1. MASON COUNTYRecreation Plan: 2013-2017 DRAFT (October 10, 2012)prepared by theMason County Parks and Recreation Commissionwith assistance by Spicer Group, Inc.

2. Mason CountyRecreation Plan: 2013-2017Board of CommissionersLewis Squires ChairRich MorongJoe Lenius Vice-ChairThomas PosmaSusan Boes Mary NicholsRobert EricksonCurtis VanderWallCharles LangeJeffrey BarnettParks and Recreation CommissionDonald Gall - ChairNick MatishDavid MacClean Vice ChairEd McCumberDavid Hasenbank SecretaryJeffrey SchwassSteve Begnoche Curtis VanderWallSteve Dvorak Debbie Roberts Park ManagerBruce PattersonPrepared by:Mason CountyParks and Recreation Commission304 East Ludington AvenueLudington, MI 49431(231) 843-8202www.masoncounty.netWith assistance by:Spicer Group, Inc.230 South Washington AvenueSaginaw, MI 48607(989) 754-4717www.spicergroup.com119749SG2012 3. Table of Contents I.Introduction ............................................................................................................. 1II.Community Description........................................................................................... 3 III.Administrative Structure ........................................................................................... 7 IV. Recreation and Resource Inventories ..................................................................... 10V. Public Input ........................................................................................................... 34 VI. Action Program ...................................................................................................... 44VII. Planning Process .................................................................................................... 52VIII.Appendix A Sports Participation Trends .............................................................. 54 IX. Appendix B Public Input Documentation ........................................................... 75Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 i 4. IntroductionThis Recreation Plan is a guide for action. Mason County endeavors to fulfill the changingrecreational needs of its residents. Quality development and efficient management of itsparks and recreational facilities is a priority. To that end, this document forms the basis toguide policy for implementation of improvements and new initiatives that will meet therecreational goals and interests of the Mason County community.Before any recreation plan is adopted and enacted, it is first important to understand whatthe needs of the residents are, what recreational opportunities already exist, and what sortof projects are relevant for residents based on age, ability, population, density, and theavailability of recreational opportunities in neighboring communities. This plan, throughthe cooperation of Spicer Group and the Mason County Parks and Recreation Commission,has carefully considered input and suggestions via active communication from Countyresidents, County officials, and other community stakeholders. This input is a criticalMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-20171 5. component to this plan, and, together, the voices of Mason County have united to developa recreation plan to enhance the quality of life for everyone.Broadly speaking, Mason County officials intend to use this plan to guide their work on allfuture recreational and parks projects within the county. It is also a strategic document thatarticulates specific goals to various agencies and organizations that fund local recreationaland parks improvement projects. Specifically, this plan is developed in accordance withthe guidelines for Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Planspublished by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). A five-year, DNR-approved recreation plan is necessary for Mason County to pursue DNR-administeredgrants.This Recreation Plan is written for a single county, Mason County. It covers all aspects ofrecreation within the community.Ludington Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Plant Reservoir.Visitors to the Mason County Picnic Area learn about theMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 2 6. Community DescriptionMason County is located on the shore of Lake Michigan in central lower Michigan, atapproximately 44 1 12 N (latitude), 86 30 0 W (longitude), occupying 1,241 squaremiles. See Figure 1. The county is approximately 70 miles south of Traverse City andabout 90 miles north of Grand Rapids. Adjacent counties include Manistee County to thenorth, Lake County to the east, Newaygo County at the southeast corner, and OceanaCounty on the south. Lake Michigan forms the western boundary for Mason County,providing residents with over 28 miles of freshwater shoreline. Organized in 1855, MasonCounty was named after the first Governor of Michigan, Stevens Thomas Mason. The Cityof Ludington is the county seat.Prominent features of the landscape include the aforementioned 28 miles of Lake Michiganshoreline and large areas of farmland and forest. The Lake Michigan shoreline featuresextensive bluff and dune areas. Rivers and streams flow through Mason County, from eastto west, and empty into Lake Michigan. There are also many small lakes scatteredthroughout the county. Hamlin Lake, the largest lake in Mason County, sits behind a damMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 3 7. Mason County Figure 1: Mason County is located in central lower Michigan on Lake Michigan. (Data: Michigan Geographic Data Library)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-20174 8. and the dunes at Ludington State Park. Small wetlands dot the landscape. Many otherwetlands in the agricultural areas were drained long ago. Most of the privately ownedshoreline of Lake Michigan and the inland lakes are developed with cottages, seasonal andyear-around homes. The City of Ludington is a small port city, where tourists and industryco-exist. Ludingtons waterfront is largely dedicated to deep water facilities and industry,but is converting to marinas, parks, and some residential uses. Highways are alsoimportant in Mason County. US-31 stretches north from Muskegon to US-10 just east ofLudington. US-10 extends from Ludington nearly due east to the county line and beyondto Clare and Bay City. US-31 splits from US-10 at Scottville and extends north to thecounty line and the City of Manistee a short distance farther. Scottville is a small city in thecenter of the county. The County contains three rural villages, Custer, Fountain and FreeSoil. There are also fifteen townships in Mason County.People Mason County has a population of 28,705 according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Thisis a slight increase over 2000, when the population was 28,274 people. This growth of430 people is an increase of 1.5%. During this same period, Michigans populationdecreased by 0.6%. Figure 2 shows the distribution of population and the median agethroughout Mason County. Four of the twenty communities in the county comprise overhalf (57%) of the countys population. Those communities are the City of Ludington(8,076), Hamlin Township (3,408), Pere Marquette Charter Township (2,366), and AmberTownship (2,535).The median age of Mason County residents is 45.1 years. This is considerably older thanthe median age for the state of Michigan, which is 37.6 years. An older population mayhave different needs in terms of recreational programs and facilities.Housing According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there are 17,293 housing units in MasonCounty. More than 4,000 of these (4,051) are designated for seasonal, recreational, oroccasional use. This number is significant because it means that the population of theCounty can swell be several thousand during peak vacation times. Further, seasonalresidents of the community are another special population with unique needs in terms ofrecreational facilities. Most of these seasonal residents have chosen there second homesbecause of the recreational and natural resource opportunities that are available nearby. ItMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-20175 9. is very important to these seasonal residents that those facilities and resources by preservedand maintained.Income The median household income in Mason County was $40,039, according to the2006-2010 American Community Survey Estimates. This compares to $48,432 for thestate of Michigan. Approximately 15% of the County population had income that fellbelow the poverty level.Percent ofPopulationMedian Age County Total Amber Township2,5358.8% 45.10Branch Township1,3284.6% 44.30 Village of Custer284 1.0% 45.30Balance of Custer Township* 970 3.4% 45.10 Eden Township582 2.0% 43.00 Village of Free Soil 144 0.5% 44.40 Balance of Free Soil Township* 678 2.4% 47.50Grant Township909 3.2% 48.90Hamlin Township3,40811.9%49.70 Logan Township 312 1.1% 55.70 Meade Township 181 0.6% 49.10 Pere Marquette Charter Township 2,3668.2% 45.30 Riverton Township 1,1534.0% 44.30 Village of Fountain193 0.7% 37.80 Balance of Sheridan Township* 1,0723.7% 47.90Sherman Township993 3.5% 42.10Summit Township 924 3.2% 52.30 Victory Township1,3834.8% 40.90 City of Ludington 8,07628.1%43.00City of Scottville 1,2144.2% 35.10Mason County 28,705100% 45.10* Village listed immediately above is included in officialData: U.S. Censuscensus count for the townshipFigure 2: Median age and distribution of population in MasonCounty.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 6 10. Administrative StructureThe Mason County Parks and Recreation Commission is a 10-member body established asprovided by state law and has been delegated the responsibility for planning andadministration of recreational services by and for the county. Members include thechairman of the Road Commission, the Drain Commissioner, Chair of the PlanningCommission, a member of the County Board, and six members from the public at largeappointed by the County Board whose terms are for three years. Generally, at the firstmeeting of each year, a Chairperson, a Vice-Chairperson, and a Secretary are elected to actfor the Mason County Parks and Recreation Commission. The Commission lays out thecapital improvement plans for the parks. The Commission holds four meetings a year, andif needed, the Chairperson will call special meetings. The Parks and RecreationCommission is responsible for maintenance and development of the parks in MasonCounty and employs two seasonal full time staff members and three part time employees.Seasonal employees include a Manager, Ranger, and three Assistant Rangers who work atMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 7 11. the Campground and Picnic Area. Volunteers provide crucial support to many programsand activities in the county. The Commission uses volunteers throughout the year tomaintain facilities at the Campground and the Disc Golf Course. The organizational chartin Figure 3 shows the structure of parks and recreation administration in Mason County.The budgets for operations & maintenance and capital improvements are shown in Figure4. Funding for these operations comes from registrations, user fees, and annualcontributions from the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant. The Ludington Pumped StoragePlant owns two parks in Mason County and has a long-term agreement with the Parks andMason CountyBoard of Commissioners Buildings, Grounds, Airport, Zoning,Planning, Agriculture, County Parks and Recreation Commission Equalization Town,Administrator Tax, Liaison to Fairgrounds CommitteeParks Manager Full Time Seasonal EmployeesDisc Golf OrganizationCampground R/C Flying FieldPicnic Area VolunteersFigure 3: Parks and recreation administration in Mason County.CHECK TJHMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-20178 12. Recreation Commission that guaranteed, beginning in 2000 when the 20-year lease wassigned between the county and the pumped storage plant, an annual donation of $10,000for capital improvements and $20,000 for park operations. These monies are to be usedby the county only for park operations and improvements, and are adjusted annually bythe Consumer Price Index (CPI). In 2012, the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant donated$12,230 for capital improvements and $27,306 for park operations. The Parks andRecreation Commission does not provide any programming services.Figure 4: Mason County parks and recreation budget.Operation & ProgrammingCapitalMaintenance Improvements 2011$00,000$0$00,000 2012$27,306$0$13,230West Chauvez Road approximately five miles southThe Mason County Campground is located at 5906of Ludington.