DNRE charging at free boat launches.

[slickwater]

I just heard that the DNRE is starting to charge $6 to launch at most of their free launches. That's not good. when these were free to launch and now we will be charged. You can buy a season pass for $24 but you still have to have a separate sticker to get into a state park or vise versa.

[Paulywood]

I guess I have never seen a free launch. I have always paid. This will be the last year for it anyway. Next year they are just asking that everyone who uses a state park or launch pay an extra $10 with their registration. Hopefully it is successful.

[Line Dancin]

if you look at the website there is no such thing as a free launch. depending on which jurisdiction it falls under you either need a waterways sticker or a state park sticker. The thing is is that the DNR never really enforced things the way they should in certain areas so people thought they were free. I have an uncle that was a parks manager and was in lansing for a while in the parks division (retired now) and two uncles that are COs and here about what other parks and COs are not doing that is their job. Also when i got out of high school i worked for the fisheries division for three years before deciding to go to college, and we always were to report vehicles in those type launches when we went out to do creel checks or plant fish.

[slickwater]

if you look at the website there is no such thing as a free launch. depending on which jurisdiction it falls under you either need a waterways sticker or a state park sticker. The thing is is that the DNR never really enforced things the way they should in certain areas so people thought they were free. I have an uncle that was a parks manager and was in lansing for a while in the parks division (retired now) and two uncles that are COs and here about what other parks and COs are not doing that is their job. Also when i got out of high school i worked for the fisheries division for three years before deciding to go to college, and we always were to report vehicles in those type launches when we went out to do creel checks or plant fish.

Well most of the dnr public launches up here in northern Michigan that are not city launches or state park launches you were not required to pay. And now you have to have a launch permit. But if you want to go to a state park you have to buy another sticker.Our state DNRE sucks.I guess they are just trying to get us to fish only certain places. Because most people can't afford to buy both.

[Line Dancin]

Well most of the dnr public launches up here in northern Michigan that are not city launches or state park launches you were not required to pay. And now you have to have a launch permit. But if you want to go to a state park you have to buy another sticker.Our state DNRE sucks.I guess they are just trying to get us to fish only certain places. Because most people can't afford to buy both.

I lived in east jordan so i know about northern michigan and again it depended where you were. if you went to one of the "free launches" in the petoskey are 9 times out of ten they were doing there job and you had a ticket when you got back. now the gaylord area they were lax i fished a few lakes over there with a friend who never bought a sticker and he never got a ticket. sounds like they have a parks manager that is actually doing his job in your area now.

[slickwater]

Well the only launches around Gaylord or East Jordan for that matter that you had to pay was the State Parks or the city launches.There was no signs that stated that you needed a launch permit. Now you have to have one for even the small lakes.Take Dutchmans bay launch. You never had to pay to use that launch and now you have to pay $6 to launch.Or the ironton Launch you didn't have to pay.

[Line Dancin]

Well the only launches around Gaylord or East Jordan for that matter that you had to pay was the State Parks or the city launches.There was no signs that stated that you needed a launch permit. Now you have to have one for even the small lakes.Take Dutchmans bay launch. You never had to pay to use that launch and now you have to pay $6 to launch.Or the ironton Launch you didn't have to pay.

I lived on dutchmans bay road and there has ALWAYS been a sign there and they DO charge when a dnr rep came through. they used to drive right past my house on their way there.

I have a couple more things to say on this issue then i am done.

I dont agree with everything the DNR does by any means. and yes i do have complaints about some things they do. But you can't fault them for DOING THEIR JOB AS MANDTED.

Last item who do you think pays to keep those launches up. they cant do it for nothing. THey have to pay people to clean up after the slobs that use the launch and trach it. I hate the garbage that flew into my yard because of some of the people using that launch. the 25 bucks you spend for a year is nothing to make sure their is a launch in good shape to use. They can very easily hand those launches over to the communities and then you will see paying to launch a boat.

