why did we agree to allow it to happen? Because our business people feel we must have more people attracted to our county to increase their (short term) profits? Shortsighted, self-serving reasoning, this is, Obi-wan Kenobe. • More birding advertisements, internet links to the Ausable Valley Audubon society (local group) and just awareness of migratory patterns. • id like more access to the two track trails i use to enjoy in and around the mile squares • It sometimes appears that we don't care about winter business • more parking at some of the public boat access sites ( loon lake) for one • possibly a kayak rental • more indoor activities! There is nothing to do if you don't like the cold sports. An indoor swimming pool would be used often as there is not one at all in our area. Or a place for families to go, that's indoors. • Snow tubing and snow boarding do not require large vertical and do well on groomed/manmade snow. These activities would not require the level of financial investment that a downhill ski area would and yet still draw a significant number of participants in the winter. A nonprofit/volunteer based group with the use of inexpensive snow making equipment, shared grooming equipment (cross country groomer with additional attachments), a temporary surface lift and a suitable hill could create an attraction this corner of the state does not currently have. • Downhill skiing/snowboarding. • a dog park. we have SO many public beaches, but we can't take our dogs to any of them. This would be so inexpensive to create!!!!!!! Let's designate a dog park somewhere so our dogs can play with each other and in the water!!!. ALSO..... I realize that we have a new bike path, but I have ridden it and it's not what real bikers (like myself) are looking for. How about a 10 mile paved path in the woods, similar to the Corsair idea, but paved for bikes? A little restroom at the entrance of the park, maybe a little seasonal snack station and bike rental facility, OUT IN THE WOODS! We have awesome woods and streams, why do we have to bike with automobiles and right next to US-23? I think if this was done right, we could have the "BEST BIKE PATHS" in the lower UP, and bring in a LOT of tourism with this idea. The paths could wind thru the woods, maybe next to the AuSable River or some of the streams back near the Cosair Ski trails, and have photovoltaic light fixtures so we wouldn't have to run power thru the trail. The lights would stay on for a couple of hours after dark and then dim out and the park would be closed. I would LOVE to help develop a grant for this project. If you would like some help, please contact me. I am a mechanical and electrical engineer,
3 living in East Tawas. Linda Deyarmond, P.E., LEED GA. 989-876-8123. DOG PARK, BIKE PATHS!!!! YEAH!!!! • I run. If you can influence the road commissions to widen the roads to accommodate runners and cylclists, that would be so much nicer... for instance F41 is treacherous. • More special events and much better marketing of each. I find the Iosco County News the best way to know what events are soon to arrive. How does the general public get at this knowledge?? Websites are often poorly placed, outdated, and are not designed to market the county and what it has to offer. We need outside money and investors. To get that you need to compete and get the information under the noses of those seeking opportunities. • Things to do inside in case of bad weather. I wish the local governments could recruit investors to develop a indoor water park or craft stores with "make it, take it" classes. Possible improve ice skating options. • A play ground for children. swings slide & etc. • Develop the Furtaw Field into something...it is right in the middle of town...it would be a great area to put LOTS OF ATTRACTIONS FOR VISITORS TO THE AREA. • The northwest part of the county desperately needs more hiking and biking trails such as a trail around Long Lake or from the Long Lake Bar to somewhere like South Branch. There is really a safety issue for hikers and bikers around the lake, especially for my developmentally disabled son who loves to hike. It would also be great if there were an ORV/snowmobile trail from the Long Lake Bar to the South Branch trail head. We feel that so much has been done near Lake Huron and that it is time for those of us near the Huron Forest on the northwest corner of the county to finally get some attention. Thank you for your time and attention in considering our needs. • Need a board walk along Nunn Road to the Tawas River. This would be good for Birding as well as access to the river. • A public swimmng pool in Tawas Area is greatly needed for teaching swimming and water safety as well as public recreation when the beaches are yukky with plant life and animal residue. • nude sunbathing • Better groomed beach along Three mile park. It's a great place to be but the beach area needs help.
