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March 15, 2017
Contact: Debbie Jensen, 517-284-6105
DNR seeks input on Belle Isle Park's new strategic direction and management plan, will host public meetings March 29
Online questionnaire available through April 7 for those who can't attend either meeting
 The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, in partnership with the Belle Isle Conservancy, invites the public to attend one of two public meetings to gather input on a new strategic direction and management plan for Belle Isle Park. The meetings will take place Wednesday, March 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. or 6 to 8 p.m. at Belle Isle Park's Flynn Pavilion, located near the intersection of Picnic Way and Loiter Way.
Belle Isle Park, a 982-acre island park located in the Detroit River near downtown Detroit, is rich with natural beauty and historical and cultural resources. The park is home to the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, the Belle Isle Aquarium, a golf course, the James Scott Memorial Fountain and many more attractions popular with all ages and interests. The park offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, bicycling, kayaking and picnicking.
The new strategic direction and management plan will define a long-range planning and management strategy that will assist the DNR Parks and Recreation Division in meeting its responsibilities to protect and preserve Belle Isle Park’s natural and cultural resources, and to provide access to land- and water-based public recreation and educational opportunities.
"Over the course of the last two years, the DNR and its partners have invested $22.5 million in the park, which has addressed not only park improvements that the public can see themselves, but critical infrastructure as well," said Ron Olson, DNR Parks and Recreation Division chief. "We encourage the public to participate in the planning process, so that the DNR has an opportunity to gauge community opinion on the work that has been accomplished to date and to help set future priorities."
The public input meetings will begin with a short presentation on the planning process, projects completed to date and those in progress. It will be followed by individual and group exercises to gather input to inform the plan. Members of the public are invited to attend either one of the two-hour meetings.
Those unable to attend either meeting may complete a short online questionnaire, which will be available through April 7 at https://goo.gl/JpDK1e.
For more information about the March 29 meetings or the Belle Isle Park General Management Plan, contact DNR park management plan administrator Debbie Jensen at 517-284-6105 (TTY/TDD711 Michigan Relay Center for the hearing impaired) or via email at JensenD1@michigan.gov. Persons with disabilities who need accommodations for the meetings should contact Jensen at least five business days before the meetings.
Stay up to date on Belle Isle Park management plan development at http://www.mdnrmanagementplans.org/belle-isle-park/.
/Editor's note: An accompanying photo is available below for download. A suggested caption follows.
Belle Isle Park, located in the Detroit River near downtown Detroit, offers plenty of fun, outdoor recreation opportunities, including the giant slide, pictured here. To give the public an opportunity to learn about and comment on a new management plan, the Michigan DNR and the Belle Isle Conservancy will host two public input meetings March 29./
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state’s natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.
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