LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) — A proposal to grant Michigan’s veterans free access to state parks was not included in the state’s $82.5 billion budget for 2025, approved by lawmakers on June 27. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had recommended the initiative in her budget proposal, suggesting a shift from the current opt-in model to an opt-out model for the state’s recreation passport system.

The recreation passport, priced at $14 annually, allows vehicle access to 103 state parks, boat launches, and other state-managed recreation facilities. Under the existing system, residents opt-in to purchase the passport when renewing their vehicle registration or visiting a state park. While this opt-in model generates revenue, participation is relatively low because it requires an active decision by the resident. 

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Whitmer’s proposal aimed to automatically include the passport fee unless residents specifically opted out, and it also included an exemption from the fee for military veterans and active-duty service members. Presently, only Medal of Honor recipients, former prisoners of war, and those with a 100% disability rating from Veterans Affairs are exempt.

According to MLive, discussions regarding the recreational passports are ongoing, with Democratic House leadership indicating that the initiative may be revisited in the future. Although it was not included in the budget, shifting to an opt-out system remains a viable option that could be pursued independently of the budget process.

The proposed switch to an opt-out system was projected to generate an additional $17.2 million annually for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) due to an increase in participation rates. In this case, most residents would pay the fee by default unless they actively decided otherwise. This revenue would have contributed to the estimated $45 million needed to sustain and upgrade the state park system, as reported by MLive.

The park system, primarily self-supporting with only about 3% of its budget coming from general fund tax dollars, relies heavily on camping and lodging reservations for maintenance and operations funding. As it stands, around 40% of Michigan drivers opt for the recreation passport, contributing to over a quarter of the state park system’s funding. The opt-out model was expected to increase this participation to 60%, state officials told MLive. 

Ron Olson, DNR’s Parks and Recreation chief, stressed the importance of the opt-out model as long-term solution to prevent future funding shortfalls. He told MLive that this approach is necessary “so that we don’t go backwards into the hole.”