Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendices
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Appendix A - Supporting Analysis Table of Contents A.1 PARK SETTING ................................................................................................................................... 1 A.2 DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................................................................ 3 A.3 REGIONAL RECREATION RESOURCES ................................................................................................ 5 A.4 HISTORY OF MUSKEGON AREA ....................................................................................................... 16 A.5 HISTORY OF MUSKEGON STATE PARK ............................................................................................ 18 A.6 LAND OWNERSHIP .......................................................................................................................... 20 A.7 LEGAL MANDATES ........................................................................................................................... 22 A.8 LANDSCAPE CONTEXT AND NATURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................ 25 A.9 HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ........................................................................................... 30 A.10 RECREATION RESOURCES ................................................................................................................ 31 A.11 EDUCATION, INTERPRETATION, AND EVENTS ................................................................................ 37 A.12 PARK USE STATISTICS ...................................................................................................................... 38 A.13 RESOURCE MAPS ............................................................................................................................. 39 Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis A.1 PARK SETTING Park Profile Area: 1,233 acres County: Muskegon Township: Laketon Township and City of Muskegon Latitude: 43.244526 Longitude: -86.340211 Muskegon State Park Address: 3560 Memorial Drive North Muskegon MI, 49445 Phone #: 231-744-3480 Muskegon State Park is located four miles west of the City of North Muskegon in Muskegon County. It provides over two miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and over one mile on Muskegon Lake. The expansive Great Lakes sandy beach and impressive sand dunes provide a significant resource for visitors to enjoy. The park features two modern campgrounds, as well as hiking, cross-country ski and snow shoe trails. The Sports Complex, located within the park and operated by the non-profit Muskegon Sports Council, offers a summer and winter luge run, skating rink and lighted skating trails. Muskegon State Park was established in 1923. The City of Muskegon gave the Conservation Department (later the Department of Natural Resources) a gift of land to help begin the park. The park has enjoyed much community support over the years and remains an Aerial view of Muskegon State Park. important contributor to local quality of life. Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 1 Location & Community Muskegon County is easily accessed from the east by I-96 and from the south and north by US-31. Muskegon State Park is accessed from US-31, which runs north-south between Ferrysburg and Ludington. I-96 provides a connection to the southeast. The City of Grand Rapids is approximately 40 miles to the southeast, Grand Haven is approximately 10 miles to the south, and Ludington is approximately 50 miles to the north. Muskegon County, with its 27 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 20 inland lakes and more than 400 miles of rivers, offers many attractions to residents and visitors. Under the branding “Experience the Lake Effect!”, the county features variety of attractions in the vicinity of Muskegon State Park, such as: Michigan’s Adventure amusement park, Gillette Nature Center at Hoffmaster State Park, Muskegon County Museum, Muskegon Museum of Art, and the USS Silversides - a World War II submarine open for tours. In addition, festivals and events, such as the Summer Celebration and Unity Christian Music Fest attract approximately half a million visitors every year. The lakeshore is an important aspect of the region’s economy. Muskegon Lake (4,232 acres in size) is the largest natural deep-water port in West Michigan and offers five commercial docking facilities. The Port of Muskegon handles over 1 million tons of freight, aggregate, coal and salt every year, facilitated by the Muskegon Lake Channel maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. In addition to the commercial port facilities, a number of recreational marinas and charter fishing operations are located around Muskegon Lake. A scenic cruise ship, the Port City Princess, offers leisure and dinner cruises on Muskegon Lake and Lake Michigan. Building on its tradition as a port city, Muskegon is also served by the Lake Express Ferry, a high-speed ship carrying passengers and vehicles across Lake Michigan between Milwaukee and Muskegon. In 2000, Muskegon County was designated by the US Census Bureau as a Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), the Muskegon-Norton Shores MSA. The Cities of Muskegon, Muskegon Heights, Roosevelt Park and Norton Shores are located on the south shores of Muskegon Lake. The northern part of the park is located in Laketon Township, a suburban community encompassing 16 square miles. The county is part of the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission (WMSRDC). The commission represents five counties, including: Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana. The WMSRDC is one of several organizations making up the West Michigan economic development Region 4, under Governor Snyder’s economic prosperity initiative. The Lake Express Ferry carries passengers between Muskegon and Milwaukee, Wisconsin Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 2 A.2 DEMOGRAPHICS The following table illustrates the key demographic data for Muskegon County, as reported by the US Census Bureau. In 2014, Muskegon County had an estimated population of 172,344, a 0.1% increase from 2010. The age and racial makeup of the county are generally in line with state averages. The county shows less people over the age of 25 with a college degree than the state average and a lower than average median household and per capita income. People Muskegon County Michigan POPULATION Population estimates, July 1, 2014, (V2014) 172,344 9,909,877 Population estimates base, April 1, 2010, (V2014) 172,188 9,884,133 Population, percent change - April 1, 2010 (estimates base) to July 1, 2014, (V2014) 0.1% 0.3% Population, Census, April 1, 2010 172,188 9,883,640 AGE & SEX Persons under 5 years, percent, April 1, 2010 6.6% 5.8% Persons under 18 years, percent, April 1, 2010 24.8% 23.7% Persons 65 years and over, percent, April 1, 2010 13.6% 13.8% Female persons, percent, April 1, 2010 50.4% 50.9% RACE & HISPANIC ORIGIN White alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) 80.0% 78.9% Black or African American alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) 14.5% 14.2% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) 0.8% 0.6% Asian alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) 0.5% 2.4% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent, April 1, 2010 (a) Z Z Two or More Races, percent, April 1, 2010 2.7% 2.3% Hispanic or Latino, percent, April 1, 2010 (b) 4.8% .4%4 White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, April 1, 2010 77.3% 76.6% HOUSING Housing units, April 1, 2010 73,561 4,532,233 Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2010-2014 74.7% 71.5% Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2010-2014 $98,600 $120,200 Building permits, 2014 181 15933(1) Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 3 People Muskegon County Michigan EDUCATION High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2010-2014 88.4% 89.3% Bachelor's degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2010-2014 17.6% 26.4% HEALTH With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2010-2014 11.9% 10.2% INCOME & POVERTY Median household income (in 2014 dollars), 2010-2014 $41,842 $49,087 Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2014 dollars), 2010-2014 $21,037 $26,143 Persons in poverty, percent 20.0% 16.2% Geography Muskegon County Michigan Population per square mile, 2010 345 175 Land area in square miles, 2010 499 56,539 The population of Muskegon County is primarily urban, with nearly 70% of the population residing in urbanized areas in 2010. An additional five percent lived in urban clusters. Twenty-five percent of the county population lived in rural areas. This distribution is fairly consistent with the state average. In 2010, the US Census Bureau reported that just over 25% of vacant homes (2,004) were vacant for seasonal, recreational, or occasional use. Laketon Township, which encompasses most of Muskegon State Park, is a suburban community with a 2010 population of 7,563 in an area of 16 square miles. Muskegon State Park General Management Plan Appendix A – Supporting Analysis 4 A.3 REGIONAL RECREATION RESOURCES The Muskegon County area is rich in outdoor recreation and cultural resources. Federal-Owned Resources Huron-Manistee National Forest The Huron-Manistee National Forest comprises almost one million acres of public land extending across the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The Manistee National Forest covers approximately 12,500 acres in northeast Muskegon County and provides