CHAMPION, Mich. (WZMQ) – State parks in Marquette and Baraga Counties are getting an upgrade thanks to the National Guard and the DNR.
On Monday, they unveiled some of the latest improvements including newly renovated roads and cabins at Craig Lake State Park. Once the DNR is able to secure the necessary materials, National Guard servicemembers put it all together. “Within day seven at the cabin we were basically wrapped up,” said Debra Gill, park supervisor for Craig Lake State Park and Van Riper State Park. “They were just doing finishing touches, which takes expertise and time, but the amount of work that’s been done in the past nine days has been fantastic.”
This is also a great opportunity for the soldiers who will have the chance to apply their trade and gain experience. “They get to work in communities, work in state parks, that they can bring their families to and say ‘hey here’s this great work mom did’ or ‘here’s this great work dad did’,” said Cpt. Trevor Kay of the National Guard. “What it means to be a national guardsman is to serve your local community and your nation at large, and I cannot think of a better way for us to do that.”
This partnership is also a way to save money. According to Cpt. Kay, they estimate in the past four years, about $1.8 million in labor costs has been saved. “Money goes farther for our Michigan communities here by being able to focus on labor efforts necessary to do these projects, perform maintenance, and upgrade infrastructure,” he said. “There’s other projects the Department of Natural Resources can take on.”
Some of the other projects completed include boating access sites in both Baraga and Marquette Counties.
