Ann Arbor Times

Michigan Proposal 1, an amendment that addresses how oil and gas mining revenue is collected and spent on state recreation lands, passed Election Day with 84.28% of the vote. 

The measure affects two funds for the creation and maintenance of parks, nature areas and public recreation areas that receive money from state-owned oil and gas mining operations. Proposal 1 lifts the cap on the Natural Resources Trust Fund, previously capped at $500 million, and allocates at least 25% of annual spending for parks and public recreation areas and 25% for land conservation.

The State Parks Endowment Fund will be capped at $800 million, at which point the subsequent money will go toward that Natural Resources Trust Fund. Twenty percent of the Endowment Fund’s annual spending must go to state park improvement.

Those in opposition to the proposed amendment, including the Michigan chapter of the Sierra Club and the Michigan Democratic Party Environmental Caucus, worry that money will be shifted away from conservation and into local parks budgets.

Supporters of the proposition believe it is a huge victory for Michiganders. 

“Prop 1 will protect and improve our parks and public lands so we can enjoy them for years to come,” said the Michigan League of Conservation Voters in a tweet on Wednesday. Other supporters of the proposal include the Democratic Party of Michigan and dozens of organizations that support conservation across the state.