#8 What do you like best about parks and recreation in Iosco County? • Clean, abundant, well taken care of. • There are many parks and they are seldom overly crowded. • They provide a variety of scenes. Most of them are kept clean, most of the time. Special events are held in some of them, i.e. "Celebration Days". • The County has done a great job with limited funds. The availability of lake access to inland lakes is appreciated. • Many things to do in this area. However, having the time to do them is an issue.
4 • Our Lake Huron beaches are awesome!! East Tawas beach needs cleaning more often to preserve its beauty. The water front needs cleaning as well as the sand area. Preseason and weekly or daily in season. Cleanup of the Perchville tent area needs to be done as soon as the tent is removed instead of leaving the mess until spring. • Cleanliness, public availability, staff, accessibility, awareness (chambers, cities, websites) • They really are not over populated when I have used them. • "Clean water, acres of national forrest Diversity of activities in close proximity" • I love the AuSable River Park on River Road. The water is warmer than Lake Huron and great for swimming and tubing • There is a good number of them • That people use them. • Accessible, clean for the most part. • The beaches are beautiful and the water is clean, unlike other cities on Lake Huron. The parks are safe, clean and easy to find. • Park and recreation opportunities in Iosco County are varied and easily accessible. • Their continued hard work on snowmobile trails in the county. • That they exist • The U.S. Forest Service management of points of access into the the Huron National Forest • Close to home and clean. • They are clean, well marked, picnic tables, grills, and overall well maintained • It is a beautiful area; we need to capitalize more on this beauty. • Clean and well maintained, al variety of activites provided. • The park in East Tawas and the marina downtown are a great feature • They are close by my home, I can be there in less then 2 hours. THey have a relaxing atmosphere • The amount of variety in the available activities that our community offers. • still natural. no snack stands, clean • THEY SEEM TO BE TRYING, AND HAVE ACCOMPLISHED GUITE ALOT, BUT THEY HAVE A WAYS TO GO YET • We have all the Woods and Water, The Head of Parks and Rec goes over and above to help us enjoy everything Oscoda has to offer. • trail grooming in the winter months is top notch • "The abundance of National Forest and the incredible AuSable River are the stong points. I am grateful that this area is not over-run with visitors."
5 • National Forest facilities - Corsair Trails • Most are inexpensive or free. • free, beautiful, quiet • Good accessibility and well kept. • I can access Lake Huron to fish the shore. • They seem to be trying to do their job. M65 trail across M65 bridge at Five Channels damn needs to be opened without further delay. • They are usually always clean, accessible and friendly personnel • Good grooming on snowmobile trails. • The trailhead behind my house leading to the main trails. The grooming of the snowmobile trails on a regular basis. • The snowmobile trails • The kayaking access and camping • The snowmobile trails have improved over the past 3 years, way to go guys! • It allows people to visit our communities and possibly buy property, it creates activities within the township for residences and non residence and provides revenue for business • That the Counry is trying to improve the currently available locations. • Corsair ski trail is excellent. • well maintained and orv , snowmobile access is good • Not crowded. • they are kept clean and are very easy to find. • I feel very fortunate to live in an area where i have such variety. I can kayak Lake Huron and canoe the Au Sable River. I can hike the trails in the National Forest. I can fish inland lakes, rivers, and Lake Huron. The cross country skiing is incredible at the Corsair Trail System as well as at the backcountry trails elsewhere. I live here because of these quiet recreational opportunities. • Well maintained • It is a beautiful county with less dense population and also lower public use. No waits, no crowds and pristine outdoor recreation both inland and on Lake Huron • not overrun with people • Continue to improve trails for snowmobile riding. And generating more money into our area. • It is still rural. Not every launch, etc. needs to be modern • No crowds • The maintenance of the snowmobile trails is excellent.
