AUDIT CITES NEED FOR D.N.R. TO BETTER MONITOR FUND USAGE
January 29, 2009 
The Department of Natural Resources could improve the way it monitors the use of both general fund and Natural Resources Trust Fund money, but the findings of the financial audit released Wednesday didn’t find the deficiencies resulted in a material weakness.
The report by Auditor General Thomas McTavish, which covered the period of October 1, 2005 to September 30, 2007, said DNR overestimated the cost of fighting the Sleeper Lake fire by $1.5 million. While vendor costs associated to aircraft expenditures came in at $640,000, the department did not change its accounts payable to reflect that and kept the total at $2.1 million.
DNR said it didn’t believe that to be the last vendor bill, but the audit criticized the department for not following up to see why there was a difference in what the cost was expected to be and what it actually was.
In its response, the department said it believes forgiving the liability as revenue in the subsequent fiscal year was appropriate.
The audit also found that $1.8 million in trust fund costs were recorded for the 2005-06 fiscal year, but weren’t actually expended by that year’s end. As a result, the 2005-06 cost was overstated, while the 2006-07 was understated, the audit found. The DNR agreed with the audit’s finding and recommendation.
The audit also recommended the department tighten up its internal monitoring of employee time cards and its oversight of dollars passed through DNR to other entities. In those cases, the department indicated it had taken corrective action where needed by the end of 2008.
MSHDA Announces Grants Totaling Over $3 million to Support Foreclosure Prevention Counseling Efforts and Legal Assistance Funding
January 28, 2009 
Contact: Mary Lou Keenon
Communications Office
Telephone: 517/373-0011
Grant provides much-needed boost to Michigan’s homeowners in danger of foreclosure
LANSING – Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Executive Director Keith Molin today announced that the Authority has received contingent awards in the amount of $2,451,750 to support Michigan’s foreclosure prevention counseling efforts and $617,646 in Legal Assistance Funds.
The much-needed boost will enable the Authority to provide more foreclosure counseling than ever before to Michigan homeowners in danger of foreclosure. The announcement of the grants coincides with the launch of a public service media campaign – including print, television, radio and web messages – that urges homeowners to call MSHDA homeownership counselors before they miss a payment. The best chance for Michigan homeowners in financial trouble to keep their homes is to address financial issues and work with their mortgage lenders early, before it’s too late.
“These grants are good news for Michigan’s economic recovery and especially good news for homeowners caught in the throes of the mortgage crisis,” said Molin. “The grants will help thousands of homeowners get the necessary guidance, or legal assistance if needed, to prevent the foreclosure process and “Save the Dream” of homeownership.”
The grant to support Michigan’s foreclosure intervention efforts was provided by funds from the National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program. The initial funding was provided by Congress in the FY08 Consolidated Appropriations Act and additional funding was provided through the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The National Foreclosure Mitigation Counseling Program is administered through a competitive application process by NeighborWorks ® America, within guidelines defined by Congressional legislation. NeighborWorks America is an independent, Congressionally-chartered non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., with a mission to provide access to sustainable homeownership and safe, affordable rental housing.
“We are delighted to have had a role in bringing these funds to Michigan through a laborious grant process that was well worth the effort,” Molin said. “As a result, our homeownership counselors will be even better equipped to help homeowners here in Michigan with foreclosure prevention efforts.”
Before you miss a payment, make the call, and be directed to a foreclosure prevention homeownership counselor, at MSHDA’s toll free “Save the Dream” hotline at 866-946-7432, or visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda and click on the “Save the Dream” icon.
MSHDA’s vision in the 21 st century is to improve the quality of life for all Michigan residents and create vibrant communities by focusing on providing safe, affordable housing through homeownership and rental programs; ending homelessness; and revitalizing neighborhoods and downtowns. MSHDA’s loans and operating expenses are financed through the sale of tax-exempt and taxable bonds and notes to private investors, not from state tax revenues. For information on this and other MSHDA programs, visit the Web site at www.michigan.gov/mshda.
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Ferris Officials Report Increase in Spring Enrollment
January 27, 2009 
BIG RAPIDS – As the new year begins so do spring semester classes at Ferris State University, where officials are reporting spring enrollment figures remain healthy.