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-20179 13. Recreation and Resource InventoriesAn inventory of the existing Mason County parks and natural resources was completedusing the information provided by the county. It was verified with field checking andreview from the Parks and Recreation Commission. The county operates two park facilitiesthat are owned by the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant. Mason County also owns theMason County Fairgrounds and two parcels of property that are not currently developed.Figure 5 shows generalized locations of parks, facilities, and undeveloped land currentlyowned and administered by Mason County. Included is the Community Ice Arena at WestShore Community College in Victory Township. An inventory of all county-owned parksand facilities is provided on page 12. Part of this section of the plan includes additionalinformation to support the inventory, each contributing to a broader understanding ofrecreation available in Mason County. Included are park descriptions, a recreation granthistory, accessibility analysis, other parks and facilities, comparison to standards, sportsparticipation trends, inventory of natural resources, and tourism impacts.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201710 14. Classification of County ParksA recommended classification system for local and regional recreation open spaceincludes the following four types of parks. In Mason County, there are two developed parkproperties, both of which are considered Large Urban Parks. The Community Ice Arena atWest Shore Community College is also considered a Community Park.Figure 5: Generalized locations of parks, facilities, and undeveloped land currently owned and administered by theMason County Parks and Recreation Commission.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201711 15. Mason County Parks and Recreation InventoryAcreageClassification Service AreaOwner Disc Golf PlaygroundPavilion Restrooms Ice Skating Nature TrailGrills Campsites Camper Cabins Beach AreaRiver Access Location OtherAccessibility*County ParksField for radio County & Ludington Pumped Pere MarquetteMason County Campground 60UP 11 XX X 54 ? controlled 2Beyond Storage Plant Charter Tw pairplanesMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 County & Ludington Pumped Pere MarquetteMason County Picnic Area150 UP 3 11 XX 2Beyond Storage Plant Charter Tw pBig Sauble River Property6un N/AMason CountyXFree Soil Tw p N/A Pere MarquetteInman Road Property 34un N/AMason CountyN/A Charter Tw pCommunitycenter, threeMason County (leased County &Pere Marquette horse arenas,Mason County Fairgrounds50N/A to Western Michigan X115 2Beyond Charter Tw p grand standFair Association)w ith 3,500seatsOtherGym,West Shore Community Ice County &CPMason CountyX 1Victory Tw p sw imming3Arena BeyondpoolTotals300 3 22 Yes 1 2Yes 16901* See plan narrative under "Accessibility" for explanation of numeric code.Classification: CP = Community Park NP = Neighborhood Park MP = Mini-Park UP = Large Urban Park12 un = undeveloped 16. Mini-Parks address limited, isolated, or unique recreational needs. They are usuallybetween 2,500-square feet and one acre in size.Neighborhood Parks are often considered the basic unit of a park system. They serve asthe recreational and social focus of the neighborhood. Their intended service area is to mile distance and uninterrupted by non-residential roads and other physical barriers.They are generally 5 to 10 acres in size.Community Parks serve a broader purpose than neighborhood parks. Their focus is onmeeting community-based recreation needs, as well as preserving unique landscapes andopen spaces. They are usually between 30 and 50 acres and serve a radius of to 3 miledistance. The Community Ice Arena at West Shore Community College in VictoryTownship is considered a Community Park.Large Urban Parks serve a broader purpose than community parks and are used whencommunity parks and neighborhood parks are not adequate to serve local needs. Theygenerally serve the entire community and are a minimum of 50 acres. The Mason CountyCampground and the Mason County Picnic Area are considered Large Urban Parks.Description of County Park LandsMason County Campground and the Mason County Picnic Area The Ludington PumpedStorage Plant, jointly owned by Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison, owns these twoparks and has a 20-year lease agreement with the Parks and Recreation Commissionrequiring each party to certain terms. The original lease term began in 1974, upon thecompletion of construction of the two parks. This lease expired in December of 1999 andwas extended for 20 more years, ending in 2019.Written into the1999 lease was an agreement that the Ludington Pumped Storage Plantwould complete three improvement projects. First, it would rebuild the bath house at theMason County Campground and bring it into ADA compliance. Second would be anupgrade to the pavilion at the Mason County Picnic Area, bringing that building up to ADAspecifications. And finally, the Ludington Pumped Storage Plant will increase the size andnumber of campsites at the Mason County Campground, improve electric service to campMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201713 17. sites, and overall, improve the entire campground. Upgrades to the campground werecompleted in 2002 with the addition of five new camp sites. Another improvement to thecampground was the installation of a septic tank and drain field for the host site. In 2010camping cabins were added to the campground.The Mason County Campground (Figure 6) includes 56 wooded campsites and theaforementioned camping cabins. The campground also features a pavilion playgroundand a nature trail that connects it to the Picnic Area. Hull Field, a flying field for radiocontrolled model airplanes is located just west of the campground. The Twisted SticksRadio Control Club operates Hull Field on land just west of the campground. This fieldwas built and is maintained by the club, with ultimate oversight by the Parks andRecreation Commission. The field is open to the public, but in order to use it, pilots mustpossess an appropriate license.Figure 6: General location of the Mason County Campground, at 5906 West Chauvez in Pere Marquette CharterTownship.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 14 18. The Mason County Picnic Area includes a large pavilion that seats 350 people and can berented for public and private functions. Also located in this area are three 24-goal disc golfcourses, which are operated by the Mason County Disc Golf Organization. These courseswere built entirely with volunteer help and they have been the site of several tournamentsheld by the Michigan Disc Golf Organization. The three courses combined are advertisedas the 3rd largest disc golf course in the world. They are open to the public at no cost.Figure 7 show the general location of the Mason County Picnic Area. Figure 7: General location of the Mason County Picnic Area, at 6501 West Chauvez in Pere Marquette Charter TownshipInman Road Property Located near the intersection of West Bradshaw Road and InmanRoad just north of the Mason County Campground in Pere Marquette Charter Township,this 34-acre county-owned parcel is currently undeveloped. Its proximity to the LakeMichigan shoreline, the Mason County Campground, and the Mason County Picnic Arealends itself to many possibilities for new facilities and to potentially connect the availableMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 15 19. recreation sites in this area of Mason County. Figure 8 shows the general location of theInman Road Property. Figure 8: General location of the Inman Road property, near West Bradshaw and Inman in Pere Marquette Charter TownshipBig Sauble River PropertyThis six-acre riverfront property is actually two separate parcels situated on the north andsouth sides of the Big Sauble River in Free Soil Township. This scenic undevelopedproperty has direct access from US-31 and is an ideal location to provide boating,kayaking, and fishing access to the Big Sauble River. Figure 9 provides context for thegeneral location of this property.Mason County Fairgrounds The fairgrounds property is owned by the county and is leasedto the Western Michigan Fair Association. Located on the north side of US-10 in PereMarquette Charter Township, this 50-acre site features 115 camp sites, a communitycenter, three horse arenas, several barns and a grand stand with 3,500 seats. Figure 10shows its location.