Mackinac Island State Park Commission
Encyclopedia
The Mackinac Island State Park Commission is an appointed board of the State of Michigan that administers state parklands in the Straits of Mackinac
area. It performs public activities under the name Mackinac State Historic Parks. Park units include Mackinac Island State Park
including Fort Mackinac
and certain properties within the historic downtown of Mackinac Island, Michigan
; Colonial Michilimackinac including Fort Michilimackinac
and Old Mackinac Point Light; and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park
. It is assigned to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
.
Mackinac State Historic Parks is accredited by the American Association of Museums
. Over one million artifacts are in the collection. which are overseen by a professional curator
ial staff. Archeological digs are conducted, and educational opportunities, including lesson plans, are available. The commission maintains the official Governor's Mansion on Mackinac Island and distributes photographs, media kits, brochures and other promotional material.
On July 15, 2009, the Park celebrated its 20 millionth visitor.
—to serve six-year terms. In fiscal year 2003 the gross appropriation for the Mackinac park system was $2,950,800; $1,037,600 of this amount comes from the Mackinac Island state park fund, while $76,400 was generated from user fees. The state general fund made up the remaining $1,836,800. Some public critics have proposed that the Mackinac Island State Park and the Commission be privatized. Management practices have been deemed effective in years past in independent audits.
Budget cuts and ‘belt tightening’ have been on the agency's agenda for several years.
The Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created as the governing body of Mackinac State Historic Parks. In 1875, the government land on Mackinac Island, which encompassed 50 percent of the island, was designated the second national park
in the United States. In 1895, it was turned over to the state of Michigan, becoming Michigan's first state park. That year, the state legislature created the Mackinac Island State Park Commission to be stewards of the park and its many historic structures. Due to commission efforts, park land now encompasses 80 percent of Mackinac Island, which includes 1800 acres (7.3 km²). The commission now also manages parks on the mainland. In total, the commission is responsible for a combined 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of parkland within Mackinac State Historic Parks, more than 110 buildings and about 1.7 million artifacts.
The chairman of the commission is the former (youngest, oldest and longest serving) Michigan Attorney General
Frank J. Kelley
, appointed in his current post in 2007. Other commission members are Kelley Cawthorne; former Michigan House of Representatives Republican
Leader, and current vice chairman of the commission, Dennis O. Cawthorne.; Barry J. Goodman; Karen Karam; Richard A. Manoogian; Laurie A. Stupak, former Mayor
of Menominee, Michigan
, and wife of Bart Stupak
; and Jim Williams.
Straits of Mackinac
The Straits of Mackinac is the strip of water that connects two of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, and separates the Lower Peninsula of Michigan from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is a shipping lane providing passage for raw materials and finished goods, connecting, for...
area. It performs public activities under the name Mackinac State Historic Parks. Park units include Mackinac Island State Park
Mackinac Island State Park
Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. The island park encompasses 2.81 mi² , which is approximately 74% of the island's total area of 3.78 mi² . The park is also within the boundaries of the city of Mackinac Island and has permanent...
including Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac
Fort Mackinac is a former American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century near Michilimackinac, Michigan, on Mackinac Island...
and certain properties within the historic downtown of Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island, Michigan
Mackinac Island is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. In the 2010 census, the city had a permanent population of 492, although there are thousands more seasonal workers and tourists during the summer months. From 1818–1882, the city was the county seat of the former...
; Colonial Michilimackinac including Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac
Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th century French, and later British, fort and trading post in the Great Lakes of North America. Built around 1715, it was located along the southern shore of the strategic Straits of Mackinac connecting Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, at the northern tip of the lower...
and Old Mackinac Point Light; and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park
Historic Mill Creek State Park
Historic Mill Creek State Park is a state park, nature preserve, and historic site in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is run by Mackinac State Historic Parks, the operating arm of the Mackinac Island State Park. 625 acres in size, the park is located 5 miles southeast of Mackinaw City, Michigan...
. It is assigned to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission...
.
Mackinac State Historic Parks is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
. Over one million artifacts are in the collection. which are overseen by a professional curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
ial staff. Archeological digs are conducted, and educational opportunities, including lesson plans, are available. The commission maintains the official Governor's Mansion on Mackinac Island and distributes photographs, media kits, brochures and other promotional material.
On July 15, 2009, the Park celebrated its 20 millionth visitor.
History
In its present form, the commission was created by Act 451 of 1994 for the purpose of managing these parks. It is composed of seven members—appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the State SenateMichigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
—to serve six-year terms. In fiscal year 2003 the gross appropriation for the Mackinac park system was $2,950,800; $1,037,600 of this amount comes from the Mackinac Island state park fund, while $76,400 was generated from user fees. The state general fund made up the remaining $1,836,800. Some public critics have proposed that the Mackinac Island State Park and the Commission be privatized. Management practices have been deemed effective in years past in independent audits.
Budget cuts and ‘belt tightening’ have been on the agency's agenda for several years.
The Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created as the governing body of Mackinac State Historic Parks. In 1875, the government land on Mackinac Island, which encompassed 50 percent of the island, was designated the second national park
Mackinac National Park
Mackinac National Park was a U.S. national park that existed from 1875 to 1895 on Mackinac Island in northern Michigan making it the second National Park in the United States after Yellowstone National Park in the Rocky Mountains. The 1,044 acre park was created in response to the growing...
in the United States. In 1895, it was turned over to the state of Michigan, becoming Michigan's first state park. That year, the state legislature created the Mackinac Island State Park Commission to be stewards of the park and its many historic structures. Due to commission efforts, park land now encompasses 80 percent of Mackinac Island, which includes 1800 acres (7.3 km²). The commission now also manages parks on the mainland. In total, the commission is responsible for a combined 2500 acres (10.1 km²) of parkland within Mackinac State Historic Parks, more than 110 buildings and about 1.7 million artifacts.
The chairman of the commission is the former (youngest, oldest and longest serving) Michigan Attorney General
Michigan Attorney General
The Attorney General of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan and one of four great offices of state. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, members of the Senate and...
Frank J. Kelley
Frank J. Kelley
Frank J. Kelley , was the 50th Attorney General of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1998, made him both the youngest and oldest Attorney General in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He is the longest serving state attorney...
, appointed in his current post in 2007. Other commission members are Kelley Cawthorne; former Michigan House of Representatives Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Leader, and current vice chairman of the commission, Dennis O. Cawthorne.; Barry J. Goodman; Karen Karam; Richard A. Manoogian; Laurie A. Stupak, former Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Menominee, Michigan
Menominee, Michigan
Menominee is a city in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,131. It is the county seat of Menominee County. Menominee is the fourth-largest city in the Upper Peninsula, behind Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie, and Escanaba...
, and wife of Bart Stupak
Bart Stupak
Bartholomew Thomas "Bart" Stupak is a lobbyist and American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as the U.S. Representative from from 1993 to 2011....
; and Jim Williams.