The fastest-growing public university in Michigan, Ferris officials report there are 12,687 students enrolled systemwide. With 280 more students attending classes in Spring 2009 over 2008, this translates into a 2.3 percent enrollment increase systemwide.
In particular, the university’s College of Allied Health Sciences has seen enrollment growth of nearly 12 percent over this time last year, said Dean of Enrollment Services Kristen Salomonson. The university also continues to see steady growth in online learning and in its freshman student population.
“Strong growth in the College of Allied Health Sciences illustrates Ferris’ ability to remain nimble and offer degree programs students want, and offer career opportunities with a positive occupational outlook,” Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs Dan Burcham added.
Such programs include a new Associate of Applied Science degree being offered in the CAHS, Salomonson noted. The curriculum allows recipients of Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) funding the ability to earn a two-year degree, continue pursuit of a bachelor’s degree and remain TIP eligible. TIP program funding assists low-income students by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond. Eligibility requirements are set by the Michigan Department of Human Services.
The A.A.S. also is beneficial to students, who for a variety of reasons, decide to step out of their program, or who are unable to progress in their program of choice, by providing them with a core set of skills that will allow them to obtain employment in a health care setting. According to CAHS Dean Ellen Haneline, there are 25 to 30 students each year that are unable to enter their degree program of choice, with half of those students choosing to leave the University without a degree.
The A.A.S. degree provides an opportunity for those students to obtain a degree that will lead to their employment in the healthcare field.
Along with its degree offerings, the University also offers students a wide array of scholarship opportunities that help defray the cost of obtaining a degree at Ferris, Burcham said. Nearly 7,000 scholarships worth a total value of $18.9 million were awarded to students for the 2008-09 academic year.
Included in that funding was $2.1 million in Ferris grant money that was distributed among approximately 1,500 students qualifying for need-based assistance. Salomonson noted the university is helping more students today, with total financial aid funding increasing in just a few short years from $81 million to more than $100 million today.
“Traditionally, Ferris students have been financially challenged, and if students want to come to school, we want to make sure we can help them,” Salomonson said.
“The student-centered approach of our faculty and staff has created a supportive educational environment for which students are responding positively,” Ferris President David Eisler said. “The kind of career-oriented education we offer is important to students today. Our graduates leave with degrees that prepare them to succeed in an increasingly competitive global economy.”
Besides its main campus in Big Rapids, Ferris offers degree programs in Grand Rapids through the College of Professional and Technological Studies, and at Kendall College of Art and Design, and at more than 20 off-campus locations throughout Michigan.
Enrollment has remained steady at the university’s Big Rapids campus, with 8,989 students enrolled. There are 2,441 students enrolled in the College of Professional and Technological Studies, and other sites throughout the state, an increase of 230 students.
Kendall also saw an enrollment increase, with 1,257 students attending classes this spring.
“It is gratifying to see how much the programs we offer are resonating with students,” KCAD President Oliver Evans said. “With faculty who are professional artists and an atmosphere that promotes creativity, Kendall attracts some of the most talented young artists and designers around.”
Grant Creates Community Partnership
BIG RAPIDS – Ferris State University was awarded one of five grants designed to build community partnerships promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy use. The $24,896 grant partners Ferris with the city of Big Rapids, DTE Energy, Mecosta County, Mecosta County Area Chamber of Commerce and Mid Michigan Community Action Agency.
The grant is funded by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth but is only one of several components included in the proposal, which also includes in-kind contributions of time and resources by Ferris faculty and staff, and $12,500 provided by the MMCAA, along with a grant award of up to $30,000 from the DTE Foundation.
The proposal includes multiple tasks, Ferris’ Director of Corporate and Professional Development Tom Crandell said, some of them including:
• MMCAA conducting energy audits for five low-income families;
• Ferris conducting walk-through energy audits for 10 middle-income families;
• Ferris hosting public education sessions, from a general public seminar on understanding energy bills and solutions for renewable energy to workshops targeted at industry professionals;
• DTE Foundation providing grant funding that will provide passes for professionals to attend the second annual Michigan Energy Conference at Ferris April 16 and 17, 2009.
Information on how to participate in the energy audits will be available by the end of January at www.ferris.edu/energy. Individuals may nominate themselves.
“This is a countywide effort that ties into sustainability efforts at Ferris to become known as the energy efficiency center of Michigan,” Crandell said. “We’re hoping the model we create will be replicated across the state.”
