Elections fundamentally shape the future of outdoor recreation within the Detroit region and across the United States. As Michiganders head to the polls tomorrow, we encourage everyone to "Vote the Outdoors" - especially in light of the candidates and proposals that are up for the vote this year.
Elections Matter. If you've opened your social media feed any time over the few months - or have a cell phone capable of receiving unwanted texts - then you're all too familiar with this message.
But here's the truth: the reason that mantra keeps popping up on your feeds is because it's absolutely true. Especially when election results will have both an immediate and often irrevocable impact on the protection and expansion of outdoor recreation opportunities in your township, state, and country.
We at Expedition Detroit are not in the candidate-endorsement business. We are in the outdoor recreation business, and both sides of the political aisle have consistently proposed landmark legislation aimed towards furthering the best interests of our natural resources. Stated differently, we support or attack interests and policies, not parties or people.
Spoiler alert: the most constructive, protective, and beneficial interests, policies, and actions have resulted from bipartisan collaboration. Unfortunately - or should we say shamefully - elections often result in a primetime showcase for divisive politics, which produce formidable stumbling blocks for meaningful action down the road.
Here we dive into how informed voting serves as one of the best mechanisms for protecting our outdoors, as well as the recreational ballot items that we at Expedition Detroit fully endorse.
How Politics Protect the Outdoors
Despite the divisiveness that we've grown numb to, recent history has proven that the adoption of effective, collaborative, and bipartisan action can and should be an expectation that us as voters maintain - especially when it comes to our great outdoors.
On the federal level, Congresses presiding under both the Trump and Biden Administrations have delivered several impactful, bipartisan bills aimed towards providing lasting protection for our natural environment. Dating back to 2019, both sides of the aisle effectively sponsored and passed the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act, which designated more than 1,300,000 acres of wilderness area, expanded several national parks and other areas of the National Park System, and established four new national monuments while re-designating others.
Similarly, the bipartisan and monumental Great American Outdoors Act of 2020 fully and permanently funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and as well as provides $1.9 billion annually to remedy maintenance backlog at American national parks.
More recently, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2022 provided a textbook example of impactful, bipartisan collaboration on a landmark bill. This bill demonstrated the very best of political action: it will not only rebuild crumbling roads, bridges, and airports, but also improve the infrastructure behind our beloved natural resources and their corresponding outdoor recreation experiences. The bill's material investments in mitigating climate change and reinforcing America's natural infrastructure are primed to connect more recreationists to the outdoors and strengthen the estimated $887 billion outdoor recreation economy.
For Michigan, the 2018 midterm elections ushered in a new era of political and fiscal investment in our outdoor ecosystem. In 2019, the Whitmer Administration led Michigan to become one of what's now 20 states that are members of the bipartisan Outdoor Recreation Industry Confluence Accords. The Confluence Accords consists of multi-state collaboration focused on promoting conservation, ensuring environmental quality, and restoring sustainable access to the outdoors.
The Whitmer Administration concurrently created Michigan's first Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry, which works in tandem with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and the Outdoor Recreation Advisory Council to expand Michigan’s growing $12.6 billion outdoor recreation economy.
The Power of Your Vote
So where does your vote fit into this equation? We strongly encourage you to #VoteTheOutdoors by completing the following simple tasks before going to the polls:
Research each candidate's position on the outdoors and natural environment. Vote411.org provides a fantastic online resource that compares each candidate's policies and priorities, including line items specifically on the environment and social justice.
Encourage friends and family to vote - regardless of their political leanings. If you remember anything from this article, I sincerely hope that it's that bipartisan collaboration has the greatest likelihood of enacting impactful legislation. America's fundamental political problems are not grounded in a single party; they derive from the extremes of both parties, spurred on by polarizing candidates typically elected during midterm elections. The tyranny of the extremes has produced the agonizing gridlock that has killed countless opportunities for impactful action.
Vote in Favor of Recreation Ballot Proposals. We've gone ahead and reviewed all of the ballot proposals up for vote in Michigan tomorrow. Of those proposals, here is a shortlist of recreation-related proposals that we support:
Jurisdiction | Proposal Name | Proposal Summary |
Oakland County | Oakland County Parks and Recreation Millage | Increase of millage to 65 cents per $1,000 of taxable value in order to expand, improve, operate, maintain, and acquire parks, recreational facilities, open spaces, lakes, rivers, water areas, and trails; to support nature education, recreational, and outdoor educational and health programming; to support partnerships for access to and awareness of recreational lands and facilities; to promote the conservation and restoration of high-quality natural and wildlife habitats; and to allow free general park admission to all county parks for residents. |
Ann Arbor | Ann Arbor City Charter Amendment Authorizing Tax for Park Maintenance and Capital Improvements | Amendment of the Ann Arbor City Charter to authorize a tax up to 1.10 mills for park maintenance and capital improvements for 2025 through 2044. |
Charter Township of Waterford | Community Center Bond Proposal | Authorization of loan of $36,410,000 for the purposes of acquiring, renovating, constructing, furnishing, and equipping a community center with public community facilities, parks and recreational facilities and structures, and acquiring approximately 51 acres of land for such community center and related facilities, making site improvements, renovating existing facilities at the site of such community center and related facilities. |
The "Outdoor State" comprises of republicans, democrats, independents, libertarians, and every one else across the political spectrum. The best outcome from tomorrow that we can all collectively hope for is that we elect leaders that are willing to collaborate with their colleagues towards producing and effectuating meaningful action for our outdoors. That outcome can only be realized if we make our voices heard and our votes count.
While the results of the 2024 Elections will have sweeping consequences for the future of Detroit's outdoor ecosystem, we can guarantee you that Expedition Detroit will continue to operate in line with our core values. Our content, advocacy, and fundamental operations will always seek to facilitate the expansion, inclusion, and protection of outdoor recreation opportunities in the Detroit region.
We'll see you at the polls - and then the trailhead.
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