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‘Never’ Does Not Exist – Recreation
“We will never have the prosperity we had in the 90’s. The people of Michigan just have to learn to live with less.â€
–Richard Ball, debate with Mike Powers, September 2004
Note: This is the seventh in a series on revitalizing Shiawassee County
Community Support — Recreation
Public recreation opportunities offer individual, community, economic, and environmental benefits to our community. Parks and other natural amenities contribute to physical and mental health, family unity, safe and stable communities, and a clean environment. They increase commercial property value and increase tourism in the area. We cannot continue to view community recreation programs as something that we cannot afford. Shiawassee has a beautiful landscape that should be preserved, nurtured, and marketed to our residents and neighbors.
Recreation grants – communities that demonstrate a financial need for a public recreation service are eligible to apply for assistance from the county. The assistance would be capped at a maximum percentage of the demonstrated need. For example, Holman Pool in Owosso required $50,000 in operating funds for 2006. Through this program, the county could have provided a grant of up to 30%, or $15,000.14 However, a “demonstrated financial need†is not the same as “we do not want to payâ€. Citizens must hold their local municipalities responsible for their spending decisions, and not look to the county for financial assistance unless such assistance absolutely necessary.
Conservation and preservation grants – similar to the Conservation Reserve Program15, this program would offer financial incentives to private landowners who restore natural amenities on their land and then open those areas to the public. The program would be voluntary, require a pre-determined time commitment, and would only partially cover the expenses of restoration. However, it is likely that the landowner would recover the investment of restoration through the increased property value of the land.
Recreation education – the county has many parks and natural amenities that remain underused because residents either are not aware of them, or do not fully appreciate the benefits of community recreation. A small marketing campaign targeting the residents of Shiawassee will increase the use of these areas, and lower the number of people who drive out of the county for outdoor fun. The county must invest in raising awareness of its natural assets through the use of local media and its own digital resources. This is an inexpensive method to improve the quality of life in our communities.
Next Time: Building Self Reliance
14 These figures are just used as examples to illustrate the program, and not meant to suggest a particular percentage or dollar amount
15 http://www.mi.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/crp.html
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