Big Bob... good to hear from you!
There are a limited amount of funds available to the DNR for trail maintenance. This legislation would require the widening of 1,700 miles of designated state forest trails, and 450 miles of National Forest trails to accommodate ORVs up to 57" in width. The DNR estimates that this effort may cost upwards of $5.4 million. This is your money. Is this the best use of it?
And as it stands now, there are already over 9,900 miles available in the state of Michigan to ORVs greater than 50" in width.
The widening effort would require tree and stump removal, and in some cases trail bed construction. The vast majority (if not all) trail maintenance is performed by volunteer clubs and organizations. What clubs are going to volunteer to widen all these trails by 7"? Granted these clubs are reimbursed for expenses, but do you think the CCC, with almost $180,000 in trail maintenance funds available, is going to be interested in this type work?
While this bill may not directly affect ORV cycle-only trails, a substantial portion of the trails we ride would be affected. It's one thing to share the trail with quads, many of which have the chassis, engine, and suspension to travel and navigate the trails at a decent pace. Vehicles with similar maneuverability traits and speed averages can co-exist safely on the same trail system. Large, slow moving, 900lbs trail tanks that occupy the entire trail width cannot coexist safely with dirt bikes and quads.
The value proposition for this bill is just whacked, IMO. :|