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201716 20. Figure 9: General location of the Big Sauble River property, on the east side of US-31 in Free Soil Township Figure 10: General location of Mason County Fairgrounds, on the north side of US-10 in Pere Marquette Charter TownshipMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201717 21. Recreation Grant HistoryMason County has received two grant from DNR-administered grant programs. In 2000,the county submitted a grant for the Community Ice Area at West Shore CommunityCollege in Victory Township. The project title was Regional Ice Arena, project numberCM00-198, with a closed project status since the ice arena was completed in 2003. In2010, Mason County received a $320,000 development grant (TF10-061) forimprovements to the Mason County Fairgrounds. As of October 2012, the improvementshave not yet been constructed.AccessibilityCreating a park system that is safe, accessible and usable to all individuals within thecommunity, including those with disabilities, is essential. A grading system has beendeveloped by the DNR to easily identify those parks and facilities which are most, andleast, handicapped-accessible and usable, based on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)guidelines. The following accessibility grading system uses a five-point system rangingfrom 1: None of the facilities/park areas meet accessibility guidelines, to 5: The entirepark was developed/renovated using the principles of Universal Design.An ADA compliance assessment of county facilities was conducted during the summer of2007 and consisted of a visual inspection of each park and facility in regards to access andcirculation. As noted in the inventory listing on page 12, some of the parks do not meet allcriteria for handicap accessibility. The Parks and Recreation Commission will continue itsefforts towards improving accessibility at each of the parks when improvements are made.This includes accessible parking, paths, restrooms, activity areas, amenities, and signage. Accessibility Grade Definition 1 None of the facilities/park areas meet accessibility guidelines 2 Some of the facilities/park areas meet accessibility guidelines 3 Most of the facilities/park areas meet accessibility guidelines 4 The entire park meets accessibility guidelines 5 The entire park was developed/renovated using the principles of Universal DesignMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 18 22. Other Parks and FacilitiesWithin Mason County are twenty local municipalities, which include two cities, threevillages, and fifteen townships. Each provides local parks and community recreationalfacilities. School districts also provide recreation amenities, as well as state and federalagencies. The management of these facilities is the responsibility of the elected boards andcommissions of the respective entity. While this recreation plan does not inventory andmap each of the parks and recreational facilities under the ownership of other agenciesand governmental entities, the county recognizes the health benefits and overallcontribution to quality of life these local recreational assets provide to communities. TheParks and Recreation Commission supports efforts to improve all recreational facilities andservices within the county. The county is committed to cooperating with communities andagencies on recreation projects when goals identified within this plan can be satisfied.Recreation facilities in the county are identified and inventoried in Table 7-5 of the MasonCounty Data Book, available on the Mason County website (masoncounty.net). Selectstate and federal recreation sites are shown in Figure 11. Figure 12 summarizes thoseparks and facilities.Figure 11: Select state and federal recreational sites in Mason County.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201719 23. Name of ParkAcreageOwnershipLudington Municipal Marina N/A City of LudingtonSenior Citizens Center N/A City of LudingtonStearns Park4.5City of LudingtonCartier Park N/A City of LudingtonLoomis Street Park N/A City of LudingtonPeter Copeyon Park5.0City of LudingtonDow FieldN/A City of LudingtonJames St. PlayfieldN/A City of LudingtonWaterfront Park 5.3City of LudingtonCity Park 3.0City of LudingtonLeveaux Park 0.51City of LudingtonCommunity Pool N/A Ludington School DistrictOriole Field23 Ludington School DistrictCuster Township Park N/A Custer TownshipRiver Park10 Custer TownshipDNR Nature Study Platform 1.5Department of Natural ResourcesLudington State Park5,400Department of Natural ResourcesFountain Ball Fields N/A Fountain VillagePeak PlaygroundN/A Fountain VillageWilson HillN/A Hamlin TownshipSouth Bayou Park N/A Hamlin TownshipWhite Pine Village9Pere Marquette TownshipButtersville Park18.5Pere Marquette TownshipSuttons Landing Park 34 Pere Marquette TownshipPere Marquette Shrine 2.4Pere Marquette TownshipMemorial Tree Park27 Pere Marquette TownshipRiverton Ball Team40 Riverton TownshipMcPhail FieldN/A City of ScottvilleScottville Riverside ParkN/A City of ScottvilleSheridan Township Park N/A Sheridan TownshipGunn LakeN/A Sherman TownshipSummit Park 5.4Summit TownshipKibby Creek Park1Summit TownshipMarrison Road Park0.5Summit TownshipLake Michigan Recreation AreaUS Forest ServiceNorth Country National Scenic TrailUS Forest ServiceNordhouse DunesUS Forest ServicePere Marquette Natural and Scenic River Corridor US Forest ServiceVictory Park40 Victory TownshipWest Shore Community College 360 West Shore Community College Figure 12: Partial list of other parks and recreation located within Mason County.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201720 24. The following overview summarizes some of the parks and recreational facilities withinMason County that are owned and operated by other agencies and governmental entities.Federal The United State Forest Service operates several facilities within Mason County.Nordhouse Dunes: A hiking trail begins at the end of Nurnburg Road on the north side of Hamlin Lake and continues for a distance of 14.5 miles through the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area north of Ludington State Park and touches Lake Michigan, finally ending at the Lake Michigan Recreation Area.Pere Marquette River: A popular fishing and canoeing stream, classified as a National Scenic River and State Natural River. The Forest Service controls much of the river and provides various landings and facilities for those who navigate the stream.North Country Trail: The North Country Trail Association describes the North Country National Scenic Trail (NCT) as a premier footpath that stretches for about 4,600 miles across seven northern states. From the getoffthecouch.info website, the NCT segment in Mason County is entirely within the Manistee National Forest and maintained by the Spirit of the Woods chapter of the North Country Trail Association. There are no official NCT trailheads in Mason County, but some parking at Tyndall Road is available with public access at Nine Mile Bridge to the north in Manistee County. As shown in Figure 12, the NCT is in Meade Township and heads southward to Lake County and northward to Manistee County.Lake Michigan Recreation Area: This popular area is comprised of family and group campsites that are both scenic and natural. The area adjoins Lake Michigan to the west and Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area to the south. It is located about 15 miles north of the City of Ludington on Forest Trail 5629, and has for public use 99 paved spur campsites each of which has a fire ring and picnic table with a lamp holder, half of which are barrier free. The area also has Lake Michigan swimming beaches, observation decks, picnic sites with playground, and over three miles of graveled bicycle and hiking paths.State Ludington State Park is located on M-116, approximately 8 miles north of Ludington,and is situated so that it boasts long water frontages on both Lake Michigan and HamlinLake. This park has 344 modern campsites, two ski trails, encompasses the Sauble RiverMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 21 25. between Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan, a camp store and restaurant, along with boatrental and launching facilities. Ludington State Park is undoubtedly the largest visitorattraction to the county.Cities and Villages The following municipalities operate a number of parks andrecreational facilities in Mason County.Ludington: Located at the western extremity of the county, along with the Ludington Area School District, has for many years given the youth and adults alike their formal recreation programming and will continue to serve the township populace that embraces the school district. Although some financial changes have been made to this program in the past two years, there continues to be a very good and active recreation program in this area. Ludington is able to optimize its many recreational resources and this avoids a costly duplication of services by the county.Scottville: Located near the center of the county, and eight miles east of Ludington, Scottville operates a summer recreation program for the surrounding community in addition to owning and operating Riverside Park on the south side of the Pere Marquette River at the southern edge of the city. The city has recently installed a swimming pool at the park but this pool is at the present time only for the use of registered campers at the park. Scottville Riverside Park and the Old Engine Club use property owned by the City of Scottville, which is located on south Scottville Road on the south side of the Pere Marquette River. Originally the campground was built over a period of time and has now become an excellent campground with a swimming pool and modern bathhouse and toilets. This facility is quite often used to capacity during the camping season.Villages of Custer, Fountain, and Free Soil These communities have active volunteerrecreation associations that provide primarily softball and baseball activities.Townships The following townships own and operate their own recreational facilities.Branch Township: Has an active volunteer recreation association that provides softball and baseball activities, inclusive of ball diamonds owned by the township.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201722 26. Custer Township: Ownership of primarily unimproved area on the south shore of the Pere Marquette River about two miles south of the Village of Custer. This area is open to the public for boat and canoe access to the river.Hamlin Township: Operates two parks, both of which are day use parks and heavily used. Wilson Hill Park is located on the south shore of upper Hamlin Lake and has a ball diamond, picnic area, and a boat launch ramp for small boats. South Bayou Park is located on the west side of Lakeshore Drive on the south side of the south bayou of Hamlin Park. This park appears to be heavily used for picnicking and has nearby access to Hamlin Lake.Pere Marquette Charter Township: Operates a very active parks and recreation program. The township has four parks and is the only township to pay a per-capita fee to the City of Ludington for their children to attend activities sponsored by the Ludington Recreation Department. The township parks commission operates a 44- site campground on the high banks above Lake Michigan and has several hundred feet of beach on Lake Michigan for public use. Memorial Tree Park on Lincoln Lake is a 37-acre day use park and has a ball diamond and a large picnic shelter with a building containing flush toilets. Suttons Landing Park, located on the Pere Marquette River near Old Highway 31 has a large modern picnic shelter with flush toilets, a boardwalk on the river with handicap fishing positions, and a boat launch ramp on the river that connects to Lake Michigan. Pere Marquette Shrine located on Lakeshore Drive has been recently rebuilt, and the area provides parking and a boat launch ramp on the east side into Pere Marquette Lake.Riverton Township: Has an active volunteer recreation association that provides softball and baseball activities, inclusive of ball diamonds owned by the township.Sheridan Township: Operates a swimming area and picnic area on the north end of Round Lake.Sherman Township: Picnic and swimming area on the south side of Gun Lake.Summit Township: Operates Summit Park located at the south end of the high banks area on the Lake Michigan shoreline in the southwest corner of the county. Located at the site of a former fish tug base, this park has a modern toilet structure and includes a large pavilion for group use, a ball diamond, and tennis courts.Victory Township: Has an active volunteer recreation association that provides softball and baseball activities, inclusive of ball diamonds owned by the township.