For years, Michigan officials have fretted about the growing list of overdue maintenance needs at their 103 state parks, Pew Charitable Trusts reported. Roads and trails, water and sewer systems, restrooms and electrical infrastructure are in dire need of replacement or repair—with a price tag that exceeds a quarter-billion dollars.
Aging infrastructure was pushed to the limit last year as the pandemic drove people outdoors in record numbers. Michigan state parks saw 36 million visitors in 2020, up from 27 million in a typical year.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has proposed investing $250 million of federal aid into the maintenance backlog at state parks.
Read the full story from Pew Charitable Trusts here.