[slickwater]

I lived on dutchmans bay road and there has ALWAYS been a sign there and they DO charge when a dnr rep came through. they used to drive right past my house on their way there.

I have a couple more things to say on this issue then i am done.

I dont agree with everything the DNR does by any means. and yes i do have complaints about some things they do. But you can't fault them for DOING THEIR JOB AS MANDTED.

Last item who do you think pays to keep those launches up. they cant do it for nothing. THey have to pay people to clean up after the slobs that use the launch and trach it. I hate the garbage that flew into my yard because of some of the people using that launch. the 25 bucks you spend for a year is nothing to make sure their is a launch in good shape to use. They can very easily hand those launches over to the communities and then you will see paying to launch a boat.

I have been fishing there for years and never saw a sign until yesterday.It is a new sign right where we always get the boat ready.I never saw the can where you put your money in either, until yesterday.The same thing with Ironton's launch.

[GLF]

All of the inland lake public launches are free. Think of all the money the dnr would make if the bass fisherman(I use to be a diehard bass fisherman;)), and weekend boaters had to purchase a seasonal permit.

[Knot Tellin]

I launch at Dutchman and Ironton all of the time. We launched out of dutchmans Saturday and never noticed a sign. When did this change? I put the boat in over seventy times a year and the only launches I have had to pay at were city run one like CVX and Boyne. The only place I have ever recieved a ticket was CVX.

Thanks for the heads up, what sticker am I going to have to buy. It seem like every time you go out you have to buy something else.

GLF if you are correct then the launches we are discussing should be free.

[Paulywood]

Sorry guys but not all inland launches are free. Now that I think about it there is a DNR launch on a local lake here that I believe is free. But there are DNR launches on Higgins, Houghton, Mitchell and Cadillac that I have had to pay for in the past. Either way, there is no reason to argue about it because next year all you have to do is pay an extra $10 with your registration and you will be able to use any State Park or Launch. No sticker needed.

[Line Dancin]

ok one last comment than i am gone. i not not ticked or anything at anyone and wasn't trying to come off that way, just dont see the need to really argue about it like said above next year wont matter anyways. the way the DNR used to do it and up till oct 1 is (i talked my uncle he managed Pontiac state park for twenty years then 8 years in lansing parks division). any maintained launch, waste baskets, out houses, docks are under the jurisdiction of the most local state park and fall under having to have a state park sticker. also any hunting lands that have parking not on the county right of way you are supposed to have a state park sticker. Their are also some river access point that you are supposed to have a state park sticker. He started to explain it all to me and i told him that he had said enough already. Unless they fall under water ways. he said their are lists on the website that show which ones fall in which jursidictions. Any ways oct 1 10 bucks gets you into any state owned areas. I'm outta here good night. talk to you after i get back to erie not internet access at the state park.

[Nailer]

It sounds like this was there but not enforced. I bet Genny saw just one more way to get more revenue.

[Line Dancin]

It sounds like this was there but not enforced. I bet Genny saw just one more way to get more revenue.

It really depended on the Manager of the specific park. When the money that the DNR collect stopped going right into their coffers and into the general fund is when a lot of things get let go. I can tell you horror stories from the fisheries dept that we just didn't have it in the budget at times to do what we needed. anyways another time for that. each district was given a certain amount of dollars per month to work with. that money was significantly cut from when the dnr raised their own money. and is the first thing that is cut whenever they talk of cuts, hell even when their not talking of cuts they cut the DNR. we were all against giving the money to the general fund but you know politicians all they see is dollar signs. this left a lot of the areas within the dnr to cut manpower to just enough part time people to hardly do their jobs. That is why a lot of the managers jsut let these out lying areas go. they used to have part time high school kids that used to drive from lot to lot just checking vehicles and if no sticker you got the ticket envelop on your windshiled. well that was the first thing to go. Some of the bigger parks like pontiac state, sterling state and jackson still had the budget and still can employ these kids to do this. that is why some of the parks you can get away with it at. At least Jenny has finally seen the value in the state parks, My uncle was one of the founders of friends of pontiac lake and they have been fighting tooth and nail to get the parks back. More money is flowing into the dnr again and that is why you are starting to see things like this. but you are also seeing vast improvements in all the state parks. I know it sucks that you have to get the sticker now but technically you should have had it all along. that little bit of money can do a lot to rebuild the parks to what they once used to be. now i am going to bed

