“The Ocqueoc Outdoor Center, formerly Camp Black Lake, has served our Northern Michigan community for nearly 100 years,” said Cavitt, R-Cheboygan. “This facility has remained operational despite a laundry list of headwinds – any one of which could’ve closed the camp if not for the overwhelming community support that continues to keep the outdoor center running. This new funding marks a turning point for the relationship between the state and the Ocqueoc Outdoor Center. Instead of threatening another shutdown, the state is partnering with the local community to expand the camp’s educational and recreational opportunities, further cementing it as a pillar in outdoor learning for generations to come.”

“We talk over and over again about getting back to normal; there is nothing normal about making our kids sit in hot classrooms until July,” Cavitt said. “These kids sat at home for two weeks without power. They helped parents chop wood, clean up debris, keep pipes from freezing, and manage the overall disaster that was this ice storm. These kids did their part; they shouldn’t lose a month of their summer break because of a situation entirely out of their control.”