Success!

[UP Magoo]

Yesterday evening, the Director signed an Order which will protect Michigans Single Track trails!

Here is a copy of the actual Order: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/07luod08_MotorcycleOnlyDesignation_ACTION_232186_7.pdf

Thanks to YOU for your comments in support of this!

Your voices were heard AND counted!

Please continue to be involved, and help to keep the fantastic ORV recreation opportunities we enjoy in Michigan.

:aj:

 

[UP Magoo]

MDNR Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 9, 2008

Land Use Order Approved to Designate Certain Trails Motorcycle-Only


A land use order was signed by Department of Natural Resources Director Rebecca Humphries at Thursdays meeting of the Natural Resources Commission that will designate approximately 24 percent of the states 3,185 miles of designated off-road vehicle trails for motorcycle use only. The order will give DNR law enforcement officers the authority to take action against individuals who are operating all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) or vehicles with more than two wheels on motorcycle only trails.

The DNR currently has designated approximately 3,185 miles of ORV trails and routes, and 2,198 acres of scramble area statewide. Within the designated ORV trail system, about 30 percent are designated as motorcycle use only, 50 percent is designated for both ATVs and motorcycles and 20 percent is designated as an ORV route - open to ORVs of all sizes, including trucks, ATVs and motorcycles. In addition to the designated ORV trail and route system, thousands of miles of state and national forest roads in the Upper Peninsula are open to ORV operation.

In 2007, we received a petition from motorcycle users to implement a land use order to prohibit ATV operation on designated motorcycle trails, said Lynne Boyd, chief of the DNRs Forest, Minerals and Fire Management Division. The concerns expressed by the motorcycle riding community were that their trails were being widened by ATVs, and that takes away from the more technical riding aspect of the trail that many motorcycle riders enjoy. The land use order was overwhelmingly supported by the ORV community.

DNR law enforcement officers found the existing state laws and land use rules vague in their description of what was allowed on forest trails. The land use order will specifically designate certain trails as motorcycle use only. These motorcycle trails include: portions of the North Missaukee in parts of Kalkaska and Missaukee counties; Tin Cup Spring, Lincoln Hills and Little Manistee in Lake County; Evart in Osceola County; Long Lake in Wexford County; Grand Traverse trail in Grand Traverse County; Hunt Creek in Montmorency and Osceola counties; Tomahawk trail B and C in Emmet, Charlevoix and Mackinac counties; Brevort-Trout Lake in Chippewa and Mackinac counties; Kinross, Foreman Lake and Birch Hill in Chippewa County; Sandtown and Newberry-Rexton trails in Mackinac and Luce counties; and Porterfield Lake and Bass Lake in Marquette County.

To read the order, please visit the May 8 agenda of the NRC under the Commissions, Boards and Committees menu of the DNR Web site at www.michigan.gov/dnr .

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural resources for current and future generations.

###

 

[fatherandson]

Magoo - thanks for championing get the effort to the DO approved! Well done!!

 

[BadgerMan]

Great news and great work! I am glad to see that some of our better trail systems can now be preserved.

:cool:

 

[TCTrailrider]

Thanks to all who devoted there time on this. :cool:

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

GREAT NEWS!!! Way to go!

 

[Ward]

This is awesome. On the same day the DNR saves our singletrack and the State Senate gives us clean air by approving the smoking ban in bars and restaurants.

 

[TCTrailrider]

Is the enforcement of the order effective now or is there a phase in date?

 

[Fred T]

Is the enforcement of the order effective now or is there a phase in date?

I'm starting next weekend, where's the damn signs! :boss:

 

[tdunn976]

Thanks Magoo!
We started the process thisweekend when we did trail maintance on a Cycle only trail, All confidence markers are now motorcycle markers only!
Thanks to the Hunt Bunch and the Double D's for taking the time!

 

[70 marlin]

Thanks Magoo !

 

[UP Magoo]

Is the enforcement of the order effective now or is there a phase in date?

Effective Immediately.
:cool:

 

[MuddyBuddy]

Any idea how long it will take the DNR to authorize signage to go up?

I'm very glad to see this go through.

 

[UP Magoo]

Any idea how long it will take the DNR to authorize signage to go up?

Clubs maintaining these trails should be marking the trails with MC specific "orange triangles" effective immediately.
The ORV Techs should be posting "official notices" at the trailheads immediately, as well. If you don't see the notices posted, give the DNR a call!
Notice should be going up on the DNR website soon, and trail maps, etc will be updated as soon as practible.
Be aware that it will take some time for all of this to sink in for the general public. If you see inappropriate activity, educate the violators in a kind manner, they probaly "just don't know."
Thanks for your help!

 

[BSWIFT]

:cool:

 

[barkbuster67]

Magoo, I do believe there is time to still get in on the Presidential elections. You'd have my vote. Also, congrads on moving up to the "A" class, even if it was for only 20 minutes. Great ride at Pearson. Somehow I think you might be involved with getting that extra point just so you weren't the Overall "B" dude for the day.

 

[Trailridin]

Great work on this. I have just a couple of quick questions.

1. Is there a plan to let these trails narrow by only brushing them to 40" (24" at the bottom)? I would think narrowing the trails down will take a long while as bikes will keep things wide because riders will choose different lines on the trail.

2. Just out of curiosity, why wasn't the Silver Creek Motorcycle Trail in Luce County included in this LUOD?

 

[Ol'89r]

Yesterday evening, the Director signed an Order which will protect Michigans Single Track trails!

Thanks to YOU for your comments in support of this!

Your voices were heard AND counted!

Congratulations Magoo. :cool:

Damn. I may have to move to Michigan.