# DNR funds going to Belle Isle



## Baitwasher (Jan 17, 2012)

I just was wondering how you guys like the idea of bailing out Detroit with DNR funds. Politicians supposedly can no longer take money from the fund after we voted against that. We have people that utilize state lands already that don't pay any user fee. We hear about the DNR needing money all the time and that they need to raise fees and/or cut staff. 
It looks as though Detroit will be given a bailout by the state for there poor voting and mismanagement. Now the other bailout with DNR funds has to do with DNR staff maintaining, up keeping, and investing your money into future projects of Belle Isle. Over the last two weeks the talk is for it to become a state park BUT DETROIT WILL STILL OWN IT. Snyder it sounds is not opposed to it. Are you? There is time to stop it. If you do call or write don't forget to mention how cats should be licensed like a dog to prevent the poisoning of citizens gardens especially when we are getting more people involved in individual gardening and community gardening. I was told by my city official that the laws are that way because they a superior animals. I guess I agree they are treated that way. They kill to kill (game animals included), and they poison me and my family with harmfully bacteria. They freely do anything they want with no fines fees or penalties to the owners. Besides all that, that is a way of generating money for the state.


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## fairfax1 (Jun 12, 2003)

_"..... investing your money into future projects of Belle Isle._

What are the projects?

Is not Belle Isle one of Michigan's natural resources?


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## Baitwasher (Jan 17, 2012)

I have a pond and bird house in my backyard also some animals in the house. That's natural resources. I'll just make the DNR pay for my cracked driveway to be replaced along with my furnace, water heater, roof, and of course food for my zoo animals. This is great!! I own it and everyonre else pays for it. 


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

Baitwasher said:


> I have a pond and bird house in my backyard also some animals in the house. That's natural resources. I'll just make the DNR pay for my cracked driveway to be replaced along with my furnace, water heater, roof, and of course food for my zoo animals. This is great!! I own it and everyonre else pays for it.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile


Sometimes it sounds better when a person is rational with their arguement. The point gets lost in your type of arguement.


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## fairfax1 (Jun 12, 2003)

_"What are the projects?"_


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## Baitwasher (Jan 17, 2012)

Ok, who is going to pay for the maintenance such as road work, buildings, equipment? They have a zoo, who is paying for everything to do with that? On top of that it is not even owned by the state. I guess I am the only one that sees something wrong with it.


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## swampbuck (Dec 23, 2004)

Baitwasher said:


> I just was wondering how you guys like the idea of bailing out Detroit with DNR funds. Politicians supposedly can no longer take money from the fund after we voted against that. We have people that utilize state lands already that don't pay any user fee. We hear about the DNR needing money all the time and that they need to raise fees and/or cut staff.
> It looks as though Detroit will be given a bailout by the state for there poor voting and mismanagement. Now the other bailout with DNR funds has to do with DNR staff maintaining, up keeping, and investing your money into future projects of Belle Isle. Over the last two weeks the talk is for it to become a state park BUT DETROIT WILL STILL OWN IT. Snyder it sounds is not opposed to it. Are you? There is time to stop it. If you do call or write don't forget to mention how cats should be licensed like a dog to prevent the poisoning of citizens gardens especially when we are getting more people involved in individual gardening and community gardening. I was told by my city official that the laws are that way because they a superior animals. I guess I agree they are treated that way. They kill to kill (game animals included), and they poison me and my family with harmfully bacteria. They freely do anything they want with no fines fees or penalties to the owners. Besides all that, that is a way of generating money for the state.
> 
> 
> ...


 
Where are you getting your information. Do you have a link, Where we can read what exactly is being done?


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## ForestvilleJack (Apr 25, 2007)

Baitwasher said:


> Ok, who is going to pay for the maintenance such as road work, buildings, equipment? They have a zoo, who is paying for everything to do with that? On top of that it is not even owned by the state. I guess I am the only one that sees something wrong with it.
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile


The zoo is closed has been for years just like the aquarium. I would love to see the Metroparks take it over charge admission clean it up.


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## Baitwasher (Jan 17, 2012)

Google it to find a article. WWJ has talked about it here is a link I just searched and found http://m.yahoo.com/w/news_america/b..._host_hdr=news.yahoo.com&.intl=us&.lang=en-us

As far as the zoo closed, I stopped going there years ago. I didn't know they closed it down. The point is they wanted to keep it under their ownership, not give it away and have all the costs going to the state. To be specific the DNR. Sorry I wasted everybody's time


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## localyahoo (May 28, 2009)

I was there last fall and they still had all the fallow deer penned up (zoo???). From what I hear the citizens of detroit do not want this anyways.


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## hoytshooter4 (Oct 3, 2005)

My company has done restoration work on Belle Isle for the past three years, always funded by federal grant money. It has a small zoo which is still in operation and has some fallow deer as well as a small collection of amphibians/reptiles. The island is also home to a small deer herd.