6 • Accessability • I love the auSable river trails, and last w/e spent some time watching the swans at Footsite Dam Prk. The color was not at its peak but it was so beautiful. I love the park on Lake Huron at the pointe, and also the city park in Oscoda. Include some publisized adademic tours, like how the swans got there, the history of the river, the history of lake Huron, and the parks. Lots of things in Iosco are so beautiful! Let the World know! • quanity and quality, however there is need of more small access sites to the Small lakes and Lake Huron. • snowmobile trails • We have no major industry on Tawas Bay or Lake Huron any more. East Tawas takes pride in their parks, the State Park at the Point is wonderful and the National Forest and AuSable River parks are great. • It's quiet and preserved. • Availability and locations. • It is beautiful here. We have everything within a 30 minute drive except down hill sking. We need to promote the beautiful natural assests that Iosco County has. • Iosco county has some of the most beautiful, well kept, natural parks and recreation areas i've ever been to. We need to continue to keep them up and improve communication regarding them. • I like that it looks like our County cares, and we are improving them. Thank you for the continuous improvement. • The wide diversity. • Snowmobile trails, • It gets people out into nature and they get physical -- meaning away from t.v.'s and sitting around at home • foot trails • Wilderness aspect. No commercialization. I can take my dogs on the trails. • They are not overcrowded. The very fact there are so many provided. • Not as crowded as bigger metro parks. Parks are more wilderness versus being over developed • CLEANLINESS AND VIEWS. • THE SEEMING ISOLATION OF COOKE. • Locations and the different types offered. • Knowing that they are there for me to use and enjoy all year around. • Clean/well maintained • Our rivers, lakes, woods, forests are our asset we need to capitalize on them. I am glad that you are making a plan. Like how you have improved the ausable shoreline park.
7 • Snowmobile Trail System & Forest Service Roads. • location and cleanliness • location • It's year round. • Being near the water • How clean and well kept they are. • access and availability--no excuse for anyone not to be able to fish,hike,swim,,with minimum effort • the abundance of parks • Nearly all of the recreational activities I enjoy can be done within 20 miles of my home. The facilities are well maintained, clean, and the small user fees, if any, are very reasonable. • The way the beaches and parks are kept clean and well kept. • Majority of them are clean with plenty of waste area baskets. Also majority of bathrooms are also clean for women. • clean • SMALLER, MORE PRIMITAVE • lots of options • The variety of offerings • Love the parks and rec situation in Iosco in the summer. We are missing the boat on winter tourism. Oscoda Township especially, Bathrooms locked, Parks close it appears they don't care. • natural suroundings • I have a house on Pine Ln. near the Tawas State Park I love the cleanlyness of the park the bike paths,camp host,near town,park employees. I have eight siblings and alot of family that camp at the TSP every year for 10 days and a lotta friends that stay with my wife and I in the summer. They all love the Tawas area and they all love to shop in town, I'm a cheerleader for this community and I love it here and will soon live in Tawas. If you need some help with something let me know. Keep up the good work in the Tawases Thanks Rick Groulx, 589 Pine Lane • There are many parks to go to. We love camping here. Everything is very clean. • The variety of things to do, something for all ages • Iosco County has a large number of potentially excellent recreational opportunities without the pressures of overuse from a large population base. • They are not crowded. • We are very fortunate to have so many public beaches. Such is not the case on the west coast of Michigan. • I like that wherever you go in Tawas or East Tawas or Ausable River Area that you can find public access points. That is great. Arenac County has so few of them!
8 • That we have them! And that there are enough that we aren't crowded when we use them. • access to water, woods, and scenery • Readily available and well positioned. • Natural setting and clean areas • availability in different areas of the county • They are usually clean and well kept. I love the sandy beaches on Lake Huron... we have a real treasure there. The cross country ski system is great too. • Good Location - kept up nicely • The ORV & snowmobile trails. • nice views • Diversity of activities • Generally clean. • Consistantly improving areas of recreation. • free access and use • there are lots in Iosco County! Many areas don't have any public land available. I love all the parks/boating areas in Isoco. • Variety of public land opportunities for fishing, hunting, hiking. • I think access to lakes and rivers in Iosco County is VERY good. • They are kept clean, and free of vandalism. • Public Festivals, Water access, family recreation. • Wild Mushroom Hunting • Many are free. They are clean, and feel safe and friendly. • Access to the AuSable.