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201723 27. Other West Shore Community College, which is located near the geographical center ofthe county in Victory Township, has many facilities that are made available to the MasonCounty community. Included is an Olympic-size swimming pool, a large field house thatincludes gyms, handball courts, and many other sport and health-related and recreationrelated activities. The college has been a leader in recreation since it was established over30 years ago. The West Shore Community Ice Arena was completed in 2003 on itscampus and has been very popular with Mason County residents.Comparison to StandardsTo help analyze the adequacy of parks and recreation facilities owned and operated byMason County, it is helpful to compare the countys system to various standards andbenchmarks.Overall Quantity Mason County has 300 acres of park land to serve about 28,000 people.This equates to approximately 10.6 acres of park land per 1,000 residents. Generalrecreation guidelines suggest there should be 5 to 10 acres of park land per 1,000residents. This means the county should have at least 141 acres of park land and as muchas 282 acres to meet the general guidelines. The county exceeds these recommendations.Facility Standards The National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) has publishedtypical recreation facility standards that specify facility service area, the number of facilitiesneeded to service the population, and the land area needed. These standards can be usedin conjunction with the acreage standards to further identify Mason Countys recreationneeds. Figure 13 provides a comparison of the countys public facilities against publishedrecreation facility standards. Based on the standards, some deficiencies are apparent.Deficiencies can be seen in basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball fields, softball,football, soccer, golf courses, and playgrounds. The resulting deficiencies, as determinedby this NRPA standards evaluation, does not account for the recreational facilities ownedand operated by other agencies and governmental entities that service local populations.Mason County can optimize the recreational resources available to all residents in thecounty by supporting recreation provided by the local municipalities.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 24 28. RecommendedRecommended CountyPublic Surplus/12,4StandardFacilities Need DeficiencyBasketball Courts31/5,0000 6 -6Tennis Courts 1/2,000014-14Baseball Fields 1/5,0000 6 -6Lighted Fields 1/30,0000 1 -1Softball1/5,0000 6 -6Football Fields1/20,0000 1 -1Soccer Fields1/10,0000 3 -3Golf Courses9 hole 1/25,0000 1 -118 hole1/50,0000 1 -1Swimming PoolIndoor 1/20,0000 1 -1Outdoor1/40,0000 1 -1Ice RinksIndoor 1/50,0001 10Outdoor1/20,0000 1 -1Playgrounds 1/3,0002 9 -7Trails1 system per region1 10Recommended number of each facility per unit of population (National Recreation and Park Association/Michigan Recreation1Opportunity Standards).2 Population of 28,274 based on 2000 Census data3 Two backboards were considered to be equal to one (1) court for the purposes of this analysis4 Rounded to the nearest whole number Figure 13: Comparison to Standards for Park and Recreational Facilities .Level of Service More recent park guidelines indicate that one must also consider theLevel of Service desired by the community. If Mason County residents needs are metwith the existing amount of park land and facilities, then that amount is sufficient. This iswhy the community input portion of a recreation plan is so important. The Parks andRecreation Commission needs to understand the wishes of the community it serves in orderto provide the Level of Service desired by the residents.Sports Participation TrendsWhile the analysis under the previous sections provides an excellent start in understandinghow the countys recreation facilities stack-up against the DNR-recommended standards, itdoes not provide a complete picture. For example, some facilities offered in the county,such as the disc golf course, do not appear on the list of recommended standards. As aMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201725 29. supplement to the DNR-recommended standards, data from the Sporting GoodsManufacturers Association (SGMA) is another way to help understand recreation trends.It is important to be aware of national recreation trends because this information canenable a community like Tuscola Township to anticipate activities that have a largenumber of participants and show a growth in popularity. The SGMA conducts an annualsurvey that analyzes the size of sports product markets in order to determine sportsparticipation trends. Detailed results of the 2011 Sports, Fitness & Recreational ActivitiesParticipation Report are given in Appendix A. This report describes the overallparticipation figures for 119 sports in 9 different categories: Aerobic activities,Conditioning activities, Strength activities, Individual sports, Racquet sports, Team sports,Outdoor sports, Winter sports, and Water sports. The most popular sports and recreationalactivities in the United States for 2010, as measured by people who participate at leastonce a year in any given activity (overall participation), are:1. Walking for Fitness (114.1 million participants)2. Bowling (55.9 million)3. Treadmill (53.1 million)4. Running/Jogging (49.4 million)5. Hand Weights (45.9 million)6. Billiards/Pool (39.4 million)7. Bicycling (39.3 million)8. Freshwater Fishing (38.9 million)9. Weight/Resistance Machines (38.6 million)10. Dumbells (37.4 million)Natural Resource InventoryA natural resource inventory is used to identify open space areas that may be desirable forprotection and/or public access through acquisition or other means. There are manysignificant natural resources in the county, including over 27 miles of Lake Michiganshoreline, 9,700-acres of inland lakes, 59,000-acres of forest in the Manistee NationalForest, approximately 238-miles of rivers and streams, and 6,440-acres of protected sanddunes. Its worthwhile to note that Mason County ranks 44th among the 83 counties inMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 26 30. Michigan regarding the total number of lakes and ponds within its boundaries, and ranks36th in total acreage. Figure 15 details the types of lakes and ponds in the county. Figure 15: Types of Lakes and Ponds in Mason County TypeNumberAcres Natural lakes & ponds 193 3,660 Natural lake with dam45,934 Artificial ponds 7917.1 Marl lake 10.9 Settling pond2 21.1 Fish breeding pond10.5Figure 16, on the next page, shows the location of lakes, rivers, streams, wooded areas,and sand dunes in Mason County. Also shown are some of the wetlands in Mason County.A more detailed account of wetlands in Mason County is described on Map 3-2(Floodplains and Wetlands) of the Mason County Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2006.A partial inventory of inland lakes in Mason County, indicating which ones have publicaccess, is listed in Figure 17.Most of the rivers and streams in Mason County are of very high quality and supportdesirable species of game fish. Major rivers in the county include the Pere Marquette,Lincoln (north and south branches), Little Manistee, and the Big Sauble. The PereMarquette River is the major west-east river on the southern side of the county. TheLincoln River is the primary river running west to east on the countys northern side.Streams and rivers in the county, classified by their size, are listed below in Figure 18. Amap showing the locations of these rivers is provided in Figure 19.Figure 18: Types of Streams and Rivers in Mason County Stream Size Characteristics MileageVery Small Not canoeable at average water level 174 MilesSmallCanoeable with difficulty3 Miles MediumReadily canoeable5 MilesLargeHandles small to medium outboard motors60 MilesVery Large Handles large outboard motors 10 MilesSource: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Recreation Services DivisionMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 27 31. & ! # $ % % % 6 9@32456tB A@CD78w xE RTS73B 0U5FRVC6 A@1(WX bg f w daraba rYTGbg cs de cC hiH) dh U`Cq ghh p yI@P WX u vt dq5C5Q twu 32. Inland Lake Surface Area (acres) Public AccessAllen LakeAugustine Lake 9Bachelor LakeBarton Lake37.2Bass Lake 524 yesBlue Lake 69Casin Lake48Emerson Lake55Ford Lake 208 yesGooseneck Lake77Gun Lake219 yesHackert Lake (Crystal)125 yesHamlin Lake4,990yesHoags Lake35yesHopkins LakeLake Eden64.4Lincoln Lake155 yesLong Lake 136Mud Lake5.7North Oxbow LakePere Marquette Lake 554 yesPleiness Lake 81yesPond Augustine Lake 5.4Round Lake571 yesSouth Oxbow LakeSt. Marys Lake 113 yesTallman Lake170 yesThunder LakeVogel LakeWatassa Lake6.2Whelan Lake13.2Woodruff Lake 20 Figure 17: Partial inventory of inland lakes in Mason County.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201729 33. Figure 19: Map of major rivers in Mason County.Of the 251-miles of inventoried rivers and streams in Mason County, approximately 133-miles are designated state or federal wild/natural/scenic/natural river. The Pere MarquetteRiver is designated as a state Natural River, and also as a federal Scenic River. Thesedesignations mandate certain provisions to help retain the naturalness of the shoreline andto help protect river water quality. Provisions of this sort typically include deeper setbacksfor buildings, greater minimum lot widths, limitations on the size of signs, deeper setbacksfor septic systems, a natural vegetative buffer strip, limitations on the clearing of shorelinevegetation, and control of access to the river.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 30 34. Earlier, Figure 16 showed the location of sand dunes in the county. Some of the dunes aredesignated critical dune areas, which run along the shore from the City of Ludington northinto Grant Township. Much of this area is in public ownership, either through LudingtonState Park or the Manistee National Forest. Sand dune protection and management isadministered by the MDEQs LandWater Management Division. A more detailedaccount of sand dunes in the county is described in Chapter 3 (Future Land Use) of theMason County Comprehensive Plan, available on the countys website (masoncounty.net).Impact of TourismCommercial lodging visitors are generally the group that most businesses think of as thetourist population. This group includes visitors staying in campgrounds, motels, hotels,and resorts. Vacationing commercial lodging visitors are probably the most significanttourist group in Mason County. Generally, this group uses the western half of the countyand the City of Ludington, where well-developed lodging facilities cater to them. Avisitors guide to Mason County of commercial lodging tallies 20 motels, 15 resorts, six bedand breakfasts, four inns, and approximately 20 campgrounds that are available for visitorsto the county. In terms of overall camping sites in the county, Figure 20 (Number ofCampgrounds), shows that 25 campgrounds are available, of which 80% are privatelyowned and operated. Figure 21 (Number of Campsites) summarizes the total number ofcampsites available in the county. About 71% are commercial and the other 29% are fromfederal, state, and local agencies. The data in Figures 20 and 21 are from a 2000 inventoryincluded in the Mason County Data Book, on the countys website at masoncounty.net.Some subgroups of these tourists to Mason County could be considered a seasonal residentpopulation and can have a substantial impact on the economy in Mason County. Thisgroup is important because it tends to have a higher level of income than the overallresident population and spends dollars over a longer period than visiting tourists. Twoother groups also make up tourist populations in the county. Day trippers consist of areaor regional residents that use attractions and services for a single day and may drive up tothree hours to fish, canoe, ski, attend festivals, or shop. The size of this group hasincreased due to the completion of US-31 to US-10 just two miles east of Ludington. Inaddition, the five lanes of US-10 between Ludington and the northbound bypass of US-31near Scottville provides ease of access to many points within Mason County. Data in theMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201731 35. Number of Campgrounds1 11 National Forest11 State ParkMunicipalFigure 20 TownshipCountyCommerical 20Number of Campsites99399 National ForestState Park62MunicipalFigure 21 44Township49County1620CommericalMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 32 36. Mason County Tourism Profile compiled by Michigan State University Extension showsMason County as having one of the highest market shares in terms of expenditures bytourists destined for the five northern counties of the West Michigan Regional Planningarea.The Mason County Campground has 56 modern camp sites.