For just over $1 a month, Passport holders get a year's worth of vehicle entry to state parks and other outdoor recreation opportunities.



Share or view as webpage [ [link removed] ]? |? Update preferences [ [link removed] ]


DNR banner with link to website [ [link removed] ]
"DNR News"
a well-trod sandy path winds through pale green and brown grasses to a sand dune on the shore, a steel blue sky stretches all the way across


Feb. 10, 2023
Contact: Ron Olson <[email protected]>, 517-243-1477

Starting March 1, residents will pay $13 for Recreation Passport; first increase in three years

"Passport gives year-round vehicle access to state parks and other outdoor recreation, and an easy way to help protect natural resources for generations"

Packing up for a camping trip. Fishing from your favorite pier. Parking the car, ready to enjoy thousands of miles of motorized and nonmotorized trails or drop your boat in the water ...?

Those are just a few outdoor amenities and experiences that start with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources? valued-packed Recreation Passport, which gives year-round vehicle access to 100-plus state parks and recreation areas, more than 1,000 state-managed boating access sites, 140-plus state forest campgrounds, and parking at thousands of miles of trails and other outdoor spaces.

Next month, people will see a slight increase in the cost of a Recreation Passport, but at just over a dollar per month it is still the best recreation deal around. Effective March 1, the Recreation Passport resident vehicle fee increases from $12 to $13 (and from $6 to $7 for motorcycles) ? the first such increase since 2020.

The moderate fee change is a result of a statutory provision that ensures Recreation Passport funding keeps pace with the economy. Basically, the law says that the DNR does not determine the cost of the Recreation Passport; instead, fee adjustments are based on the Consumer Price Index, as determined by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The notice of change was provided by the Michigan Department of Treasury in November.

March 1, the resident Recreation Passport fee will increase:

* From $12 to $13 for vehicles.
* From $6 to $7 for motorcycles.
* From $24 to $26 for two-year vehicle registrations.

"There's a $5 convenience fee (except for Belle Isle Park) when the Recreation Passport is not purchased at the time of your license plate registration renewal through the Secretary of State, and is instead purchased at a state park or recreation area."

"New nonresident Recreation Passport fees, including the nonresident annual pass that went from $36 to $39, went into effect Jan. 1, 2023."

circular blue graphic, almost like a life preserver, with words Recreation Passport inred text, wrapped by blue words Play, Protect, Preserve

?The Recreation Passport model, introduced in 2010, provides a unique funding opportunity for the state?s parks and recreation system,? said Ron Olson, DNR Parks and Recreation chief.

"In essence, the annual resident Recreation Passport was tied to the Secretary of State?s vehicle registration process," he said. "Not only was the purchasing opportunity put in front of more residents, but the cost per vehicle also dropped significantly. That shift resulted in more purchases that ultimately better support these outdoor spaces and protect natural and cultural resources for the next generation.?

In fiscal year 2022, 40% of eligible vehicles in Michigan had the Recreation Passport.

All revenue generated by Recreation Passport sales goes into a restricted fund that supports state park infrastructure and operations, a local grant program for community recreation agencies, state forest campgrounds and nonmotorized pathways and trails, cultural and historic resource restoration, and marketing and promotion.



Olson noted, too, that Michigan state parks are largely self-supporting [ [link removed] ]. Approximately 97% of state parks funding is generated by user fees (including the Recreation Passport) and royalty revenues; just 3% comes from Michigan's General Fund tax dollars.

Learn more about the Recreation Passport ? how to get it, where it can take you, what it supports ? at Michigan.gov/RecreationPassport [ [link removed] ].

________________________________________________________________________

Download the new Michigan DNR Hunt Fish app [ [link removed] ]
twitter icon circle [ [link removed] ]facebook icon circle [ [link removed] ]YouTube icon circle [ [link removed] ]instagram icon [ [link removed] ]pinterest icon circle [ [link removed] ]email icon circle [ [link removed] ]




If you wish to no longer receive emails from the DNR,
please update your preferences here:
Manage Preferences [ [link removed]? ]??|??Delete Profile [ [link removed] ]? |??Help [ [link removed] ]

Need further assistance?
Contact Us [ [link removed] ]??|??Provide Feedback <[email protected]>

Visit us on our website: Michigan.gov/DNR [ [link removed] ]

________________________________________________________________________

This email was sent to [email protected] using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Michigan Department of Natural Resources ? Constitution Hall, 525 W. Allegan St., PO Box 30028 Lansing MI 48909 ? 1-800-439-1420