#9 What is one thing you would do to improve parks and recreation in Iosco County? (responses of “nothing” or “none” were removed.) • Better promotion of State Dock facilities to increase useage and opportunities for new business start up at the dock. Cruise Ship opportunities. • It would be nice if facilities were free. • "A group of Quilters in Alcona Co. have put together a ""Alcona Co. Quilt Sign Tour"". They have made arrangements with different property owners and on public land to display Quilting designs, patterens and then provide a map for people to drive on tour to see the different designs. At the present time they have 8 displays and are in the process of having 10 more sites. It makes for an
9 interesting tour and shows people different areas of the county that they are not aware of. Something along this line should be looked into. Quilt patterns and/or murals laid out in special places could be done. A ""map"" to check off all that have been seen be done. There locations could be near existing business areas and out in the county. Consumer Energy may agree to let their towers to be sites for some sites. This could also tie a ""region"" together to give visitors a larger area to come too." • Collect user fees for non residents to help support your efforts. • Laws/rules/residents need to be more flexible re: recreation in Iosco County. Laws too strict. Residents complain too much about people wanting to ride snowmobiles/ORV's etc. • "Keep our Lake Huron beaches clean and free of geese. The Tawas City Beach is being given over to the geese and phragmites. I would not take my children there. Too dirty!! Tried to picnic there - too much goose poop on the grass to be able to walk without getting on shoes. Disgusting! Best thing that could be done with that beach is to ALLOW dogs - if dogs were present then the geese would leave. Most pet owners DO pick up after their dogs, and a dog pile once in a while would be way cleaner then the droppings from all the geese each day. Today's population likes to travel with their pets. A pet friendly park on the water would attract a whole group of tourists that we are missing. • Workers from the jail could help with keeping the park clean. Or youth from the summer MichiganWorks! program could be used to keep the Iosco water fronts and parks clean." • information on self-guided activities; ie if I were here for a day and could spend 3 hours taking in the sites - what would be my choices for that time period (with map) • "Promote sports places too - like volley ball, baseball, tennis, etc... Also encourage people to use these through leagues and youth opportunities. • Is the survey being shared with our student population." • More toilet facilities in remote areas • The Tawas City Park is unusable because of the geese. It is almost impossible to walk to the picnic tables and grills without stepping in goose poop. I have not even tried to get to the beach. I do not think it would be safe for children to play in the sand and water because of this. • Advertising • More of same, plus, improve tennis facilities at Wurtsmith; set up a backboard, etc. • We need more things for our youth to be able to do • Develop more hiking/non-motorized vehicle trails. Non-Motorized pathway in Petoskey/Charlevoix (Wheel Way) is beautiful and greatly used. • No. This is one of the poorest counties in the state. Both the state and the county are broke and don't need to spend a nickel that isn't absolutely necessary. When the government competes with private enterprise, it has an unfair advantage and ends up putting the private enterprise out of business or with a much diminished possibility of success. • We could use non-motorized pathways that make connections between the communities. Basically, along M-65, US-23 and River Road in Oscoda. • I would like to see the weeds growing along the shore line on US-23 taken down. I wish the Tawas City park could be groomed more often since we have such a goose population there.