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 33 37. Public InputTo comply with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources Guidelines for theDevelopment of Community Park, Recreation Open Space and Greenway Plans, MasonCounty provided three public input opportunities during this planning process. Thisincluded an online survey, and invitation to the public to attend the August 20, 2012Mason County Parks and Recreation meeting in Scottville and share their input, and therequired 30-day period for review and comment, with public meeting, on the draft plan. Acompilation of all of the input received from all sources is contained in Appendix B. Whatfollows is a summary of the input and feedback received during the planning process. Toencourage participation in the online survey, the County released an article in theLudington Daily News, promoted the survey on the project website(http://masoncorec.wordpress.com/), engaged in Facebook networking, and sent variousflyers and e-mail messages to members of the community. Together, these channels fordiscussion led to more than 123 responses that the County can use as a baseline level ofinformation for supporting the ideas outlined in this Recreation Plan.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201734 38. Providing Access to Online Information About the Recreation Plan Shortly after theplanning process began, an informational website on Facebook was created, as shownbelow in Figure 22. It was developed to serve as an online presence that would displaypublic information, describe the process, provide photos, interactive maps, and be a placefor interested parties to comment on recreation in Mason County. The Facebook page wasan important communication and outreach effort to community groups because it had theeffect of encouraging them to take the online survey, described in more detail below.Figure 22Screenshot of Mason Countys Facebook page for the recreation plan, located online at:https://www.facebook.com/MasonCountyRecreationPlanMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201735 39. Overview of the Online Survey The online survey was made available from June 25through August 1, 2012, complete with 20 questions each of which can be seen inAppendix B of this document. The intent of the survey was to establish an easy means ofcommunication where residents and stakeholders of Mason County could provide inputabout the existing parks and ideas for future recreational improvements. Publicannouncements to encourage survey participation took the form of an article in theLudington Daily News, a link on the project website, Facebook networking with relatedorganizations, flyers and postcards printed in color, and various e-mail messages sent tomembers of the community. More details about responses are given below.Survey Summary During the public input period, the County collected many great ideasand suggestions for Mason County parks and recreation. The following information is asummary of the major ideas the County received from the online survey and the Facebookpage. The complete data is included in Appendix B of this document.About the Respondents The survey response data indicates that over three-quarters of theresponses from the survey were completed by residents of Mason County. Figure 23,indicating responses to Question #18, shows the percentage of responses from the listedlocations. Also, from Figure 24, more than 63% of the respondents were over the age of50, as documented in Question #20. Please note that this survey received only onecomment from youth under the age of 18. From Question #19, most of the responses weresubmitted by individuals living in a two-person household. More specific informationfollows in Figures 24 and 25 below. Figure 23: Location of RespondentsWhat statement best describes your role in Mason County?I live in Mason County 78.9%My family owns a seasonal home in Mason County7.3%I have visited Mason County11.9%Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 36 40. Figure 24: Age of Respondents What is your age?Figure 25: Household Size AgeResponse Percent How many people live in yourhousehold? Under 18 0.9% Number in Household Response Percent18 29 5.4% 19.0%30 39 11.7% 247.7%40 49 18.0% 3-543.2%50 - 64 51.4%6 or more 0.0%65 and older12.6%About the Parks Question 1 asked the respondents to indicate the number of times theyvisited a Mason County park in the past year. A graph of the data is shown below in Figure26.Figure 26 How many times have you or your family used a Mason County park in thepast year? (Q1)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201737 41. Question 2 asked respondents which Mason County park they have visited in the past year.Figure 27 shows that over 73% of the respondents visited the fairgrounds in the past year.Figure 27 Which of the following Mason County parks have you visited in the past year? (Q2)Question 3 asked respondents if they have camped in Mason Countys parks in the pastyear. Figure 28 shows the Mason County Campground is the clear favorite for respondents.Figure 28 Please indicate if you have camped in any of the following Mason County parksduring the past year. (Q3)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 38 42. Question 4 asked respondents why they visit parks operated by Mason County. The topchoices were for casual and informal uses such as picnics or taking pictures (48%), and toenjoy nature (47%). See Figure 29.Other Responses include:Fishing, attend events atthe fairgroundsFigure 29 Why do you and/or your family visit Mason County parks? (Q4)Big Sauble River Improvements Regarding the Big Sauble River property, Question 5asked respondents if they have ever used the Big Sauble River property as a boat or kayaklaunch. Over 83% of the respondents indicated that they have not. In Question 6,respondents were given an opportunity to state whether or not they would visit the BigSauble River property more often if it were to be improved to enhance water access. Here,only 45% of the respondents said they would visit the park if there were improvementsmade. Question 7 was a follow-up and asked if respondents had any specific ideas orsuggestions for improving the Big Sauble River property. Some of the suggestions were toprotect the site from erosion, keep it rustic, have a minimally-designed parking lot, haveportable toilets, have a small boat launch, keep the area natural, have a couple of picnictables.Disc Golf Course Improvements Regarding the three disc golf courses located at theMason County Picnic Area, Question 8 asked respondents if they have ever used them.Only 18% of the respondents indicated that they had. Question 9 was aimed to determineMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201739 43. how many times in the past year respondents used those disc golf courses. About 82% hadsaid they had not used them at all in the past year. Put another way, the responsesindicated that 18% had used the disc golf courses at least once in the past year, whichfollows the responses from Question 8. Question 10 was a follow-up and asked ifrespondents had any specific ideas or suggestions for improving the disc golf courses.Some of the suggestions were advertise them more, poison ivy removal, and workshops tointroduce families to the sport.New Facilities and Amenities Question 11 provided a list of recreational features andamenities. The respondents were asked to check those they felt were most needed inMason County and provide their own answers in the other box, if applicable. The topchoice, at 59%, among respondents was the desire for more walking and biking paths. Agraph of the responses can be seen in Figure 30 below. Other Responses include: Fish cleaning station, snowmobile trails, mountain bike single track, soccer fields, bigger camp sitesFigure 30 What additional facilities/amenities would you like to see added to Mason Countyparks and recreational areas? (Check all that apply.) (Q11)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 40 44. Prioritizing Future Improvements Question 12 gathered information about the quality ofexisting Mason County parks and recreational areas. Participants of the survey were askedto rank the following features on a scale of 1 (Very Good) to 5 (Very Poor). The resultsshown in Figure 31 indicate high levels of satisfaction with the Variety ofFacilities/Amenities, Maintenance and Appearance, Safety and Security, andQuality/Friendliness of Staff. Responses show a moderate level of satisfaction with WaterAccessibility.Figure 31 Please evaluate the following aspects of Mason County parks and recreationalareas. (Q12)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 41 45. Recreational Participation in Mason County in General While previous questions in theonline survey focused on specific aspects of the parks operated by the Mason County Parksand Recreation Commission, Question #13 asked respondents about the things they do inMason County already, regardless of property ownership or which agency operates arecreational amenity. The top recreational activities people participate in include using ahiking or biking trail (66.7%), boating (56.8%), picnicking (57.7%), attending festivals andspecial events (53.2%), and fishing on Lake Michigan or at an inland lake (52.3%).Overall results are shown below in Figure 32. As a companion to this question, Question#14 asked respondents to evaluate and rate those existing recreational features in MasonCounty. Those receiving the highest rating include Lake Michigan swimming access, fallcolor tours, public campgrounds, and places to go picnicking.Figure 32 I have participated in the following recreational activities in Mason County in the pastyear: (check all that