Other energy efficiency efforts at the university include coursework for Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration students designed around service-learning principles. Some HVACR students participate annually in Heat the Country, which provides cleaning, servicing and replacing of furnace parts for low-income families each fall. Others, through coursework, already are conducting commercial energy audits as classroom projects, Crandell added.
The College of Engineering Technology also hosted the first Michigan Energy Conference during Spring 2008. The conference was designed to promote open dialogue on using energy effectively and efficiently to create sustainable environments at home and work.
New 2009 state transportation map features Michigan’s scenic roadside parks and turnouts
Contact: Janet Foran, MDOT Office of Communications, 517-335-7176
Agency: Transportation
January 22, 2009 – - Michigan’s scenic roadside parks and turnouts are featured in the newest edition of the state transportation map, which is now available at Travel Michigan Welcome Centers and Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) offices.
The 2009 map features a unique variety of parks throughout the state, from the Huron Shores Roadside Park located near Cheboygan (featured on the cover), to the spectacular Cut River Bridge Roadside Park in the Upper Peninsula, to the peaceful tranquility of Bellamy Creek in Ionia County. There are more than 80 roadside parks in Michigan, and dozens more scenic turnouts.
“Michigan’s roadside parks are hidden treasures, just waiting to be discovered,” said State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle. “They are located mostly on rural state highways and are the perfect spots to relax, hike, take pictures, or enjoy one of the Great Lakes. We have a history in Michigan of preserving these park-like areas for travelers. In fact, the first roadside park in the nation was created by Herbert Larson in 1919 on US-2 near Iron River.”
To help find roadside parks, an online map is now available on the MDOT Web site at www.michigan.gov/roadsidepark. Scroll over a roadside park symbol, a solid green triangle, to get more details, including location, photos and special features of the park, such as artesian wells, walking trails, or historical markers.
Some parks have unique history lessons to tell. For instance, White Rock Roadside Park in Huron County is the site of boulders used as boundary markers to define the territory in the Treaty of Detroit in 1807, while a park outside Lansing teaches about the Grand River Trail, which began as a Native American trail and later became a plank road. For more information on Michigan’s Historical Marker program, go to www.michigan.gov/markers.
Department staff plans to add more photos and information to this special online feature, which is the first time roadside parks have been viewable on the Web.
Steudle said there are several important updates on the map, including a green car symbol to help motorists easily locate carpool lots, updated information about state parks, and the addition of the mastodon to the list of state symbols (Michigan’s state fossil since 2002). Also, the 14th, and newest, Welcome Center in Detroit was added.
A Web-based version of the map is available in PDF format. There are 26 city maps available online.
About 1.5 million maps will be produced this year, at a cost of 14 cents per copy. To view the online version of the map, get more details, report a suspected error, or request a free copy of the state transportation map, go to the MDOT Web site: www.michigan.gov/statemap.
‘GO-Get Outdoors’ for Lantern Lit Cross-Country Ski Evening at Cheboygan State Park Feb. 14
Contact: Paul Koszegi 231-627-2811
Agency: Natural Resources
Jan. 26, 2009
Cheboygan State Park will hold a “GO-Get Outdoors” lantern lit cross-country ski evening on Saturday, Feb. 14, from 5:30 to 9 p.m. From the park trailhead off Suffern Road, skiers will find approximately one and a half miles of groomed and track-set trails lit by lantern approximately every 50 feet.
“If a person has not skied by lanterns, they will experience a new adventure being on the trail with the woods aglow from the lantern light,” said Paul Koszegi, the park supervisor. “And the lantern lit trail gives a unique way to celebrate Valentine’s Day with someone special.”
Visitors can enjoy a bonfire at the trailhead before they start out and then they will find another bonfire, snacks and hot chocolate at 14 Foot Shoals cabin located at the halfway point on the trail. Snowshoers are also welcome, but are asked to keep to one side of the groomed ski tracks.
The park is open throughout the winter for skiing. This event will be held weather permitting, and interested participants should call ahead to confirm there is adequate snowfall at the park.
Cheboygan State Park also offers several rustic cabins for winter lodging. Each cabin sleeps eight people. Reservations can be made by calling 800-447-2757 or online at www.midnrreservations.com. Cheboygan State Park is located at 4490 Beach Rd., just two miles southeast of Cheboygan on US-23.