[1mainiac]

Some of this debate should come down to is it a boat launch and maintained or is it a boat access and not maintained. Most of the free inland lakes launches are actually just public access and local groups such as the Boy Scouts maintain them also many are county owned as well. If you want a nice place to launch your boat expect to pay for it if you need it free then push it off the trailer and drag it to the lake. I don't see the problem here if you use it pay for it some of you seem to think someone else should pay for your boat launch or that it is a right not a priviledge. There is a certain amount that everyone in the state should put in to the DNRE to help take care of our resources however the money needed for hunting issues should come from hunters and boating and fishing costs should be paid by those who use them. If I don't hunt why should I pay to improve your hunting?

[Knot Tellin]

I stopped by the Ironton launch last night and it had a new sign and new money collection post/box. The sign posted said that the law/act had been est. in 1994. I don't have a problem paying for the use of the launch. $24 is cheap for me concidering the number of times a year I launch. The bad thing is that in a lot of instances as Line Dancin stated is that the money ends up in the general fund instead of maintaining and improving these areas. That is what upsets most of us.

I will say one negative thing about this is that they spent all this money putting in these money collection points that will get used for 1 year. Because next year it will be included in the registration fee that is a waste of time and resources. Unless it is going to be used to collect from out of state boaters.

[silver one]

All of the inland lake public launches are free. Think of all the money the dnr would make if the bass fisherman(I use to be a diehard bass fisherman;)), and weekend boaters had to purchase a seasonal permit.

Back in the 80s your license fee was raised to cover the cost of maintaining launches. and again the the 90s and again in the the around 2002 2003. but the probem is and I have contacted the parks director for the dnr in Allegan county, is that the Moneys made at one park do not stay with that park to maintain that launch . and for that matter of the moneys that are collected to maintain launches, only a small portion actually goes twords maintaining them the rest is used how the DNR sees fit wich usually means it covers wages for administartion. So we were paying for this in our licenses before they even started to enforce pay launches. They say that is good clean politics.

[slickwater]

It really depended on the Manager of the specific park. When the money that the DNR collect stopped going right into their coffers and into the general fund is when a lot of things get let go. I can tell you horror stories from the fisheries dept that we just didn't have it in the budget at times to do what we needed. anyways another time for that. each district was given a certain amount of dollars per month to work with. that money was significantly cut from when the dnr raised their own money. and is the first thing that is cut whenever they talk of cuts, hell even when their not talking of cuts they cut the DNR. we were all against giving the money to the general fund but you know politicians all they see is dollar signs. this left a lot of the areas within the dnr to cut manpower to just enough part time people to hardly do their jobs. That is why a lot of the managers jsut let these out lying areas go. they used to have part time high school kids that used to drive from lot to lot just checking vehicles and if no sticker you got the ticket envelop on your windshiled. well that was the first thing to go. Some of the bigger parks like pontiac state, sterling state and jackson still had the budget and still can employ these kids to do this. that is why some of the parks you can get away with it at. At least Jenny has finally seen the value in the state parks, My uncle was one of the founders of friends of pontiac lake and they have been fighting tooth and nail to get the parks back. More money is flowing into the dnr again and that is why you are starting to see things like this. but you are also seeing vast improvements in all the state parks. I know it sucks that you have to get the sticker now but technically you should have had it all along. that little bit of money can do a lot to rebuild the parks to what they once used to be. now i am going to bed

I am sorry but I think you are wrong about always having to have a sticker in the past. You show me a document that states that i needed to have a sticker to launch my boat at the Dutchman Bay launch in the past or any lake for that matter that is a free launch with (no money collection tube on site).I can name off a lot of lakes that have no collection tube.And Dutchman bay never had one until this weekend, because i was there last Sun.Now at East Jordan you have to pay when when last week you didn't have to.I am just ticked that we now have to pay to launch our boats at launches that were free in the past.I know there were some that were pay launches that the DNRE maintained,like Higgins.

