EMPIRE, MI -- Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes are focused on possibility at a time when national parks are clouded with uncertainty.

The nonprofit is highlighting its Preventive Search and Rescue program as impactful change that was made possible by donors and volunteers.

“Many people don’t realize that federal funds only cover the basics. They don’t cover the extras that make this park so special and safe,” Friends posted on Facebook.

Each summer, a park ranger trains 15-20 volunteers on preventive search and rescue. Those volunteers are stationed at high impact areas of the park like the Dune Climb and 9 & 10 overlook sites, where the most 911 calls are received.

Since launching this program in 2014, the 911 calls in the park have dipped dramatically, executive director Laura Ann Joh

See Full Page