apply) (Q13)Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201742 46. Accessibility Question 6 asked, If there is a person with a disability in your family, pleaseindicate which of the following would make Mason County parks more user-friendly foryou and your family member (check all that apply). Results were as follows:81.9% of participants responded with No one in my family with a disabilityThe most common suggestions for accessibility (in order) were: 1. Accessible waterfront access 2. Paved trails 3. Accessible restrooms 4. Accessible parking 5. Flatter, easier grades 6. Accessible playgroundsOpen-Ended Questions Question 16 asked participants what they liked best about MasonCounty parks and recreational areas. Some of the most common answers were: Variety,quality of the staff, clean parks, quiet, low cost, and the parks are beautiful natural areas.Question 8 asked participants the one thing they would do to improve Mason Countyparks and recreational areas. Common answers included: Need more parks, a fish cleaningstation is needed, more paved walking and biking paths, and more playgrounds.Draft Plan and Public Meeting After the draft Recreation Plan was completed, it was madeavailable for public review for 30 days. Interested persons could view the plan in personat the County Building in Scottville, the Mason County District Library in Ludington, andonline at https://masoncorec.wordpress.com/. The 30 day Notice of Review was publishedin the Ludington Daily News on 10/13/2012. The second and final opportunity forcommunity input occurred at the advertised public hearing held prior to adoption of theplan, which was held on November 12, 2012, with the Parks and Recreation Commission.Mason County passed a resolution to adopt this Recreation Plan at the Board ofCommissioners meeting on Month 00, 2012. Copies of the Recreation Plan weretransmitted to the West Michigan Shoreline Regional Development Commission and theMichigan Department of Natural Resources. Copies of the notification advertisements, thepublic hearing minutes, the resolution, and the transmittal letters are included in theappendix.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201743 47. Action ProgramDeveloping goals and objectives is an important part of the recreation planning process.The overall goal of the Parks and Recreation Commission is to provide recreationopportunities for the community or region it serves, and possibly for tourists. More specificgoals must be based on the demographic characteristics of the population served and otherphysical and environmental characteristics of the county.Goals are the broadest level. They are overreaching and general. Objectives carry out thepurpose of the goal. Action items are the last level, and they identify specific projects andprograms to be pursued over the next five years. Action items can include organizational,staffing, programming, public information, and operation and maintenance actions. TheMason County Parks and Recreation Commission formulated the following goals andobjectives based upon the characteristics of the overall community, the online survey, andother factors such as sports participation trends.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 44 48. Goal A: Promote and provide diverse recreational opportunities to satisfy all age groupsand levels of ability.While Mason County is rich in the amount of park land it has available, residents in thecounty rely mostly on locally-owned municipal parks for public recreational opportunities.Based on the general input received from residents and the evaluation of Countyrecreational facilities shown earlier in Figure 30 compared to the growing sports activitiesnoted page 26, it is apparent there are some unmet needs in Mason County. Furthermore,the vast amount of natural resources present in Mason County that are ideal forrecreational purposes, as identified in Figures 16, 17, 18, and 19, provide uniquedestinations that can be enhanced by the county. Objective Develop a funding program for enhancing recreational programs and facilities throughout the county. Objective Promote opportunities for tourism.Goal B: Promote and create community awareness of Mason County as an all-seasonssporting and recreation destination.To improve support for parks and recreation in Mason County, it is important to createcommunity awareness of county parks and their offerings. Using parks and recreation as atourism draw, the public needs to be informed of recreational activities that are availableacross the differing seasons. Objective Work with local media to provide coverage of improvements, events, and activities at the parks. Objective Take advantage of the countys website and social networking opportunities to communicate to residents about Mason County parks and activities. Objective Work with local schools, governmental units, and non-profit organizations to share information regarding Mason County parks and other recreational opportunities in the county.Goal C: Enhance access to the variety of water, trail, and natural forest resources inMason County and the recreational opportunities that they provide.Taking advantage of the vast amount of natural resources present in Mason County wouldprovide unique opportunities for new recreational facilities and may contribute toMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201745 49. enhanced tourism. Furthermore, by setting aside portions of its park lands to remainundeveloped, the county would be providing unique passive outdoor experiences that canbe appreciated by many by enabling them to view wildlife or to just have an escape fromthe routines of everyday modern life. Objective Explore the feasibility of developing existing county-owned property into passive recreational destinations. Objective Develop a funding program for the enhancement of county-owned property lands where a special opportunity exists for developing passive recreational amenities. Objective Investigate opportunities for partnering with other groups and agencies to offer programs and events in Mason County.Goal D: Develop non-motorized trails and other park connections to promote healthylifestyles throughout Mason County.The results from the online survey sent a clear message Mason County needs more non-motorized trails. With the scenic views afforded by Lake Michigan and the existence ofnon-motorized trails elsewhere in the region, it is obvious why there is such a pent-updemand in Mason County. Adding non-motorized trails in strategic locations wouldprovide for an alternative mode of transportation, improve the environment, and promotehealth and physical fitness. Furthermore, maps included in the Mason CountyComprehensive Plan identify possible future locations for bike trails. Objective Link existing county and municipally-owned recreational facilities with non-motorized trails. Objective Develop a feasibility plan for a regional non-motorized trail plan. Objective Support trail links throughout the county with a special focus on preservation of any abandoned railroad right-of-way.Goal E: Continue to improve accessibility at all parks by incorporating Universal Designin all new amenities and updating existing amenities as appropriate.Existing facilities in Mason County already provide some level of handicap accessibility.Comments from the online survey suggest a need to improve the accessibility of existingfacilities in the county, based on Census estimate data that show 16.5% of the civilian non-institutionalized population aged 5 and over in Mason County has a disability.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 46 50. Objective Improvements to existing facilities should be designed to exceed minimum requirements of the Michigan barrier-free code.Goal F: Partner with other units of government and recreation providers to furtherpromote broad-based recreation throughout Mason County.In the spirit of responsible regional planning and fiscal responsibility, the Parks andRecreation Commission believes it is important to cooperate and work with otherrecreation providers in the county. This includes local governmental units, school districts,federal and state agencies, and non-profit organizations. Objective Identify and explore new opportunities for recreational projects with local jurisdictions as a means of better serving residents and enhancing tourism. Objective Give priority to seeking funding of recreational projects that utilize existing facilities and underutilized facilities. Objective Support efforts of Ludington State Park to maintain and improve its facilities through coordination of public and private partners and the schools.Goal G: Acquire, retain, and develop appropriate property for public recreationalpurposes.Mason County recognizes that parks and recreational amenities contribute to the quality oflife for its residents. When access to open spaces and natural areas is enhanced, theseareas are a draw for not only residents, but also for tourists. New lands may need to beacquired so specific facilities can be added or so that special natural features can bepreserved. Objective Retain and enhance existing park land to meet the recreational needs of the county and for tourism. Objective Partner with other recreation providers within Mason County to support opportunities for new and expanded recreational facilities. Objective Seek and apply for grants to support recreational initiatives through the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and local foundations.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 47 51. Action ProgramWith goals and objectives in place, Mason County was able to develop a five-year ActionProgram to work toward accomplishing the goals and objectives. The Action Programdetails the direction the County wishes to take over the next five years in order to maintainand improve the quality and diversity of area park and recreation opportunities.Projects were assigned a priority of 1 through 5 with 1 being most important and 5 beingleast important. Each action item relates to one or more of the lettered goals describedearlier. Potential projects described in this plan have been established not only to providea framework for decision-makers but also to enable the County to apply for grant funding.The project list is not a fixed element and it is not either all-inclusive or exclusive. Theproject list reflects the results of the input received from the online survey, County officials,and the Parks and Recreation Commission. Future circumstances, especially availability offunding, may change priorities or require reprioritization of items. Before proceeding withany potential project, the County will require further study, such as though not limited todeveloping conceptual plans, seeking additional community input, or the development ofoperation and maintenance plans. The proposed Action Items are shown in this table.Top priorities are indicated with a 1 while lower-ranking priorities are indicated by a 3.Mason County Recreation PlanAction ItemsProjectPriority Goal(s) Enhance access to the Big Sauble River2A, C, E, G Improve camp sites at the Mason County 1 A, E, G Campground. Plan for a non-motorized trail system in Mason 3 A, D, E County Reach out and promote the disc golf courses 2A, B, E Upgrade restroom facilities at County recreational 2 E, G facilities Add park amenities to other County-owned 3 A, C, E, F, G propertyMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201748 52. Funding Potential Improvements Funding for the projects described under the ActionProgram can come from a range of local, state, and federal programs. Grant funding isavailable for parks and recreation projects. However, applicants need to target potentialfunding agencies and programs very carefully so as to meet the specific criteria required.What follows is a current listing of programs and agencies that can provide funding forparks and recreation projects.Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) Match requirement minimum of 26% Development grants Minimum Grant Request $15,000 Maximum Grant Request $300,000 Acquisition grants No minimum or maximum Goals of MNRTF Board Resource Protection very important Water Access Community Recreation Urban Recreation Economic Development Due annually on April 1 www.michigan.gov/dnr-grantsLand and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Administered by MNRTF, applications due annually on March 1 50% match required Minimum grant request $30,000 ($60,000 project total) Maximum grant request $75,000 ($150,000 project total) Funds a wide variety of outdoor recreation projects www.michigan.gov/dnr-grantsMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201749 53. Michigan Department of Transportation - Transportation Enhancement Funds For non-motorized transportation and rehabilitationoperation ofhistoric transportation buildings, structures, or facilities (bridges, railroaddepot, etc.) Eligible applicants include county road commissions, cities, and villages.Other organizations may sponsor applications (i.e. County RoadCommission or local MDOT office sponsors an application) Rolling online application process www.michigan.gov/mdot - Go to Projects and Programs.Other Programs to Consider:Coastal Program Great Lakes US Fish and Wildlife Service Grants to conserve fish and wildlife and their habitats and to support healthy coastal ecosystems Rolling application process www.fws.gov/midwest/greatlakes/apply.htmSpecific sports and sports foundations United States Tennis Association (USTA) - funding for tennis courts and programs - www.usta.com Major League Baseball - Baseball Tomorrow Fund, more info at www.baseballtomorrow.com United States Soccer - www.ussoccerfoundation.orgSafe Routes to School For projects near elementary and middle schools: - Sidewalks and off-street pedestrian facilities - On-street and off-street bicycle facilities - Traffic calming and speed reduction - Pedestrian and bicycle crossing improvements - Traffic diversion improvements in the vicinity of schools Need to complete the safe routes planning process to apply www.saferoutesmichigan.orgMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 50 54. Trust for Public Land (TPL) Conservation Transactions: TPL helps structure, negotiate, and complete land transactions that create parks, playgrounds, and protected natural areas. TPL serves as an independent agent, buying land from willing landowners and then transferring it to public agencies, land trusts, or other groups for protection. In some instances, TPL will protect land through conservation easements, which restrict development but permit traditional uses such as farming and ranching. More information at www.tpl.orgMichigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) Nonpoint SourcePollution Control Grants Must be part of a watershed management plan Projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution (streambank and shoreline stabilization, rain gardens, erosion control, conservation easements) www.michigan.gov/deq - Go to Surface Water and then to Non- point Source Pollution.Community Forestry Grant Program Projects that develop or enhance urban and community forestry resources in Michigan. Project categories are: Management and Planning, Education and Training, Library Resources and Tree Planting. 50% match required. http://www.mi.gov/dnrucf - Go to Community Forestry Grants.Community Foundations, Private Foundations, and Endowments Community Foundation for Mason CountyMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201751 55. Planning ProcessIn its continuing effort to provide quality recreational opportunities for its citizens, MasonCounty has developed this Recreation Plan as a tool to guide the development ofcommunity parks and locations over the next five years. This plan is the latest effort bygovernmental officials in Mason County to establish recreational goals and objectives forthe community. The plan will also provide the County with eligibility for grants from theMichigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to assist the community in reaching itsrecreational goals.Mason County contracted with Spicer Group of Saginaw, Michigan, to assist them withcompletion of the Recreation Plan. The consultant worked with the Parks and RecreationCommission through the course of the plan.Data was collected about the County including maps, demographics, park information,and an inventory of existing facilities. This data was collected from a number of resourcesMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-201752 56. such as other relevant planning documents, various websites, field observations, andconversations with County officials.Community input was collected via an online survey conducted in the summer of 2012.Based upon the existing information and the community input, Mason County developedgoals and objectives for parks and recreation. Then, action plan items were written thatwould work toward accomplishing the goals and objectives.Spicer Group completed the Recreation Plan document and it was made available forreview at County Building in Scottville, the Mason County District Library in Ludington,and online at https://masoncorec.wordpress.com/ for at least 30 days beginning onOctober 12, 2012. This reviewing opportunity was advertised in the Ludington DailyNews. The final opportunity for community input occurred at the advertised publicmeeting held prior to the adoption of the plan. This meeting was on November 12, 2012,with the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting at the County Building in Scottville at7:00 pm. On Month 00, 2012, the Mason County Board of Commissioners passed aresolution adopting the recreation plan.Copies of the advertisements and resolutions areincluded in Appendix C.Views of Lake Michigan from the MasonCounty Picnic Area are exceptional.Mason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 53 57. Appendix A Sports Participation TrendsMason County Recreation Plan: 2013-2017 54 58. The Sporting Goods Manufacturers AssociationSports, FitnessRecreational ActivitiesTopline Participation Report 2011 59. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline ReportTable of Contents1 METHOD ................................................................................... 22 OVERVIEW AND INSIGHT FROM THE PAC REPORT ....................... 33 PARTICIPATION TRENDS ............................................................ 44 ADDITIONAL FINDINGS ............................................................. 55 ACTIVITIES AT SCHOOL AGETHE P.E. PATHWAY ........................ 86 PATHWAYS TO PARTICIPATION CASUAL SPORTS ........................ 97 PARTICIPATION AMONG THE GENERATIONS............................. 118 INTEREST AMONG NON-PARTICIPANTS..................................... 129 PARTICIPATION DATA NEWS AND NOTES .................................. 1310PARTICIPATION DATA ............................................................. 15The Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association (SGMA), the #1 source for sport and fitnessresearch, is the leading global trade association of manufacturers, retailers, and marketers inthe sports products industry. SGMA helps lead the sports and fitness industries by fosteringparticipation through research, thought leadership, product promotion, and public policy.More information about SGMA membership and SGMAs National Health Through Fitness Daycan be found at www.SGMA.comDisclaimer:While proper due care and diligence has been taken in the preparation of this document, The PhysicalActivity Council cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information contained and does not accept any liabilityfor any loss or damage caused as a result of using information or recommendations contained within thisdocument.2011 Physical Activity CouncilNo part of the report may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, includingphotocopying, without the written permission of The Physical Activity Council, any application for whichshould be addressed to The Physical Activity Council. Written permission must also be obtained before anypart of the report is stored in a retrieval system of any nature. Contact: Sports Marketing Survey USA (561 4270647) email: usa@sportsmarketingsurveysusa.com 2011 SGMA Research Page 1 60. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report10 PARTICIPATION DATAThroughout the report significant changes have been highlighted in orange. Note: The population from 2000 to 2009increased by 9% - so sports that have increased 9% have shown no significant change since the year 2000.1year10yearAerobicActivities Definition2000200720082009 2010change changeAerobics (High impact)Totalparticipation1+times 11,79011,28712,272 13,26915,864 19.6%34.6%Casual 149times5,004 5,7655,935 7,462 25.7%Regular5099times 2,156 2,2992,658 3,215 21.0%Frequent 100+times4,127 4,2084,676 5,186 10.9%CORE 50+times 6,283 6,5077,334 8,401 14.5%Aerobics (Low impact)Totalparticipation1+times 21,38422,39724,168 25,68527,177 5.8% 27.1%Casual 149times9,34111,021 11,03412,415 12.5%Regular5099times 4,523 5,0645,313 6,013 13.2%Frequent 100+times8,533 8,0839,338 8,7486.3%CORE 50+times13,05613,147 14,65114,761 0.8%Aerobics (Step)Totalparticipation1+times 10,867 8,52810,318 10,78411,283 4.6%3.8%Casual 149times4,454 6,0215,475 6,203 13.3%Regular5099times 1,647 1,8912,340 2,2912.1%Frequent 100+times2,427 2,4062,969 2,7906.0%CORE 50+times 4,074 4,2975,309 5,0814.3%Aquatic ExerciseTotalparticipation1+times9,303 9,757 9,2678,662 9,231 6.6% 0.8%Casual 149times5,993 5,7945,027 5,663 12.7%Regular5099times 1,789 1,8091,853 1,6819.3%Frequent 100+times1,975 1,6641,782 1,887 5.9%CORE 50+times 3,764 3,4733,635 3,5681.8%Cardio KickboxingTotalparticipation1+times8,765 4,812 4,9976,002 6,5719.5% 25.0%Casual 149times2,987 3,2733,571 4,46925.1%Regular5099times 905 7711,266 1,037 18.1%Frequent 100+times920 9531,165 1,065 8.6%CORE 50+times 1,825 1,7242,431 2,102 13.5%Cross-Country Ski MachineTotalparticipation1+times6,541 3,696 3,4903,097 3,0840.4%52.9%Casual 149times1,857 1,9811,512 1,75315.9%Regular5099times 688 548569 5336.3%Frequent 100+times1,151 9611,016 798 21.5%CORE 50+times 1,839 1,5081,585 1,331 16.0%Elliptical Motion TrainerTotalparticipation1+times7,37123,58625,284 26,52128,117 6.0% 281.5%Casual 149times 10,97211,728 12,08513,363 10.6%Regular5099times 4,968 5,4645,349 5,872 9.8%Frequent 100+times7,646 8,0929,087 8,8822.3%CORE 50+times12,61413,556 14,43614,754 2.2%Other Exercise to MusicTotalparticipation1+times 16,06522,29421,893 22,04522,960 4.2% 42.9%Casual 149times9,661 9,5049,74011,115 14.1%Regular5099times 4,560 4,6204,423 4,603 4.1%Frequent 100+times8,073 7,7697,882 7,241 8.1%CORE 50+times12,63312,388 12,30511,8443.7%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover 2011 SGMA ResearchPage 15 61. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report1year10yearAerobicActivities(cont.) Definition 20002007200820092010change changeRunning/JoggingTotalparticipation1+times31,39841,06441,13043,89249,408 12.6%57.4%Casual 149times16,82417,72818,33321,744 18.6%Regular5099times8,237 8,428 9,113 9,3262.3%Frequent 100+times16,00314,97416,44618,338 11.5%CORE 50+times 24,24023,40225,55927,6648.2%Stair Climbing MachineTotalparticipation1+times15,28213,52114,20413,10113,436 2.6%12.1%Casual 149times 7,107 8,017 7,004 7,462 6.5%Regular5099times2,651 2,702 2,581 2,5162.5%Frequent 100+times 3,763 3,485 3,516 3,4571.7%CORE 50+times6,414 6,188 6,097 5,9732.0%Stationary Cycling (Recumbent)Totalparticipation1+times 8,81010,81811,38911,20811,709 4.5% 32.9%Casual 149times 5,261 6,020 5,550 6,14610.7%Regular5099times2,331 2,090 2,230 2,426 8.8%Frequent 100+times 3,226 3,279 3,428 3,1378.5%CORE 50+times5,557 5,369 5,658 5,5631.7%Stationary Cycling (Group)Totalparticipation1+times 4,709 6,314 6,693 6,831 8,876 29.9%88.5%Casual 149times 3,371 3,868 3,820 5,251 37.5%Regular5099times1,221 1,078 1,316 1,555 18.2%Frequent 100+times 1,722 1,747 1,695 2,070 22.1%CORE 50+times2,943 2,825 3,011 3,625 20.4%Stationary Cycling (Upright)Totalparticipation1+times27,15924,53125,30424,52824,6270.4%9.3%Casual 149times11,58112,65311,79512,5716.6%Regular5099times5,210 4,738 5,097 4,588 10.0%Frequent 100+times 7,740 7,913 7,636 7,468 2.2%CORE 50+times 12,95012,65112,73312,056 5.3%Swimming (Fitness/Competition)Totalparticipation1+times16,14418,36819,04117,44317,1451.7%6.2%Casual 149times11,13111,74111,02410,6203.7%Regular5099times3,946 4,322 3,471 3,3433.7%Frequent 100+times 3,291 2,978 2,948 3,000 1.8%CORE 50+times7,237 7,300 6,419 6,3431.2%TreadmillTotalparticipation1+times37,28750,07349,37151,41853,131 3.3% 42.5%Casual 149times20,89121,26221,06022,732 7.9%Regular5099times 10,72810,35310,57110,940 3.5%Frequent 100+times18,45417,75619,78719,4581.7%CORE 50+times 29,18228,10930,35830,398 0.1%Walking for FitnessTotalparticipation1+times90,982 108,740 111,668 110,095 114,068 3.6% 25.4%Casual 149times31,90335,29333,74635,329 4.7%Regular5099times 20,04520,16419,89820,190 1.5%Frequent 100+times56,79256,21156,45158,549 3.7%CORE 50+times 76,83776,37576,34978,739 3.1%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover 2011 SGMA ResearchPage 16 62. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report1year10yearConditioningActivitiesDefinition200020072008 20092010change changeAbdominal Machine/DeviceTotalparticipation1+times 21,35420,42619,917 19,46518,4915.0%13.4%Casual 149times7,625 7,9396,957 7,80912.2%Regular5099times 4,319 4,2244,364 3,697 15.3%Frequent 100+times8,482 7,7548,144 6,986 14.2%CORE 50+times12,80111,978 12,50810,683 14.6%CalisthenicsTotalparticipation1+times7,758 8,629 9,1479,106 9,0880.2% 17.1%Casual 149times2,041 3,0373,226 3,1382.7%Regular5099times 1,787 2,0211,826 1,927 5.5%Frequent 100+times4,801 4,0804,054 4,0230.8%CORE 50+times 6,588 6,1015,880 5,950 1.2%Pilates TrainingTotalparticipation1+times1,556 9,192 8,8868,653 8,154 5.8%424.2%Casual 149times5,085 5,3484,805 4,9202.4%Regular5099times 1,920 1,5161,839 1,505 18.2%Frequent 100+times2,187 2,0222,009 1,729 13.9%CORE 50+times 4,107 3,5393,848 3,234 16.0%Rowing MachineTotalparticipation1+times9,407 8,782 9,0219,174 9,7636.4% 3.8%Casual 149times4,451 4,7764,725 5,32012.6%Regular5099times 1,609 1,8501,806 1,579 12.6%Frequent 100+times2,722 2,3952,643 2,8648.4%CORE 50+times 4,331 4,2454,449 4,443 0.1%StretchingTotalparticipation1+times 24,61336,18136,288 36,31035,1293.3% 42.7%Casual 149times7,863 8,6698,784 8,3714.7%Regular5099times 5,906 6,1066,105 5,8314.5%Frequent 100+times 22,41221,513 21,42120,9272.3%CORE 50+times28,31827,619 27,52626,7582.8%Tai ChiTotalparticipation1+times3,4243,205 3,1800.8%Casual 149times1,8271,843 1,7942.7%Regular5099times 520489 57818.2%Frequent 100+times1,077873 8087.4%CORE 50+times 1,5971,362 1,386 1.8%YogaTotalparticipation1+times 17,758 20,10921,8868.8%Casual 149times 10,736 11,54912,5418.6%Regular5099times 2,8083,786 3,8170.8%Frequent 100+times4,2144,774 5,528 15.8%CORE 50+times 7,0228,560 9,3459.2%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover 2011 SGMA ResearchPage 17 63. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report1year10yearStrengthActivitiesDefinition200020072008 20092010change changeFree Weights (Barbells)Totalparticipation1+times 24,80025,49926,142 27,04827,339 1.1% 10.2%Casual 149times8,181 8,7278,329 9,814 17.8%Regular5099times 4,950 5,4025,470 5,2663.7%Frequent 100+times 12,36812,013 13,24912,259 7.5%CORE 50+times17,31817,415 18,71917,525 6.4%Free Weights (Dumbells)Totalparticipation1+times 27,47032,37134,391 35,74437,388 4.6% 36.1%Casual 149times 10,79711,814 11,45213,504 17.9%Regular5099times 6,594 6,9977,666 7,992 4.3%Frequent 100+times 14,98015,580 16,62615,8924.4%CORE 50+times21,57422,577 24,29223,8841.7%Free Weights (Hand Weights)Totalparticipation1+times 33,78443,82142,997 45,93445,9220.0%35.9%Casual 149times 15,63516,070 15,56317,228 10.7%Regular5099times 8,819 8,8849,562 9,6551.0%Frequent 100+times 19,36718,043 20,80919,039 8.5%CORE 50+times28,18626,927 30,37128,694 5.5%Home Gym ExerciseTotalparticipation1+times 20,62625,82324,514 24,76224,5810.7% 19.2%Casual 149times9,577 9,6049,615 9,658 0.4%Regular5099times 5,313 4,9074,843 4,6603.8%Frequent 100+times 10,93310,003 10,30410,2630.4%CORE 50+times16,24614,910 15,14714,9231.5%Weight/Resistance MachinesTotalparticipation1+times 32,14439,29038,397 39,75238,6182.9% 20.1%Casual 149times 14,55514,929 13,89215,076 8.5%Regular5099times 8,012 8,0638,382 7,8006.9%Frequent 100+times 16,72315,405 17,47815,7429.9%CORE 50+times24,73523,469 25,86023,5429.0%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover 2011 SGMA ResearchPage 18 64. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report 1year10yearIndividualSportsDefinition200020072008 20092010 change changeAdventure RacingTotalparticipation 1+times 698 920 1,089 1,339 23.0%Casual1time 257 185 501 36726.7%Regular 29times215 471 429 486 13.3%Frequent10+times226 264 159 326 105.0%CORE2+times 441 735 588 812 38.1%ArcheryTotalparticipation 1+times 6,285 5,950 6,409 6,326 6,3190.1% 0.5%Casual125times 4,839 5,300 5,371 5,402 0.6%Regular 2651times687 548 534 540 1.1%Frequent52+times424 561 421 377 10.5%CORE26+times1,111 1,109 955 9174.0%Billiards/PoolTotalparticipation 1+times46,33651,08949,01843,00539,3858.4%15.0%Casual112times30,79531,84027,30325,8175.4%Regular 1324times6,824 5,823 5,574 4,861 12.8%Frequent25+times 13,47011,35510,128 8,707 14.0%CORE13+times 20,29417,17815,70213,568 13.6%BowlingTotalparticipation 1+times51,93860,18458,65057,29355,8772.5% 7.6%Casual112times44,76245,16743,99743,4671.2%Regular 1324times5,225 4,458 4,394 4,2902.4%Frequent25+times 10,197 9,025 8,902 8,1198.8%CORE13+times 15,42213,48213,29612,4096.7%Boxing for Fitness*Totalparticipation 1+times 4,788Casual112times 2,495Regular 1324times605Frequent25+times1,688CORE13+times2,293Boxing for Competition *Totalparticipation 1+times855Casual112times598Regular 1324times 104Frequent25+times 153CORE13+times 257DartsTotalparticipation 1+times24,70923,45120,02218,1189.5%Casual112times16,10615,58413,28112,0539.2%Regular 1324times2,951 2,817 2,286 2,033 11.1%Frequent25+times5,652 5,050 4,455 4,031 9.5%CORE13+times8,603 7,866 6,741 6,064 10.0%Golf (9/18 Hole Course)Totalparticipation 1+times28,84429,52828,57127,10326,1223.6%9.4%Horseback RidingTotalparticipation 1+times12,09810,816 9,755 9,8090.6%Casual112times 8,330 7,384 6,883 6,9711.3%Regular 1324times1,029 971 763 8288.5%Frequent25+times2,739 2,461 2,109 2,010 4.7%CORE13+times3,768 3,432 2,872 2,838 1.2%Ice SkatingTotalparticipation 1+times11,83511,43010,99910,92912,02410.0% 1.6%Casual112times 9,514 9,598 9,36110,273 9.7%Regular 1324times770 556 668 679 1.6%Frequent25+times1,146 845 900 1,07219.1%CORE13+times1,916 1,401 1,568 1,75111.7%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover* Boxing category was split into 2 to now cover: Boxing for fitness and Boxing for competition, so comparisons with the previousboxing category cannot be made. 2011 SGMA Research Page 19 65. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report1year 10yearIndividualSports(cont.)Definition 20002007200820092010changechangeMartial Arts *Totalparticipation1+times6,161 6,865 6,770 6,5165,488 15.8% 10.9%Casual 112times1,366 1,495 1,3741,4737.2%Regular1324times 691 622 56046616.8%Frequent 25+times 4,808 4,653 4,5823,549 22.5%CORE 13+times 5,499 5,276 5,1424,015 21.9%Mixed Martial Arts for CompetitionTotalparticipation1+times 910Casual 112times 528Regular1324times124Frequent 25+times258CORE 13+times382Mixed Martial Arts for FitnessTotalparticipation1+times 1,745Casual 112times 577Regular1324times219Frequent 25+times949CORE 13+times1,168Roller Skating (2x2 wheels)Totalparticipation1+times7,746 8,921 7,855 8,1478,126 0.3%4.9%Casual 112times7,004 6,291 6,3576,220 2.2%Regular1324times 675 456 5465765.5%Frequent 25+times 1,242 1,108 1,2441,3306.9%CORE 13+times 1,917 1,564 1,7901,9066.5%Roller Skating (Inline wheels)Totalparticipation1+times 21,91210,814 9,608 8,2767,980 3.6%63.6%Casual 112times6,094 5,909 5,2345,2800.9%Regular1324times 1,365 1,228 1,0901,1192.7%Frequent 25+times 3,355 2,471 1,9521,581 19.0%CORE 13+times 4,720 3,699 3,0422,70011.2%Scooter Riding (Non-motorized)Totalparticipation1+times9,968 6,782 6,394 5,0644,861 4.0%51.2%Casual 112times2,971 2,168 1,6761,7554.7%Regular1324times 927 1,017 68477613.5%Frequent 25+times 2,884 3,216 2,7042,330 13.8%CORE 13+times 4,460 4,233 3,3883,106 8.3%SkateboardingTotalparticipation1+times9,859 8,429 7,807 7,3526,808 7.4%30.9%Casual 125times4,589 4,074 3,9373,727 5.3%Regular2651times 1,491 1,444 1,1301,1885.1%Frequent 52+times 2,349 2,289 2,2851,892 17.2%CORE 26+times 3,840 3,733 3,4153,080 9.8%Trail RunningTotalparticipation1+times4,167 4,216 4,857 4,8335,1366.3% 23.3%Triathlon (Non-Traditional/Off Road)Totalparticipation1+times483602 666 92939.5%Casual 1time121288 219 19212.3%Regular29times 219197 286 435 52.3%Frequent 10+times 143117 161 259 60.7%CORE 2+times362314 447 694 55.3%Triathlon (Traditional/Road)Totalparticipation1+times798 1,087 1,2081,97863.7%Casual 1time248 352 39659550.2%Regular29times 375 497 51966828.7%Frequent 10+times 175 238 29352980.5%CORE 2+times550 736 8121,19747.4%Allparticipationfiguresarein000sfortheUSpopulationages6andover * Martial Arts category was split into 3 to now cover Martial Arts, MMA for fitness and MMA for competition so this will have impacted the total numbers for the pure Martial Arts category. 2011 SGMA ResearchPage 20 66. 2011, SGMA Participation Topline Report1year10yearRacquetSports Definition200020072008 20092010change changeBadmintonTotalparticipation1+times8,769 7,057 7,2397,699 7,590 1.4% 13.4%Casual 112times4,785 5,0895,156 4,789 7.1%Regular1324times 910 9051,094 983 10.1%Frequent 25+times 1,362 1,2451,449 1,81825.5%CORE 13+times 2,272 2,1502,543 2,80110.1%Cardio TennisTotalparticipation1+times 830 1,177 1,503 27.7%RacquetballTotalparticipation1+times4,475 4,229 4,9934,575 4,630 1.2%3.5%Casual 112times2,292 2,9142,699 2,809 4.1%Regular1324times 544 649638 5946.9%F