10 • Create more access to the water • Again, additional biking trails/roads • Keeping the beaches very clean • Make more aware of where they are and how I can find out where they are. • They need colorful easy to read maps without visual clutter. I've seen some maps for the area that have way too much information on them. The map doesn't need to have an icon for every feature in the County. • Accessibility, information about the resources and new parks • The recreation can be improved by the USFS allowing more access to the trails from the county road system. The vast majority of trails in our community are in the Nat'l Forest. • encourage more people to use them. hiking clubs • GET RID OF THE RED TAPE TO MANY CHIEFS AND TO FACED, TO MANY PEOPLE TO MAKE A DECISION AND IN THE MEETINGS ITS YES, YES YES WE CAN DO THAT BUT GET OUT OF THAT MEETING AND THEY LEARN THE WORD NO OR IM NOT SURE AND ANOTHER YEAR GOES BY..... BUT WE HAVE CAME ALONGWAY. • Stop letting the Village of Oscoda (Base Housing) run this town. Bring in a Scramble area, River Access, Trail into town, 5 channles Bridge, Snowmobile bridge on Rea Rd. • work on more orv trails off the old state trail system • use the oscoda press to get out more info to the public. • "Establish a no-wake speed limit for boats on the AuSable River !!! • Please de-emphasize motorsports. I go into the forest for peace and QUIET." • More bike paths • Better signage and more garbage cans and more frequent emptying of the cans • Reduce motorized vehicle use in Iosco County. • increase volunteer water and trail cleaning events • More access to Lake Huron for horses. • I'm always up for as much access to lakes and streams as is possible. • Ask the people that use the parks and trails what they think, Just like this survey • Add more • wider snowmobile trails • More bike trails, especially in the Northwest section of the County. Implement the snowmobile trail into Hale. Add more Kayaking/Canoe facilities. • "More public access and viewing of Lake Huron...No more condo's and etc... on US23 lake side. The lakes should be for everyone not just the wealthy.
11 • Patrol of the trails because of the speeders and drunks that make the weekends dangerous!!!!" • Build more ball diamonds & soccer fields • better and more access • "We need an access trail into Hale. This would bring in business into town and give snowmobiles and orv's more options in the area. • Get the snowmobile clubs in the area involved again. We would love to help to brush or do a Spring trail clean up. We were very active before and would like to help out again in the future. • Better communication between the Snowmobile clubs and the Parks & Rec. Come to our meetings once in a while and let us know what is going on, maybe we can help? • IMPORTANT: Give us a little snow on the back roads, (Towerline, Britt ect.) Why does the snow plow guy HATE snowmobiles? We have to have a way to get to the trails in order to enjoy them. This would be very much appreciated!" • Promotion is the key • Have outdoor toilets at more launch locations. • ORV trails are limited, and do not include loops. • "change the hale snowmobile leg to allow orv access so they can get to the city • and use the restaurants and gas facilities" • Allow golf cart usage around Big Bass Lake, Hale • better restrooms/porta-potties. • I would keep ORVs on designated trails only. Their noise and distruction are unneeded. • We have not been able to find a place to sled in the winter, that would be a wonderful addition. • Housing, dining for guests • Fix and maintain tennis courts in Hale. • more information on their locations & attributes • Axcess to the town of Hale, in the winter by snowmobiles. So the riders could get gas and food. Again increasing renvue for our local business. • Have a softball/family event. • With the addition of campsites on the river, one can no longer stop, get off from their boat and barbecue any longer. • Have flower shows, farmer markets in the summer. have some park festivals that feature a variety of music styles: R/B, Easy Classical, jazz, country. Have a few food joints accessible. Keep it clean: you are doing a good job now. Educational walks for the birders and those of us that want to know the trees and bushes, and the fishes etc. are a nice attraction. • Make a comitment to allocate the money to have clean restrooms!!
