Proposed bill would give Michiganders first dibs on campsite reservations

A bill introduced in the Michigan state House would allow Michigan residents to reserve campgrounds two weeks before out-of-state residents.

The bill was introduced by Republican Rep. Cameron Cavitt of Cheboygan. The bill also gives Michigan residents advance access to any “shelter, cabin, yurt, or lodge in a state park.”

In a statement, Cavitt said he was excited to see interest in Michigan’s state parks, but expressed concern over reservations closing up quickly.

“Some of our most popular parks fill up so quickly that state residents have less than 20 minutes to get a spot before they’re gone,” he said.

“There should be perks to living in Michigan. People who pay taxes that contribute directly to the quality of the parks should be able to get first dibs in vacationing to those parks,” Cavitt said. “Camping is supposed to be relaxing. Michigan families shouldn’t have to plan their vacations by huddling around a computer in December and praying for a nice campsite.”

The bill would also make reservations open only to Michiganders for two weeks at state forests.

The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation.

A similar bill was introduced in 2021, but wasn’t voted on by the House. Livonia Democrat Laurie Pohutsky is the chair of the natural resources committee. She agreed that reservations filling up is a problem. “They do fill up very, very quickly,” she said.

However, she had reservations about the bill, expressing concern that it doesn’t solve the problem.

“In my first term, we had a hearing on a similar bill when I was also a member of the committee. The DNR acknowledged that yes, it is an issue, but the majority of those reservations are actually coming from Michiganders, not outside residents.”

“So while it is an issue, I’m not sure that this bill is the solution to the problem,” she said.

As for more permanent solutions, Pohutsky said that the biggest issue was people taking advantage of the ability to book multiple sites. “The biggest issue is people reserving multiple campsites, sometimes up to five at once, and then canceling them as the actual date of the trip gets closer and they decide where they want to go. So those campsites are on hold and unavailable for other people up until the last minute,” she said.

Pohutsky said cancellation fees and limits on the number of sites could be more helpful solutions. Ultimately, she was concerned the bill could negatively impact tourism and recreation.

“I think that further conversations about whether or not this is something that would be helpful, neutral or potentially even harmful are needed.”