New Challenges Await Off-Road Adventurists at Mounds ORV Park

Flint, MI April 09, 2010 -- Trailblazing a new challenging path on the Mounds Rock Crawl is what off-road-vehicle enthusiasts have in store for them later this year when the next phase of the popular attraction will be ready for a new fleet of rugged adventurists.

Thanks to a recent $100,000 grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment (MDNRE), the Genesee Parks and Recreation Commission can move forward with Phase III of the 10-acre rock crawl at the Mounds ORV Park in Mt. Morris. The grant, funded entirely by ORV licensing fees, will allow ROWE Engineering to begin designing a new, more challenging course for highly modified off-road vehicles. Construction is expected to be completed by this fall.

The Mounds ORV Park and the rock crawl already draw thousands of off-road-vehicle enthusiasts from all over Michigan, Canada, and several nearby states to Genesee County every year.

“This is the only public rock crawl feature in the whole state, and so it does draw a lot of people,” said Ron Walker, deputy director of the Genesee County Parks. “We’re leading the effort to make something new. It’s a different sport, and it's becoming more and more popular.”

Once completed, the new phase of the Mounds Rock Crawl is expected to draw greater numbers of out-of-town visitors to the park, said Amy M. McMillan, director of the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission.

While it may be too soon to predict an attendance increase—especially since visitor trends are heavily influenced by weather and gas prices—“it's reasonable to expect about a 10 percent bump in attendance over the next year when the project is complete,” she said.

“The Mounds is already a great magnet for out-of-town visitors, as it is the premier public ORV trails area in the State of Michigan,” McMillan said. “The rock crawl adds another dimension to the experience.”

The initial phase of the Mounds Rock Crawl began about two years ago, and was geared toward off-road vehicles that could roll over rocks 10 to 24 inches in diameter, Walker said. The second phase, which was completed last fall, was built for modified four-wheel-drive vehicles that could crawl over boulders 24 to 42 inches or more in diameter. The second phase also included a rolling logjam trail and a staircase feature.

The third phase will be geared toward larger, highly modified off-road vehicles that enthusiasts build from the ground up, Walker said. To take the challenge to the next level, construction of the third phase may leave boulders by the wayside. Instead, the design may involve manufactured materials that can create a much larger challenge for off-road enthusiasts who come to the Mounds for their off-road adventures.

The Mounds Rock Crawl is built so that off-road enthusiasts experience a new challenge every time they visit the park, he said. Rocks shift as vehicles crawl over the area, creating a slightly new course for each off-road-vehicle user.

“So you're not doing exactly the same thing every time,” Walker said. “The next phase will be even more challenging.”

The Mounds Rock Crawl and other features at the Mounds ORV Park draw a large number of people to Genesee County every year, McMillan said. Last year, the park sold 7,600 daily passes, and 425 season passes. Of the daily passes, 4,907 were sold to out-of-town visitors.

Everyone in Genesee County benefits from the park—whether they own off-road vehicles or not, she said.

The Mounds ORV Park provides a boost to the local economy by drawing a large number of overnight visitors to the area every year, McMillan said. These out-of-town visitors spend money at area hotels, restaurants, and retail establishments.

The Mounds Rock Crawl project and the $100,000 grant also help showcase the strong partnership the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission has with MDNRE, McMillan said.

“We have a long and successful partnership with MDNRE at the Mounds ORV Area and throughout the Genesee County Parks,” she said. “This grant— combined with the grants for phases I & II of the rock crawl project— demonstrates our commitment to work together with MDNRE to continue to provide outstanding outdoor recreation opportunities to Michigan residents and visitors from out of state.”

For more information, please contact:
Hilda McShane
Marketing Specialist
Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission
Phone: 810-736-7100, ext. 815
Email: hmcshane@gcparks.org

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Small changes turn into big savings for Genesee County Parks and Recreation employees

Read on MILive

Flint, MI January 27, 2010 -- Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commissioners and staff have learned a lesson that others would be wise to consider: $10 ideas add up big. And fast.

What started as an initiative to save a little money became an all-staff effort to save jobs and thereby preserve park services for the residents of Genesee County. And the result was huge. In just 10 months, the group tallied up savings of $167,000 in fuel, office supplies, electricity, postage, uniforms and telephone charges – after expenses. 

Faced with an ever-shrinking budget, Amy McMillan, director of the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission, headquartered in Flint, Michigan, turned to her think tank – her staff – for help.

“I put the challenge before them,” she says. “Whenever we need to reach out or communicate or get something done, we are always more successful when we bring the staff in on the plan to get their ideas and their support.”

McMillan asked the staff to think of ideas they could implement that would each save the Commission $10.

“$10 ideas seemed a good benchmark because that is the average cost per hour of the average seasonal employee,” says McMillan, who has directed park staff for 10 years. “$10 is an amount we can all relate to when thinking about our personal budgets. $10 ideas seemed do-able. I hoped we could save between $25,000 and $40,000.”

The six-figure payoff stunned her.

“We set a goal. We met that goal. We blew that goal out of the water!” McMillan says with her signature enthusiasm.

Practical suggestions were quickly implemented. Cell phones used by seasonal staff were put on “vacation” mode to save monthly fees. Computers, screens and typewriters were turned off at night. McMillan agreed to let staff wear blue jeans instead of the uniform pants that are purchased for them. And when possible, sand is being used in place of salt for snow and ice control.

Staff also suggested adding one day to the routine mowing schedule to save fuel and labor, and they advocated for “grow not mow” by enhancing natural features of the parks and reducing areas that need to be regularly mowed.