12 • Keep them cleaner - more litter free • Clean up the area from trash. • "trail signing needs to be better, I have seen less signs being replaced as they disappear some are a safety hazard such as stop signs, also need better directional signs. Also to m-65 bridge trail needs to get done! and access to towns made easier, along with the road commission not plowing all the way into the ditches" • Ridding the Tawas Bay beaches and stream and inland lakes shore lines of the Invasive Phragmites. They really spoil with water usage. Things to pull people up here in the winter - snowmobile trails More Biking areas. Planting more fish, getting rid of some of the Cormorants so they don't eat them all. • Hiking trails. • Develop ORV trails OFF roads. • better representation. • Easier availability and access to permits, tags, stickers that are clear and concise about what areas they cover. There is too much confusion regarding DNR, State Forest and Township access points. • Signs to get to them from downtown. • Add to the public parks and recreation ---- never delete. • "Need Sledding hills like there used to be at Silver Valley or Ski-bowl hill. • Need Skateboard parks for younger Kids. • Need Campground on Beach in Oscoda- like East Tawas." • Less motorized trails -- snowmobiles and atv -- add more hiking trails, cross country skiing. Keep noise and pollution down. Perhaps add occasional guided educational tours on birding, plants, flowers and what we can do to protect what is crucial and how to fight against things such as invasive species. • Longer sesion and open longer in winter • I would like to see some numbered stops (with a guide sheet) on some hiking trails (such as the High- Banks Tr.), so that the trails may be educational, as well as recreational. There is expertise in this area to accomplish this, with plant and tree experts, retired educators and a retired field geologist (myself) who could work on this. • More intepretive signs; more clean-ups. • More access on Federal Properties with ATVs. Let ATVs use the many fire trails and roads on Federal Land where damage would be minimal • "IF IOSCO WOULD IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF GAME FISH WE WOULD ATTRACT MORE FISHING TOURIST. WHICH IS WHY many FOLKS COME TO IOSCO COUNTY. I have fished Cooke for about five years and have been very disappointed in the fishing. Increase the Bass, Waleye and pike and you will have a winner." • More walking and hiking trails, more nature less noise.
13 • Utilize Furtaw Field more as being in downtown Oscoda, it would bring more people into the area. • I would like to see a bathroom facility (out house) at the end of the birding trail at Tawas Point State Park. • "more walking and biking easy trails. Offer ice cream and snack eateries at the beach. Make 3 milke park more user friendly yet maintain the natural beauty." • some of the best spots on the river, for example are not marked. Visitors often have a hard time finding off the beaten path spots to view and enjoy nature, (those other than the scenic overlooks and/or trailheads) • Increase ORV trails. • Better access..docks by water...... restrooms on trails • fire the people at old orchard. they drive a lot of business away with their power trips. they are way too strict and serious out there that is why all the locals quit camping. • Realize that this is the future of Iosco county and is what people come here to enjoy. If you price access to high, you defeat the purpose as people won't drive up here to have to pay fees everywhere they go. • More extensive biking trails • More advertising and signage throughout area. • limit the access of orv,s- they wreck the environment for those that like peace and quiet--most of us who actually use the outdoors • there needs to be some more recreational areas to bring more people into the area.....ie tourists....not sure what this would be • Any thought of improved public access to our land and water resources should be based on reliable data that shows which resources are used the most, or requested the most. These accesses might be built or improved. And, only after a thorough ecological study is completed so that any improvement for public access can be shown to not be harmful to wildlife because of these sites. It makes no sense to improve public access if in the process the wildlife and habitat people come to enjoy are damaged or changed for the worse. In other words, any improvements that might be made must improve wildlife habitat, or it shouldn't be done. • HAVE MORE SAFE BIKE and WALKING ROUTES • It would be nice to see more planned activities for the younger children and teenagers. • More of them, some specializing in specific activities. Patrolled by personnel to control noise, traffic, unruley individuals. • i think they are fine as is • BETTER SIGNS • the maps need to be improved and the road listing need to list as four wheel drive or touring for cars • Biking trails would be nice in the Oscoda area. Similar in concept/construction to the Tawas -- Alabaster trail.
