News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Dale Kelly, left, and Randy Brown, Rockport Recreation Area supervisor, hold up the draft of a map showing the layout and amenities of a proposed campground for the Rockport State Recreation Area on Tuesday. The DNR was in Alpena to answer questions for a small group of local residents.

ALPENA — Representatives from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources said on Tuesday that the plan for a state campground at Rockport State Recreation Area is part of the department’s typical planning process and may or may not happen.

At a private meeting with about a dozen concerned residents at the Alpena County Library on Tuesday, Parks and Recreation Division District Supervisor Richard Hill and Rockport Recreation Area Supervisor Randy Brown provided an update about how and why the draft plan for the expansion of Rockport was hatched and what the public should expect in the months and years ahead.

Hill said when the state certified Rockport as a recreation area, an action plan was established that intended to make Rockport a hub for other state parks in the area, such as Negwegon State Park and Thompson’s Harbor State Park.

However, the action plan for a campground was one of many initiatives in a development plan for Rockport, which is currently being completed.

Hill said the draft plan for the park is not finalized and could be tweaked, adopted as is, or abandoned, after public comment is reviewed and DNR supervisors review it. He said no money has been allocated to the proposed project at this time. If the proposed project does proceed, a request for budget allocation may not happen until the state’s 2026 or 2027 fiscal year after architectural design plans are drafted. Construction wouldn’t begin until after that.

“No decisions have been made and right now, we don’t even have any money for it,” he said. “Eventually, we’ll look at this and decide which direction we want to go.”

Tuesday’s meeting was arranged by Julie Gandulla, who is a moderator on the Facebook group Keep Rockport Wild.

She had a list of concerns about the park, its wildlife, and the surrounding environment, that she wanted more information about.

Among the concerns were whether the DNR could ensure the Dark Sky Preserve could be maintained, if the bat population would be protected, what the future of the deep water pier is, what the level of noise pollution would be, and many other potential issues.

Hill said most of the items on the list were considered before the draft of the project was released to the public. He added that if the project moves forward, each of the concerns would be reviewed again by the oversight entities, which are in charge of approving or denying parts of the plan or the project entirely.

“We need to get permits for everything, just like anyone else would,” he said. “Anything that is protected is hands off.”

The preservation of the Dark Sky Preserve at Rockport is one of the largest concerns for many people who use the park. The park is used to take in the Northern Lights and watch or simply look at the stars on a clear night. To earn the Dark Sky designation, an area must meet certain requirements for light pollution and if there is a sharp increase in it, the designation could be ended.

Hill said there are things the DNR can do to make sure the guidelines are met.

“We intend to make sure we don’t lose sight of the Dark Sky and we maintain it,” he said. “We could use dark sky-approved lighting, but right now, in terms of exactly what kind of lighting we will use, we’re just not at that point yet. We don’t even know what or if these things will go forward.”

Hill added that it is likely that if the expansion of the park moves forward, the project would likely be done in phases. He said what the first phase would be or how many individual projects there could be is too soon to tell.

The proposed campground would include 169 camping sites, a dark sky interpretive area, telescopes for looking out over Lake Huron, and a boat launch and separate kayak launch, among other amenities.

The 4,237-acre park is a dark sky preserve, meaning it’s free from light pollution and the perfect spot for stargazing.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has not yet developed a cost estimate for the project and has established no timeline for when the project would begin — if it does at all.

The DNR accepted public comment on the proposed project in October and via email until Nov.8. The public can still make comment however by sending thoughts on the proposed project to BrownR1@Michigan.gov.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.