DETROIT (WXYZ) — Leaders from Detroit, the state and the conservation community gathered at the newly renovated Belle Isle Casino to mark 50 years of the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, which has contributed more than $1.4 billion to Michigan's natural spaces.
The fund traces its roots to 1976, when former Gov. William Milliken championed the legislation that created it.
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"This arose out of a controversy about drilling in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula," Natural Resources Trust Fund board member Bill Rustem said.
Rustem served as Milliken's special assistant at the time the fund was established. He says the former governor made it so that whoever drills for oil contributes to the fund, which carries a $600 million limit.
"And we take the interest from that and we spend it on the parks and recreational activities for the people of Michigan," Rustem said.
Rustem says every county in Michigan has received a portion of the trust fund's dollars at some point.
Former Michigan State Sen. Kerry Kammer was 26 years old when the fund was created and says he was the first to sponsor the bill.
"I'd just been elected to the state senate the year prior," Kammer said.
The legislation faced obstacles before ultimately being enshrined in the state constitution.
"The Michigan people wisely voted for its inclusion into the Michigan constitution," Kammer said. "It became a lasting legacy of land for the people of Michigan."
Belle Isle itself has received $4 million from the fund. Nature enthusiasts Heather Shedd and Drew Fisk were among those enjoying the island's scenic views during the celebration.
"I love the wind and the water and I love being by the water," Shedd and Fisk said. "Love the day out here. It's a place I'd love to come back to."
Belle Isle Conservancy President and CEO Meagan Elliott says those who helped create the fund 50 years ago showed remarkable foresight.
"Detroit is beautiful," Elliott said. "Parks are constantly under threat and the public overwhelmingly wants spaces they can create memories with their family."
Elliott says the fund's contributions help inspire curiosity in younger generations — a sentiment Rustem echoed.
"My kids… their kids… and their kids," Rustem said.
"Who will be the future stewards of this fund," Elliott said.
Kammer says the fund's impact extends well beyond northern Michigan.
"And not all up north either. We've got them right here in the city of Detroit," Kammer said.
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