14 • Iosco local governments need to GET TOGETHER and improve their marketing and winter business. Most off all a well publized clearinghouse of information regarding ALL activities and recreation in the area. Web as well as printed. • maps to locate area • cleaner beaches in the State Park, promote kayak rentals, trim tree's. Hey ya have a wonderful staff in the state park I live within two blocks of the entrance I would love to work part time at the Tawas State Park. I don't have a camper I live on the water I just find people that camp are so friendly C ya Rick • I wish there was a dog park. I would like to see some indoor activities, especially for kids. • More areas for families with young children, playground equipment, consider a splash pad in the future, more paved biking paths that you can pull a bike cart on • Create a central clearing house for recreation opportunities by combining township, county, state and federal information (more "researched" information would help). Too often "local knowledge" is required to find a boat launch, beach, parking, etc.. Improve the local economy and recreational opportunities by appealing to tourists and second home owners. Northeast Michigan may not have the physical attributes of the Northwest side of the state but can compensate by emphasizing natural conditions, quality of amenities, affordability and proximity. • Better restroom facilities. • more kayak launches at inland lAKES • This is copied from above. A DOG park. we have SO many public beaches, but we can't take our dogs to any of them. This would be so inexpensive to create!!!!!!! Let's designate a dog park somewhere so our dogs can play with each other and in the water!!!. ALSO..... I realize that we have a new bike path, but I have ridden it and it's not what real bikers (like myself) are looking for. How about a 10 mile paved path in the woods, similar to the Corsair idea, but paved for bikes? A little restroom at the entrance of the park, maybe a little seasonal snack station and bike rental facility, OUT IN THE WOODS! We have awesome woods and streams, why do we have to bike with automobiles and right next to US-23? I think if this was done right, we could have the "BEST BIKE PATHS" in the lower UP, and bring in a LOT of tourism with this idea. The paths could wind thru the woods, maybe next to the AuSable River or some of the streams back near the Cosair Ski trails, and have photovoltaic light fixtures so we wouldn't have to run power thru the trail. The lights would stay on for a couple of hours after dark and then dim out and the park would be closed. I would LOVE to help develop a grant for this project. If you would like some help, please contact me. I am a mechanical and electrical engineer, living in East Tawas. Linda Deyarmond, P.E., LEED GA. 989- 876-8123. DOG PARK, BIKE PATHS!!!! YEAH!!!! • Better paths to the beaches. Waste pick up at the beach sites more frequently so that the bins don't overflow. • Eliminate fees for parking at sites like Corsair and other similar sites. Paying to see the woods and water is absurd. • keep them clean and maintained. • More sinnage, more restromms • getting the word out to the rest of Michigan and other states to increase tourism and help create more jobs in the area
15 • Groom trails more often. • I would like to see some of the "?swampy?" type area groomed more at 3 Mile Park in Oscoda Township. Also, can anything be done to improve on not having the flys bite so bad when we have a west wind at the beach? • Hiking & biking trails in the northwest corner of the county. • More orv trails that are 50 inces and less. • More birding locations. Need a board walk along Nunn Road to the Tawas River. This would be good for Birding as well as access to the river. • Snowmobile bridge crossing AuSable River at Ria Road. • keep what we have excellently maintained • As stated above, better groomed beach areas along Three Mile Park. • Have more campgounds with facilities like showers, stores etc. The feds don't seem to be doing anything with the forest parks. • Tennis, skate parks, basketball, open areas near smaller communities of Hale, Sand Lake, Whittemore. • I don't understand why Oscoda's community center is closed during the winter. • Fully operational bathrooms should be installed. • Additional public parks would be nice. • Promote Huron National Forest and educate people on the great natural resourse that is a large part of Iosco County • Put our recyclable containers.... for example, one for bottles, one for cans. Get a simple area map made that shows the recreation areas as well as major streets. • Access to Lake Huron, and many of the inland lakes
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Appendix D – Potential Funding Sources for Parks and Recreation Projects
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 31
SOURCES OF RECREATION GRANT FUNDING IN MICHIGAN
Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) • Match requirement – minimum of 25% • Development grants Minimum Grant Request $15,000 Maximum Grant Request $500,000 • Acquisition grants No minimum or maximum • Goals of MNRTF Board Resource Protection – very important Water Access Community Recreation Urban Recreation Economic Development • Due annually on April 1 (secondary application for acquisition only in August) • www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) • Administered by MNRTF • 50% match required • Minimum grant request $30,000 ($60,000 project total) • Maximum grant request $100,000 ($200,000 project total) • Funds a wide variety of outdoor recreation projects • Applications due annually on April 1 • www.michigan.gov/dnr-grants
Michigan Department of Transportation - Transportation Enhancement Funds • For non-motorized transportation (paths) and rehabilitation and operation of historic transportation buildings, structures, or facilities (bridges, railroad depot, etc.) • 20% minimum match required, 40% recommended • Eligible applicants include county road commissions, cities, and villages. Other organizations may sponsor applications (i.e. County Road Commission or local MDOT office sponsors a township application) • Rolling on-line application process • www.michigan.gov/mdot Go to “Projects and Programs”.