[Priority1]

I launch several times a year @ a DNR launch. I get the sticker the first time someone is in the booth. I will surely opt for the $10 deal on the license. Even at the $24 fee my price per launch is way under a buck.

[slickwater]

Yes the $10 is fine. But this stuff with just now starting to charge at launches that were free before this weekend is a crock.

[steeliebob]

Sounds like every launch allows you to pay an annual fee which is great if you only fish in one spot. The DNRE could put an annual fee right on the fishing license and allow the fisherman to pay when you buy a license and you would be elgible to use all launch sites which would make sense. The drawback is that sailboaters, kayak, canoers, and weekenders would be trying to get in for free. just about every time I launch or pull my salmon boat out of the water I see as many as 5 freebies use the site. This is in St Ignace at the City site and the police do not enforce it. What really gets the steam cooking is when you try to launch at 5 am and the freeloaders are tied to the docks sleeping these are usually sailboats or sleepers who launch for free and will pull out for free.

[1mainiac]

The 24 dollar DNRE sticker covers all DNRE launchs always has since they came up with it. The only reason some launchs were perceived to be free is because of lack of enforcement the fine is usually just a daily launch fee there are several launchs that I use for free untill they are staffed then I buy the sticker no big deal. Kinda like free parking till they put in the ticket booth you are using something others paid for and yes some of you license fees and taxes may have been used as well but the world we used to live in was voted away over the years and not just in one election so sooner or later everything we use will have a price tag or we can choose to stop using it. We all complain about the government me more than others but I see no problem with paying for a service I actually use what sucks to me is what I pay for lazy people to stay lazy and others to have a free ride. This is really not a bad thing I would rather see them stay with launch permits than to go to license fee increases as those who don't fish will get a free launch paid for by us.

[Far Beyond Driven]

Picked up my DNR annual permit last week. It's the 4th one I have as it's just easier to grab one for the launches I use most often then to try to remember to have the right change for each one.

Seeing as I've put over $200 in gas through the little boat this year and another couple hundred through the 350, no big deal.

What they should do it charge one launch fee until 9am and after 4pm for those of us that know how to launch a boat and get the @#%$#@ out of the way, then charge a higher fee for the go fast crowd. Or charge them per minute at the dock. No more 15 trips back and forth to get beer and snacky cakes with the boat tied up at the dock.

[N II Deep]

Picked up my DNR annual permit last week. It's the 4th one I have as it's just easier to grab one for the launches I use most often then to try to remember to have the right change for each one.

Seeing as I've put over $200 in gas through the little boat this year and another couple hundred through the 350, no big deal.

What they should do it charge one launch fee until 9am and after 4pm for those of us that know how to launch a boat and get the @#%$#@ out of the way, then charge a higher fee for the go fast crowd. Or charge them per minute at the dock. No more 15 trips back and forth to get beer and snacky cakes with the boat tied up at the dock.

you hit the mark & a nerve, I normally fish out of PS, but went out of holland , what a pain in da a$$. took 40 mins to launch, go fast & yuppie cruisers retrieved in the launch dock... extra lexus suv just waiting in the way blocking the ramp... won't be back to holland any time soon

[slickwater]

To all of you guys that think every launch was a pay launch is wrong. I fish at a bunch of different lakes that have no money collection tube. So that makes them free. I don't mind paying to launch but if you want to get a launch sticker now for the ones that were free then you still need a state park sticker to get into the state parks to launch.