From what I've heard the island used to be amazing - with an awesome zoo, aquariam, museum, greenhouse, etc. Most of which now is delapidated and overgrown with vegetation. Mostly people seem to go there now for picnics, swimming, running, biking, golfing, and unfortunately it seems - to dump trash.

I think Belle isle could be a really cool place and an awesome natural area again but it definitely needs a lot of work...


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## TVCJohn (Nov 30, 2005)

I've been to Belle Isle a bit when I was stationed down at Selfridge. Back then, we used to be told don't go down there at night. Not sure how safe it is now. IMO.....It's a neat little place but I always thought it's too bad Belle Isle couldn't get moved upstream and away from Detroit.


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## Radar420 (Oct 7, 2004)

hoytshooter4 said:


> From what I've heard the island used to be amazing - with an awesome zoo, aquariam, museum, greenhouse, etc. Most of which now is delapidated and overgrown with vegetation. Mostly people seem to go there now for picnics, swimming, running, biking, golfing, and unfortunately it seems - to dump trash.
> 
> I think Belle isle could be a really cool place and an awesome natural area again but it definitely needs a lot of work...


I'm only 32 and from what I remember as a kid I thought it was amazing. And I know it was even bigger and better before that. We'd go every winter to feed the ducks in the canals and then check out the nature museum, the greenhouse, and the aquarium. In the spring/summer we'd go and check out the zoo - it had a big boardwalk and you could look down in the pens of the animals. There was also one of those huge slides that you'd sit in a potato sack and zoom down. The fallow deer used to be free on the island and were so tame that they would come right up to your vehicle and feed from your hand.

But from what I see now, like most thing in Detroit, everything is dilapidated and an eyesore. Most of the buildings are falling apart, the nature areas are all overgrown and full of invasive plants, and there is not much there anymore compared to years gone by.



TVCJohn said:


> Back then, we used to be told don't go down there at night.


Still a good idea not to go down at night  Especially during the summer.


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## huntingmaniac45 (Nov 22, 2005)

If Detroit wants to keep it, let them fund it with a toll. $7 or 8 bucks a car should be good for starters. Ya ever see that place during the summer?


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

In the past decade the DNR spent tens of thousands of dollars on Belle Isle dredging out Lake Muskoday, a lake with separate inlets and outlet attached to the big river. They then lined it with gravel to make spawning habitat, reportedly to be for trout. Since then I can find no reports of stocking on the island, where they used to stock steelhead. So we lost a lot of shallow pike spawning habitat, for what I still haven't figured out.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

Found info saying it was an erosion control project.
www.greatlakesislands.org/Current_Island_Projects.pdf

I am all for the DNR taking over the island. For any of you that have never been there, trust me it has unimaginable potential.


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## northlyon (Dec 27, 2009)

hoytshooter4 said:


> My company has done restoration work on Belle Isle for the past three years, always funded by federal grant money. It has a small zoo which is still in operation and has some fallow deer as well as a small collection of amphibians/reptiles. The island is also home to a small deer herd.
> 
> From what I've heard the island used to be amazing - with an awesome zoo, aquariam, museum, greenhouse, etc. Most of which now is delapidated and overgrown with vegetation. Mostly people seem to go there now for picnics, swimming, running, biking, golfing, and unfortunately it seems - to dump trash.
> 
> I think Belle isle could be a really cool place and an awesome natural area again but it definitely needs a lot of work...


I have worked on th isle as well, at the green house/ gardens. Monies came from charity benefits. They have a group that handles the money, charities from the past would be eaten by the city of Detroit. Mismanagement has killed all of Detroit, the once beautiful island went with it.

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## hillbillie (Jan 16, 2011)

I'm all for the Dnr taking control of Belle Isle.
I'm also for erecting Manned booths with gates with Law enforcement personal.( maybe disabled, temp disabled or retired personal) There's only one way in and one way out.Maybe people would think twice about committing a crime.
A small fee/toll of $2 per car would go a long way to support the park and not hurt anyone's pocket book.
I see no reason why trustees and people severing community service couldn't pick up litter and help with the grounds maintenance.
and as far as litter goes the trash barrels need to emptied on a timely biases.I've personally seen trash barrels in Det. Parks overflowing and the contents being blown about be the wind. 

Belle Isle is truly a Jewel for the State of Michigan and Detroit it just needs to be polished and maintained to shine again.


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## BIRD BARREL (Aug 14, 2010)

The money his to help the wild life out they did a control burn their yesterday and is refuge for waterfowl during the hunting season so if it is part of the state of mi I don't mind if funds go their to help wildlife conditions better 

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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

If the term refuge is used no hunting will be allowed.
Game management area or GMU refers to an area that will be open to hunting.


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