Tom Morang
06-10-2009, 10:31 AM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 10, 2009
Contact: Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
State Parks, Recreation Areas, Forest Campgrounds and Boating Access
Sites Will Be Open for Business on State Furlough Days
The Department of Natural Resources will have certain facilities open
for business with the public on the six days that state employees will
be furloughed as part of state budget cuts, while other facilities will
be closed.
“While the employees of the DNR will be doing their part to help ease
the state’s budget situation by taking six days off without pay, we
will keep certain facilities open to the public on those days by
arranging for minimal staff and furloughing staff on other days to
accommodate scheduling,” said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. “Other
facilities will be closed, like other state department offices around
the state.”
Most state employees will be subject to six days off without pay over
the next four months as part of state budget reductions. Those days are
all Fridays, with the exception of Monday, July 6. The Fridays that are
furlough days are: June 19, July 24, Aug. 7 and 21 and Sept. 4.
DNR facilities and services that will be available to the public those
days include:
- All state parks, state recreation areas and state forest campgrounds
(with the exception of forest campgrounds that were closed earlier this
year) will be open with minimal staff for operations.
- Conservation officers will work on the furlough days and be
furloughed instead on staggered days throughout the same week to
minimize impact on statewide coverage.
- The DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Room will be minimally staffed
to ensure public access to the DNR’s 24-hour law enforcement hotline.
- State fire officers will work in skeleton crews to ensure statewide
coverage.
- The state’s six fish hatcheries will be closed to the public, but
will each have one person working on the furlough days to ensure
operations are not jeopardized by an unforeseen event, such as a power
failure.
- The Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, a DNR conference and event
center near Roscommon, will be open on furlough days to accommodate
previously scheduled events.
- DNR-owned boating access sites and boat harbors will be open, some
with minimal staff.
- The Retail Sales System to purchase hunting and fishing licenses and
the Campground Reservation System to make reservations at state parks
and recreation areas will be operational.
DNR facilities and services that will not be available to the public on
the state furlough days include:
- All DNR divisional offices in Lansing, and field offices and
Operations Service Centers across the state will be closed.
- The 10 DNR visitor centers around the state will be closed.
- The six DNR-owned shooting ranges around the state will be closed.
- The DNR Wildlife Disease Lab at the Diagnostic Center for Population
and Animal Health at Michigan State University will be closed.
- No DNR volunteers will be working on furlough days.
- DNR creel clerks will not be doing survey work at harbors and ports
around the state on furlough days.
Humphries noted that the department does have an emergency call-back
plan that will be activated in the event of an emergency, such as a
wildfire, on furlough days.
“We hope that the public will not be greatly inconvenienced by this
unfortunate, but necessary, occurrence,” Humphries said. “DNR
employees will do their best to make sure that our guests and customers
are not impacted as they enjoy Michigan’s great outdoors.”
For more information on the DNR, visit the DNR online at
www.michigan.gov/dnr.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use
and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future
generations.
June 10, 2009
Contact: Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014
State Parks, Recreation Areas, Forest Campgrounds and Boating Access
Sites Will Be Open for Business on State Furlough Days
The Department of Natural Resources will have certain facilities open
for business with the public on the six days that state employees will
be furloughed as part of state budget cuts, while other facilities will
be closed.
“While the employees of the DNR will be doing their part to help ease
the state’s budget situation by taking six days off without pay, we
will keep certain facilities open to the public on those days by
arranging for minimal staff and furloughing staff on other days to
accommodate scheduling,” said DNR Director Rebecca Humphries. “Other
facilities will be closed, like other state department offices around
the state.”
Most state employees will be subject to six days off without pay over
the next four months as part of state budget reductions. Those days are
all Fridays, with the exception of Monday, July 6. The Fridays that are
furlough days are: June 19, July 24, Aug. 7 and 21 and Sept. 4.
DNR facilities and services that will be available to the public those
days include:
- All state parks, state recreation areas and state forest campgrounds
(with the exception of forest campgrounds that were closed earlier this
year) will be open with minimal staff for operations.
- Conservation officers will work on the furlough days and be
furloughed instead on staggered days throughout the same week to
minimize impact on statewide coverage.
- The DNR’s Report All Poaching (RAP) Room will be minimally staffed
to ensure public access to the DNR’s 24-hour law enforcement hotline.
- State fire officers will work in skeleton crews to ensure statewide
coverage.
- The state’s six fish hatcheries will be closed to the public, but
will each have one person working on the furlough days to ensure
operations are not jeopardized by an unforeseen event, such as a power
failure.
- The Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center, a DNR conference and event
center near Roscommon, will be open on furlough days to accommodate
previously scheduled events.
- DNR-owned boating access sites and boat harbors will be open, some
with minimal staff.
- The Retail Sales System to purchase hunting and fishing licenses and
the Campground Reservation System to make reservations at state parks
and recreation areas will be operational.
DNR facilities and services that will not be available to the public on
the state furlough days include:
- All DNR divisional offices in Lansing, and field offices and
Operations Service Centers across the state will be closed.
- The 10 DNR visitor centers around the state will be closed.
- The six DNR-owned shooting ranges around the state will be closed.
- The DNR Wildlife Disease Lab at the Diagnostic Center for Population
and Animal Health at Michigan State University will be closed.
- No DNR volunteers will be working on furlough days.
- DNR creel clerks will not be doing survey work at harbors and ports
around the state on furlough days.
Humphries noted that the department does have an emergency call-back
plan that will be activated in the event of an emergency, such as a
wildfire, on furlough days.
“We hope that the public will not be greatly inconvenienced by this
unfortunate, but necessary, occurrence,” Humphries said. “DNR
employees will do their best to make sure that our guests and customers
are not impacted as they enjoy Michigan’s great outdoors.”
For more information on the DNR, visit the DNR online at
www.michigan.gov/dnr.
The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use
and enjoyment of the state’s natural resources for current and future
generations.