Camp ground closing? Not so fast

   Maybe state officials will want to take a pass on closing those state forest campgrounds during this iffy economy.
   With gas prices through the roof, people are going to stay close to home. That has been the situation in past years when gas was edging up in price.
   These kinds of increases hurt a lot of people. Not just the ones looking to go north for a vacation, but the people whose living depends on tourists, anglers, campers, hikers and everyone else that plans for a few days or a week up north.
   It's similar to having a business dependent on snow then getting no white stuff for several years in a row. Those shiny new snowmobiles all of a sudden aren't worth quite so much. And those little mom and pop businesses that depend on snowmobilers fold up and leave after a winter or two without snow.
   But back to these campground closures. Certainly, more people will be thinking camping and probably close to home. We have no closures here in Oakland County, but there are some not too far away.
  Maybe the economy is going to convince people that camping is a pretty good option and the price of a state forest camp site is a bargain during these times.
   Imagine driving north with a cooler full of groceries, your tent and sleeping bags and other gear, only to find the state forest campground you had planned on visiting is closed.
   It's one more negative thing to deal with during a time when silver linings are becoming harder to come by.