I fully support an LUOD for motorcycle only enforcement on 24" trails. Wider trails promote higher speeds and greater injuries for motorcycle riders. In addition, one of the big concerns of the DNR (and myself) in recent years has been damage to the forrest and wider vehicles using trails maintained for 24" wide vehicles causes damage. Last year a couple of us were riding at Long Lake which is listed as 24" trail. We had just finished riding the trail when a couple guys pulled in with large 4wd utility quads. There was no way they could have gone even 50 feet from the parking lot without driving on vegetation and there were many places where there are gullies on hill climbs that were way narrower than their vehicles and the only way for them to get up them would have been to go around them (creating new trail) or riding on the tops of either side of the trail (killing vegetation and promoting erosion). I let them know this and they said they had contacted the DNR and were told as long as they were less than 50" wide they would be fine. I sent this to the CCC and it was forwarded to you by Lewis Shuler. A copy of that email is attached. Enforcement would go a long way towards preserving trail opportunities for both groups by minimizing damage to the trail system that we have been told is an issue.
-Steve St.Laurent
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, July 10, 2007 12:12 PM
Subject: [Fwd: Re: [Fwd: Ride at Long Lake - environmental damage?]]
>>Date: 2007/07/10 Tue AM 09:17:49 CDT
>>Subject: Re: [Fwd: Ride at Long Lake - environmental damage?]
>
>>Lewis, Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will forward and follow up with trails staff and law enforcement. Steve Steve Kubisiak
>>Recreation and Trails Program Coordinator
>>Forest, Mineral and Fire Management
>>Michigan Department of Natural Resources
>>
>>>Date: 2007/07/05 Thu PM 12:49:45 CDT
>>>To:
info@cycleconservationclub.org
>>>Subject: Ride at Long Lake - environmental damage?
>>
>>>Lewis, Yesterday a friend and I were riding the single track trail at Long Lake. As we were packing up to leave a guy pulled into the parking lot with a couple of quads on a trailer. I asked him if he had ridden this trail before? He said no. I told him that the trial was very tight and that there were many places that there was no way that their quads were going to be able to fit through. He said that he had called the DNR to ask about that trail specifically and that they had told him that as long as he was narrower than 50 inches that he'd have no problems. Looking at the trail guide this trail is listed as 24"trail. Having just ridden that trail there is no way that a quad could go down that trail without causing significant environmental damage. It would be physially impossible for that vehicle to "stay on the trail". Immediately leaving the parking lot the trail is approximately 30 inches wide and has thick vegetation immediately on either side of the trail. Given the letter that the DNR has issued regarding environmental damage ( <A href="http://www.michigan.gov/documents/LetterToOff-RoadVehicleUsers_157641_7.pdf")">
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/LetterToOff-RoadVehicleUsers_157641_7.pdf </A>) I find this very disturbing. I understand that the DNR has said that they can't (or won't) enforce motorcycle only trail but for them to say that he'd have no problems with a 50" vehicle on a 24" trail is a different story. If you could pass this on to the correct channels I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks, Steve St.Laurent CCC# 30803
>>
>>
>>Lewis Shuler
>>Executive Director
>>Cycle Conservation Club of Michigan