Sid VanSlyke introduced our speaker for the day Keith Creagh - the Director of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Mr. Creagh has a life-long passion for hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking. He has served as Director of three State Departments. He is a graduate of Michigan Tech and got a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry.
Mr. Creagh enlightened us with a lot of facts and figures regarding hunting, fishing, trails, waterways, and hiking in Michigan. He said we had 763,618 registered hunters in the State this past year. That ranks third in the United States behind only Texas and Pennsylvania. We had 1.1 million anglers. That brings in $2.5 billion annually. He said Michigan ranks #1 in the country in both Bass fishing and Fly fishing. Our 4 million acres of State forest land bring in $20 billion. He said the State owns 58% of Marquette County. There are 103 State Parks. Belle Isle is the most used. There are 138 State Forest Campgrounds with over 1 million overnight campers. We're 2nd to only California in overnight stays. We have 200,000 snowmobilers annually. This ranks Michigan #1 in the U.S. These snowmobilers add $1 billion to the Northern Michigan economy. Likewise, we have an abundance of hiking and biking trails that allow people to travel from the Michigan/Ohio border to the very tip of the Upper Peninsula should someone desire.
One of Mr. Creagh's biggest concerns at the moment is protecting the Great Lakes from "invasive species". He said this will require all the states bordering the Great Lakes to come together with protective programs that make sense and will be effective long-term. He would like this to be part of his legacy.