For more information about this event, accessibility, or persons needing accommodations to attend this event, contact the park supervisor at (231) 627-2811 (or TTY/TDD 711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired) at least seven days prior to the weekend, or view information about accessibility details at www.michigan.gov/dnr, under “Recreation, Camping & Boating.”
All motor vehicles entering a state park or recreation area must display a Motor Vehicle Permit, available for purchase at the park headquarters or at the trail head. Cost is $24 for a resident annual and $6 for a resident daily. A nonresident annual is $29 and a nonresident daily is $8.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future generations.
GOVERNOR SIGNS BILLS FOR LIGHT RAIL IN DETROIT
A package of bills authorizing a privately-constructed 3.4-mile light rail line in
Detroit has been signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. The bills allow some $100 million in contributions from philanthropists to be used for building the line along Woodward Avenue, connected sporting and cultural venues.
The system’s operating funds would come from government sources.
Volunteers needed to help run state parks, and camp for free.
Are you looking for something to keep you busy this summer without spending a lot of money?
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is offering free camping for outdoor lovers who volunteer as campground hosts at Michigan state parks or forest campgrounds.
There are only a few stipulations.
You have to be at least 18 years old, be available to provide services 5 days a week for a total of 30 hours a week, serve a minimum of 4 consecutive weeks, and supply your own camping equipment.
Campground hosts are needed to answer visitor questions, arrange activates, and help with light maintenance.
For more information on becoming a campground host at state park recreation areas contact Maia Stephens at 1-517-373-8378.
For more information on becoming a campground host at a state forest recreation area contact Ada Takacs at 1-989-275-5151 Ext. 2049.
‘Green initiatives’ on tap for state parks
TRAVERSE CITY — Michigan’s state parks soon may become greener than ever.
A new draft strategic plan for the Parks and Recreation Division of the state Department of Natural Resources includes a laundry list of “green initiatives” to be adopted by all state parks. Local state parks will expand recycling programs, use energy-saving light fixtures and bulbs, plus explore potential wind and solar power generation, officials said.
“It’s to do the right thing and set a good example,” said Ron Olson, DNR parks and recreation chief. “We want to set some strong visionary goals.”
Statewide plans call for energy conservation, use of non-caustic cleaning products, promotion of recycling efforts, research into renewable energy, use of biofuels and low-flow plumbing, among other concepts.
“Some of these things have been going on and we’re going to do more,” said Tim Schreiner, state park supervisor in Traverse City and Northport.
Fluorescent light bulbs are on the way out at Traverse City, Leelanau and Interlochen state parks, where they are to be replaced in 2009 with smaller wattage fixtures expected to annually save thousands of dollars in energy costs, he said.
Energy-efficient water heaters will be installed, motion-detection sensors will be used in all buildings and waterless urinals will save thousands of gallons of water. State officials also will explore whether wind or solar power generation can be implemented at the rustic Leelanau State Park and the bustling Traverse City State Park, Schreiner said.
Leelanau State Park is a rustic campground near Northport and a small windmill possibly could generate enough electricity to power park offices, since camp sites do not have electrical service, he said.
“Maybe Leelanau State Park could be a positive electrical producer, generating more electricity that we use,” Schreiner said.
Some environmentalists believe more details are needed with the new “green initiatives.”
“This is a plan for a plan. It’s not a plan,” said Marvin Roberson, forest ecologist with the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club. “We certainly agree with most of these principles. That’s the unfortunate thing: They are principles and not plans.”
Roberson wants more developed ideas to better detail exactly how these general environmental principles will be implemented, he said.
The DNR wants public comments on the full draft strategic plan for 2009 to 2019, posted online at www.michigan.gov/prdstrategicplans. The deadline for comments is Jan. 30 and they can be e-mailed to DNR-RecreationFeedback@michigan.gov, or mailed to: Paul Curtis, DNR-Parks and Recreation Division, P.O. Box 30257, Lansing, MI 48909-7757.
Communities working to connect trails
Lansing portion of system mostly done, but work remains
Winter has lowered an iron curtain over our running lives, and the economy around these parts is dismal. All things considered, life in early January can be quite depressing, so it’s good to have something positive to focus on.
Consider, for example, all of the great things that are happening with the trail system in the greater Lansing area. Sometime in the not too distant future, you will be able to head out for a long run on a continuous trail that extends all the way from Haslett to the outskirts of Holt.
