Proactive Parks: Bolstering Sustainability, Resilience & Vitality in Michigan's State Parks

Abstract

In partnership with the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Parks and Recreation Division and Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, this capstone project supports the State’s efforts to plan for the future of Michigan State Parks. Park management agencies across the country have been shifting to promote sustainability, climate adaptation, and vitality. This team has been tasked with assessing these issues through state- level assessment of climate adaptation and electric recreational vehicle potential, as well as more location specific assessments of Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the Upper Peninsula and Belle Isle State Park in Detroit. The first of four sections focuses on the current and future opportunities to promote e-recreational vehicles (ERVs) in parks across the state. This team, led by Danielle Contorer, Harrison Clark, and Jihwan Park has proposed steps to encourage the use of climate-friendly electric recreational vehicles in parks through infrastructure development. In addition to planning recommendations for where these chargers should be placed, this section examines private and grant-based mechanisms which may fund upgraded electric infrastructure and the best course of implementation for ERV chargers, based on existing case studies and programs. The second section focuses on climate adaptation efforts highlighting natural vulnerabilities across the state of Michigan to better prepare for declining weather conditions and increased natural disasters. This team, led by Dylan Vaughn-Jansen, Lingxiao Du, and Sarah Fleckenstein addresses best practices for the implementation of a general management plan, recommends adaptive strategies, and summarizes research regarding the increased climate risk faced by the State of Michigan. The remaining two sections provide more site-specific explorations and recommendations to help parks identified by the State. Belle Isle State Park is exploring a number of changes within the park to enhance visitors’ experiences. This team, led by Christopher Dahman and Jiahao Wang, develops plans to improve natural areas, promote sustainable transportation, and manage off-peak periods. These plans include multiple approaches for increasing park vitality including goose population management, urban dark sky, turf remediation, media plans, and event programming. The Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park team, led by Arthur O’Leary, Matthew Hastings, and Rasha Mohamed, investigates approaches to increase economic vitality in the face of climate change at Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. The Porcupine Mountains staff are interested in the long-term viability of the park’s recreational area. This section of the report will examine projections for the Midwest skiable season and suggest potential avenues for the park’s economic development including through increasing recreational opportunities outside of skiing. Reorganizing lodging prices, utilizing the ski hill area for recreation opportunities like mountain biking, and building adventure course attractions are among the top recommendations to cement the park’s ability to draw regional visitors. Faculty Advisor: Jeff Kahan GSI: Taru