Benzie County Recreation and Cultural Master Plan
Executive Summary
This plan was prepared with the Benzie County Parks and Recreation Commission (PRC). The PRC is the governing body of most publicly funded recreational and cultural entities in Benzie County. This plan was 
created to provide a detailed description of the available parks, recreational facilities, and cultural entities in Benzie County. There is also a thorough description of the PRC based on the community they operate in, their administrative structure, their finances, and other agencies they work with. Additionally, it provides a formal vision of the goals, objectives, and action strategies of the PRC for the next five years. This plan has been prepared according to the 2006 version of the Guidelines for the Development of Community Park, Recreation, Open Space, and Greenway Plans published by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. This plan is important to all residents of Benzie County for several reasons. First, it provides the only comprehensive inventory of parks, recreational facilities, and cultural entities in Benzie County. Second, it is a requirement of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to apply for DNR grant funding. Since 1985, Benzie County has received over 3 million dollars in DNR grant monies for the development of different recreational facilities and the preservation of recreational properties. This plan also provides Benzie County residents with a means of sharing their opinions on recreational and cultural matters in the County.In order to create this plan, public input was gathered at several points in the process. A mailed survey was distributed to a random sample of 2000 Benzie County Residents. There 
was also a public input session that was open to any resident of the County that wanted to voice their opinions or concerns. In addition, public input was gathered from the previous Recreation Plans, as well as the Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Development Plan. As an appointed commission governing the recreational and cultural resources of Benzie County, the PRC realizes the value of public input in the planning process. This version of the plan was prepared as a revision of the existing 1992, 1997, and 2002 Benzie County Recreation Master Plans. However, an important part of this plan that was not present previously is an emphasis on cultural entities/activities as well as on recreation. The PRC believes that cultural activities and pursuits in Benzie County frequently overlap with recreational activities and pursuits. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the residents of Benzie County, as well as visitors from outside of the County, for the PRC to plan for both their cultural and recreational needs.
Parks and Recreation Board of Directors
( Board Members active during the creation of the Master Plan)
Charles Kehr - Chairman
James Sheets - Vice Chairman
Allison Michalak - Secretary
Frank Walterhouse
Donald Tanner
Roger Griner
Terry Money
Ann Bourne
Barbara Skurdall
Cathy Demitroff
Benzie County Planning Department
David Neiger – Planning Director
Consultant
Syrus Bingman - Central Michigan University Graduate Student
GIS Mapping
Scott Stopyak – GIS Specialist
Benzie County Equalization Department