Great Lakes Fisheries Trust (GLFT) • Objective – improve or create shore-based Great Lakes recreational access. • Must be located on the Great lakes or lower portions of major tributaries • Matching funds not required but projects with local funding will be favored. • Relatively simple application form and requirements • Due in early September • www.glft.org
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Michigan Coastal Zone Management (CZM) • Objectives - Protect, manage and restore coastal communities and habitats - Restore historic structures - Revitalize urban waterfronts - Increase recreational opportunities along Michigan’s Great Lakes coast • Applicant must be a coastal unit of government • Maximium grant request - $50,000 • Match requirements – 50% (some flexibility in match for non-construction projects that result in changes to local master plans or zoning ordinances, regional greenways, or include conservation planning) • Eligible projects o Studies, Designs and Land Use Plans – must have a direct connection to coastal planning and/or resource protection. o Construction – boardwalks, trails, lighthouse preservation, habitat restoration, scenic overlook, etc. • Due annually on May 1 • www.michigan.gov/deqcoastal
Other grant programs to consider:
Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network (WIN) • Five focus areas: o Agriculture and Pollution Prevention o Communication / Regional Marketing o Land Use o Water Resources o Wildlife Stewardship • www.saginawbaywin.org
Coastal Program – Great Lakes – US Fish and Wildlife Service • Grants to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitats and to support healthy coastal ecosystems • Rolling application process • www.fws.gov/midwest/greatlakes/apply.htm
Specific sports and sports foundations • United States Tennis Association (USTA) – - funding for tennis courts and programs - www.usta.com • Major League Baseball - Baseball Tomorrow Fund - www.baseballtomorrow.com • United States Soccer - www.ussoccerfoundation.org
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Safe Routes to School • For projects near elementary and middle schools: - Sidewalks - Traffic calming and speed reduction - Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements - On-street and off-street bicycle facilities - Off-street pedestrian facilities - Traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools • Need to complete the safe routes planning process to apply • www.saferoutesmichigan.org
Trust for Public Land (TPL) • Conservation Transactions TPL helps structure, negotiate, and complete land transactions that create parks, playgrounds, and protected natural areas. TPL serves as an independent agent, buying land from willing landowners and then transferring it to public agencies, land trusts, or other groups for protection. In some instances, TPL will protect land through conservation easements, which restrict development but permit traditional uses such as farming and ranching. • www.tpl.org
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Nonpoint Source Pollution Control Grants • Must be part of a watershed management plan • Projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution (streambank and shoreline stabilization, rain gardens, erosion control, conservation easements) • www.michigan.gov/deq - Go to “Surface Water” and then to “Non-point Source Pollution”.
Community Foundations Private Foundations and Endowments Wickes Foundation Strosacker Foundation Gerstacker Foundations
KEEP IN MIND… ¾ Match requirements can usually be in-kind services, donations, or cash, ¾ Most grants are provided on a reimbursable basis. ¾ Barrier free accessibility is usually required for improvement projects, ¾ Multiple partners, multiple jurisdictions can be viewed favorably – think “regional” projects. ¾ Grant applications can be complicated, detailed and competitive. Make sure your grant writer is familiar with the grant and funding source. Learn as much as possible ahead of time to know if your project has potential for funding.
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Appendix E – Adoption Documentation
Iosco County Recreation Plan 2010-2015 (Draft) 32