In an effort to balance the state's budget, 20 of Michigan's 138 state forest campgrounds have been temporarily shut down Monday.
The decision came after $75,000 was eliminated from the state's Department of Natural Resources Recreation and Trails Program.
The cut means fewer camping spots and more canceled trips, which could hurt northern Michigan's economy, said Rep. Kevin Elsenheimer, R-Bellaire.
"I've already received numerous communications from people around the state who've been planning family vacations and trips to the campgrounds, and they've been canceled," Elsenheimer said. "These people come and buy food and gas."
The DNR's budget cut occurred because funds were smaller than previously expected and the state had agreed not to raise taxes, said Jessica Wortley, spokeswoman for Sen. Ron Jelinek, R-Three Oaks, who was the lead sponsor for the bill that led to the cuts.
"Pretty much every department took a hit," Wortley said. "That's, unfortunately, the reality of living in a state with a deficit rather than a surplus."
Typically, some are only equipped with a fire ring, water pumps and an outhouse, campgrounds offer a rustic camping experience. Sites cost $15 per night.
Elsenheimer said about a quarter of the closures occurred within his district, which covers Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan and Otsego counties, all of which are located in northern Michigan.
"We have a $42 billion budget, and each of the last five years, we've seen less money go to the Department of Natural Resources," he said. "Somehow, we can't bind money to keep these campgrounds open when we spend millions to tell people to come vacation in Michigan. Something's wrong."
Jim Radabaugh, recreation and trails manager for the state Department of Natural Resources, said his department examined three factors when deciding which state forest campgrounds to close: Average revenue generated over three years, how much revenue each campground site generated and the cost for maintaining the campground's facilities.
"The expenditure to keep them open was greater than the revenue received," he said. "The economic impact shouldn't be significant - there are 118 others in the state."
The cost of maintaining the campgrounds includes salaries for seasonal workers, contracts for companies that take care of the trash and pumping outhouse waste, he said.
Depending on the amount of revenue in the state's budget, the campgrounds could re-open by the start of the next fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, he said.
Laurie Marzolo, manager for the Atlanta Forest Management Unit, a division of the Department of Natural Resources, said three campgrounds in her district were closed.
Thunder Bay River State Forest Campground in Alpena County is one of those campgrounds. Now that it's closed, only one other state forest campground remains open in the county.
"Most of the people understand the budget crisis, but they don't want it to interrupt their plans," she said.
One reason the cutbacks aren't enjoyed is because the two parks offer different experiences. Thunder Bay River State Forest Campground is smaller and attracts anglers while Ossineke State Forest Campground & Pathway, located on Lake Huron, is larger and more family oriented, Marzolo said.
"We don't like to do the cutbacks, but we know we have to do them," she said. "We were at the point that if we didn't cut costs, we were cutting people."
