The Mackinac Island State Park Commission is an appointed board of the

State of Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

that administers state parklands in the Straits of Mackinac area. It performs public activities under the name Mackinac State Historic Parks. Park units include

Mackinac Island State Park Mackinac Island State Park is a state park located on Mackinac Island in the U.S. state of Michigan. A Lake Huron island, it is near the Straits of Mackinac. The island park encompasses , which is approximately 80% of the island's total are ...

including

Fort Mackinac Fort Mackinac ( ) is a former British and American military outpost garrisoned from the late 18th century to the late 19th century in the city of Mackinac Island, Michigan, on Mackinac Island. The British built the fort during the American Re ...

and certain properties within the historic downtown of

Mackinac Island, Michigan Mackinac Island ( ) is a city in Mackinac County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city had a permanent population of 583. The population numbers in the tens of thousands from May 1st to October 31st due to an influx o ...

; Colonial Michilimackinac including

Fort Michilimackinac Fort Michilimackinac was an 18th-century French, and later British, fort and trading post at the Straits of Mackinac; it was built on the northern tip of the lower peninsula of the present-day state of Michigan in the United States. Built aroun ...

and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse; and

Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park, formerly known as Historic Mill Creek State Park is a state park, nature preserve, and historic site in the United States state of Michigan. It is run by Mackinac State Historic Parks, the operating arm of ...

. It is assigned to the

Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the state of Michigan charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks, state forests, and recreation areas. It is governed by a director appointed by the Governor a ...

. Mackinac State Historic Parks is accredited by the

American Alliance of Museums American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

. Over one million artifacts are in the collection. which are overseen by a professional

curator A curator (from la, cura, meaning "to take care") is a manager or overseer. When working with cultural organizations, a curator is typically a "collections curator" or an "exhibitions curator", and has multifaceted tasks dependent on the parti ...

ial staff. Archeological digs are conducted, and educational opportunities, including lesson plans, are available. The commission maintains the official

Michigan Governor's Summer Residence The Michigan Governor's Summer Residence, also known as the Lawrence A. Young Cottage, is a house located at the junction of Fort Hill and Huron roads on Mackinac Island, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 19 ...

on Mackinac Island and distributes photographs, media kits, brochures and other promotional material. On July 15, 2009, the Park celebrated its 20 millionth visitor.

History

In its present form, the commission was created by Act 451 of 1994 for the purpose of managing these parks. It is composed of seven members—appointed by the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

with the advice and consent of the

State Senate A state legislature in the United States is the legislative body of any of the 50 U.S. states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 27 states, the legislature is simply called the ''Legislature'' or the ''State Legislature'', whil ...

—to serve six-year terms. In fiscal year 2003 the gross appropriation for the Mackinac park system was $2,950,800; $1,037,600 of this amount comes from the Mackinac Island state park fund, while $76,400 was generated from user fees. The state general fund made up the remaining $1,836,800. Some public critics have proposed that the Mackinac Island State Park and the Commission be privatized. Management practices have been deemed effective in years past in independent audits. Budget cuts and ‘belt tightening’ have been on the agency's agenda for several years. The Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created as the governing body of Mackinac State Historic Parks. In 1875, the government land on Mackinac Island, which encompassed 50 percent of the island, was designated the second national park in the United States. In 1895, it was turned over to the state of Michigan, becoming Michigan's first state park. That year, the state legislature created the Mackinac Island State Park Commission to be stewards of the park and its many historic structures. Due to commission efforts, park land now encompasses 80 percent of Mackinac Island, which includes . The commission now also manages parks on the mainland. In total, the commission is responsible for a combined of parkland within Mackinac State Historic Parks, more than 110 buildings and about 1.7 million artifacts. The chairman of the commission is the former Michigan House of Representatives

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Leader Dennis O. Cawthorne. Other commission members include (youngest, oldest and longest serving)

Michigan Attorney General The Attorney General of the State of Michigan is the fourth-ranking official in the U.S. state of Michigan. The officeholder is elected statewide in the November general election alongside the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, m ...

Frank J. Kelley; Barry J. Goodman;

Karen Karam Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic ...

; Richard A. Manoogian;

Chuck Yob Chuck Yob (born February 14, 1937) is a former Republican National Committee member from the state of Michigan, having been elected to the post in 1989. He is frequently quoted in the media as an expert on internal Republican politics and is well k ...

and William K. Marvin.

Notes

External links

Mackinac State Parks Commission official website
{{authority control State agencies of Michigan Mackinac County, Michigan Mackinac Island State Park