That concept may seem like little more than a wistful dream for runners, walkers, bikers and rollerbladers who regularly use existing trails, but consider the fact that many of the pieces are already in place.
For years, walkways have skirted the Red Cedar River through the Michigan State campus. In addition, the Lansing River trail extends from just west of MSU through Potter Park and the downtown area to where it now ends in North Lansing. There is also a spur that runs into Moores Park.
This past summer, new sections of the Lansing River Trail were opened from Potter Park to Scott Woods, and from Cavanaugh Road to Jolly Road. With these sections complete, the Lansing portion of the trail system is mostly finished, though some expansion is included in long-term plans.
“My focus now is going to be on assisting Delhi Township in going south,” said Murdock Jemerson, the director of parks and recreation for the City of Lansing. “Another challenge will be paying for ongoing maintenance of the river trail.”
Jemerson said Lansing residents will be able to support trail maintenance by approving a park millage in August.
Meridian Township is also getting into the act.
“The township’s non-motorized pathway master plan includes a network of inter-connected trails that we are actively implementing,” said Younes Ishraidi, the township’s chief engineer. “A new section was completed last fall that extends from Burcham Road to Okemos Road.” This section connects with a trail to Central Park South and one that will eventually reach Marsh Road in Haslett. Ishraidi also notes that the Township is working with Ingham County on a connecting trail to the MSU campus.
In fact, the grand plan being promoted by Ingham county is a 23-mile Capital Connector Trail which, when completed, will link several major capital area parks including Ingham County’s Lake Lansing Park, Hawk Island Park, Burchfield Park, Potter Park and the Hope Soccer Complex.
Connecting the dots
Vic Randall, assistant manager for the Ingham County Parks Department, says the Lake Lansing component of the trail project will be completed in three phases. “Phase I is the segment from Lake Lansing Park South to Park Lake Road, which we are actively working on,” he said. “Phase II will complete the connection to MSU, with easement acquisition efforts currently underway. Phase III is the Lake Lansing Park North connection, which will be developed at a later time with routing to be worked out with project partners.”
The connection from MSU into Meridian Township will involve a surface crossing at Grand River Avenue where it intersects with Park Lake Road. The original plan was to follow the Canadian National Railroad under Grand River, but the right of way is too narrow to accommodate a trail along busy tracks beneath the overpass.
Randal said another priority for the county is to help develop a connection from the terminus of the Lansing River Trail at Jolly Road to a new section of trail from Willoughby Road to Holt Road that was recently completed in Delhi Township.
“It is the township’s goal to complete the construction of the Willoughby Road to Jolly Road section in 2009,” said Tracy Miller, director of the Community Development Department for Delhi Township.
“There is a very good preliminary route identified, and initial design feasibility work has been completed,” Miller said. “There are a couple of challenges which we believe to be resolvable at this time, but which will require some additional work and ingenuity.”
He listed the crossing required along the Sycamore Creek under I-96 as an example.
Although their system does not directly tie in to the Capital Connector Trail, East Lansing has also been active with the development of the North Tier Trail system that extends north from residential neighborhoods south of Lake Lansing road to State Road.
Future plans include an extension from where the Delhi Township trail ends at Holt Road to a soon to be completed section of the Hayhoe Trail at Howell Road north of Mason. Additionally, the City of Lansing may extend the Lansing River Trail spur from Moores Park to Grand River Park.
Everybody involved in area trail development stresses the importance of cooperation that has existed among the various players. Development efforts have been facilitated by the Heart of Michigan Trails Partnership, an organization comprised of trail planners and other representatives from Ingham, Eaton and Clinton counties as well as many area municipalities.
This local organization is a member of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, a statewide organization that fosters the creation of an interconnected statewide system of trails and greenways for environmental and cultural preservation purposes.
“We are developing an exceptional regional trail system because of the effective partnership with stakeholders from state and local agencies, the business community and non-profit agencies,” Randall said.
Stacy Miller also touts the efforts of local officials.
“They recognize that it is these types of public amenities and improvements that help to ensure that a community is considered a good place to live and do business,” she said. “I believe that encouraging and developing opportunities for alternative transportation options, healthy activity and recreation are vital to ensuring the overall sustainability of our community.”
