I am a member of a group that opposes the running of the Grand Prix events on the Belle Isle Nature Park. We would like to alert as many local Environmental Advocacy groups to the current situation, and ask for their support. The current contract authorizing the Chevrolet Grand Prix to be conducted on the Belle Isle Nature Park is coming to an end after the 2018 event. The Penske and Grand Prix negotiators have already met with the Belle Isle Advisory Board and the DNR concerning extending the contract., and intend to finalize a new contract in September or October of this year. This is despite the fact that no Environmental Assessment (or Impact) Study has ever been conducted to quantify the effects that this motorsports event has on the natural habitat and resources on and around the island. Of the 16 Grand Prix events on the Verizon Indycar Circuit, 12 are conducted on permanent racetracks, 3 are “street races”, and only one is run in a Nature Park. Environmental Assessment Studies are routinely conducted for events such as this, and it seems ludicrous to us that the one race conducted in a State Park, the Belle Isle Nature Park, has had no study requested or administered. Chief Ron Olson of the DNR has been asked about this repeatedly, by myself and others, and his response remains the same – the last contract signed with the City of Detroit did not require a Study. The fact that the chief Custodian for our Park does not see an ethical responsibility to conduct a study such as this is highly disturbing. We have many other objections to the presence of this race on Belle Isle, including the length of time taken between set-up and final teardown, the concrete abutments that crowd bike and jogging paths rendering them hazardous to use, fencing and obstacles that prevent ready access to the riverfront and key features of the Park, the ten-acre concrete paddock permanently installed by the Fountain and Casino, and the general notion that a private group can be allowed to take over a public space such as this. At this point, we are looking for small victories. Before another contract is signed, we think an Environmental Assessment Study is in order. Chief Olson of the DNR should exercise “due diligence” and fulfill the responsibilities that he was hired to do. He is not a member of a racing organization. He is the Chief Custodian of a natural resource. Let us know if you agree.