An “office supply round-up” encouraged everyone to empty their desks and offices of supplies they don’t need so other staff can use them. Trophies were switched from mugs to less expensive medals. Even a step as simple as changing the default to black on the color copier saved money by eliminating accidental expensive color printing

Some staff took the challenge one step further by proposing revenue-generating activities such as cutting dead ash trees in the parks and selling it as firewood at the county campground and holding a giant garage sale at the county’s historic Crossroads Village. Revenue was not included in the final tally.

“Our 11,000 acres of county parkland belong to the residents of Genesee County,” explains McMillan. “Residents pay for their care through a property tax millage that they voted for. They love their parks – many are used 365 days a year - and they support the services needed to maintain them.”

As properties nationwide have declined in value, and as businesses such as General Motors request tax abatements to ease their own financial woes, McMillan has watched Genesee County millage revenue decrease dramatically.

She worried that losing staff would result in closing some parks - an option she says is just not acceptable to her. That $167,000 in savings meant jobs were retained and park services continue. It equates to roughly 16,700 hours of labor – enough to keep machines running and workers mowing, and it leverages grants received by the parks from local funders such as the CS Mott Foundation.

There’s another side to the $10-idea victory that pleases McMillan. It’s the economic impact – the domino effect of a person earning a paycheck.

“That $167,000 keeps our staff employed – and they, in turn, can buy groceries and gas and shoes for their kids, pay their rent or mortgage, and take their family out for supper,” she explains. “The expenditures of those who are still employed help keep others in the county employed as well.” 

Many of the savings realized this past year will continue to make a difference in the commission’s bottom line for years to come.

“In some cases, we’ve changed forever the way we do things” says McMillan, who now reads by energy-saving light bulbs and turns off her computer before she goes home.  

McMillan gives full credit to the employees and members of the Commission who, she says, consistently put jobs and services ahead of other priorities.

“Our employees love the county parks,” say McMillan. “They know that what is good for the parks is good for them. They were proud to be part of this campaign, and every time they do something as simple as turn out the lights after leaving a room, they know they are part of its success.”

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2009 Press Releases

For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum

Managed Archery Harvest by Lottery

Flint, MI -- In its effort to responsibly manage and balance the quality and diversity of natural habitat, the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission is contemplating a tentative archery only, deer harvest by lottery at For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum. In the event the Parks Commission decides to proceed with this program, it has determined that it will prequalify potential participants. To participate in the program, you must pre-register in person at Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission main office, located at 5045 Stanley Road. Parks office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Deadline for pre-registration is Wednesday, September 16, 2009, 5:00 pm. A $5.00 non-refundable registration fee is required. Participants must be Genesee County Residents and are required to take an archery proficiency test to qualify for the program. Qualified archers will be entered into a September 30, 2009 lottery. Those selected will be notified by phone on October 1 or 2. All prequalified participants will be notified if the Parks Commission decides not to conduct the program.

The proficiency test dates are Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20 from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. The test will be held at the E. A. Cummings Center’s 4H Barn and conducted by Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission’s Rangers.

The program is scheduled to be conducted when For-Mar is closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday. Tentative dates are October 5 & 6, 12 & 13, 19 & 20, 26 & 27, November 2 & 3 and 9 & 10. All DNR rules apply and participants will be required to wear hunter orange hats. Additional details will be given at the time of pre-registration.

For-Mar Nature Preserve and Arboretum is owned and operated by the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission and is located at 2142 Genesee Road, Burton. For more information, please contact Chief Ranger, Greg Parks at 810.726.7100, ext. 830.

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Second Film production this year to come to

Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad

 

Flint, Michigan - For the second time this year Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission will host a film production at Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.  When Dean River Productions’ Line Producer, Kevin Reidy, entered Crossroads Village for the first time his initial response was, “This is way better than a studio back lot.  Crossroads Village is actual historic buildings, not replicas or sets.  And the best part is having a real steam engine railroad.  I think when the film industry finds out about this place, it will be booked all the time.”

 

Filming will begin early in September at Crossroads Village.  The working title of the new feature film is Alleged.  The film is about a talented young reporter who is stuck in a rural Tennessee town in 1925.  When a few town fathers hatch a plan to host “The Trial of the Century” over coffee cups at the local drugstore, our reporter sees the trial as his opportunity to finally break into the journalistic big leagues.  The background for Alleged is the real “Scopes Monkey Trial” and the movie incorporates many actual historical people and events.  The real trial (which was indeed the “Trial of the Century”) involved a high school teacher’s violation of a Tennessee statute prohibiting public schools from teaching that mankind evolved from monkeys.

 

The film will be directed by Tom Hines.  Alleged is his second turn at directing.  Tom’s first film, Chronic Town, was an official selection at The Sundance Film Festival (2008).  The stars of Alleged will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

With over 150 cast and crew members expected during the production, local hotels and down town lofts will house crew and the production company.  Thanks to the assistance of the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, Dean River Productions will rent both office space and house set production at the location previously occupied by Red Ink Studio across from the Farmers Market. 

 

Local casting will be held at Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.  Times, dates and other location details will be posted at www.geneseecountyparks.org, Facebook and Youtube.  Line Producer Kevin Reidy, who has produced over 40 films including Georgia Rule, HOOT, and Ever After, has also agreed to host workshops on film production and set and wardrobe design at Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad.  Times, dates and location details for these workshops will be posted at geneseecountyparks.org, Facebook and Youtube.

 

A formal announcement of the film production will be made at a 10:30 am press conference on Thursday, August 6 at the Colwell Opera House at Crossroads Village.  For more information, please contact Genesee County Parks Director, Amy McMillan at 810.736.7100, 800.648.7275 or at amcmillan@gcparks.org. 

 

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