vmaxjohn
New member
I found this article through the maximumsled.com website. I've heard of the closure, but now it's sealed up tight! I love this area, we've ridden through here many times, it's a shame it's come to this. I hope the MSA and other user groups fight for this! Let your opinion be heard!
Michigan news
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Land closed to snowmobiles
Erosion, noise, conflict are cited in state move
June 16, 2003
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KALKASKA -- Almost 5,000 acres of state land in northern Michigan Antrim, Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties have been closed to snowmobiles because of erosion, noise and conflicts between users.
Horses also no longer will be allowed on 10-mile Cadillac Pathway, the state Natural Resources Commission decided.
The state tried for 12 years to give snowmobiles unrestricted access to state land in an area known as the DeWard Tract, said David Spalding, a land-use official for the Department of Natural Resources.
The recent decision prohibits snowmobiles except on roads posted as open throughout the tract, which covers 4,721 acres and includes the headwaters of the Manistee River and Cameron Bridge Road in Crawford County.
Signs are posted at entrance points and throughout the tract, said Susan Thiel, a DNR forest manager in Grayling. She said snowmobilers traveling along a natural gas pipeline often skimmed across the Manistee River and contributed to erosion.
Motorized vehicles with wheels have been prohibited in the area for 20 years, but snowmobiles have been allowed since 1991. Spalding said: "The experiment didn't work out real well."
Michigan has more than 6,100 miles of designated snowmobile trails in six state forests, three national forests, and many acres of privately owned lands.
Snowmobiling has become increasingly popular in recent years and is seen as a boon to the tourist business. Snowmobile registrations have climbed for 10 straight seasons, reaching 393,598 at the end of the 2001-02 season.
The Cadillac Pathway northeast of the city was closed to horses for similar reasons. Use of horses on the trail had contributed to erosion, particularly on hillsides, and also generated complaints from hikers and runners.
"The trail was not developed with horses in mind," Spalding said of Cadillac Pathway. "They can still ride on 3.8 million acres of state forest land."
Michigan news
E-MAIL THIS STORY | PRINTER-FRIENDLY FORMAT
Land closed to snowmobiles
Erosion, noise, conflict are cited in state move
June 16, 2003
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KALKASKA -- Almost 5,000 acres of state land in northern Michigan Antrim, Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties have been closed to snowmobiles because of erosion, noise and conflicts between users.
Horses also no longer will be allowed on 10-mile Cadillac Pathway, the state Natural Resources Commission decided.
The state tried for 12 years to give snowmobiles unrestricted access to state land in an area known as the DeWard Tract, said David Spalding, a land-use official for the Department of Natural Resources.
The recent decision prohibits snowmobiles except on roads posted as open throughout the tract, which covers 4,721 acres and includes the headwaters of the Manistee River and Cameron Bridge Road in Crawford County.
Signs are posted at entrance points and throughout the tract, said Susan Thiel, a DNR forest manager in Grayling. She said snowmobilers traveling along a natural gas pipeline often skimmed across the Manistee River and contributed to erosion.
Motorized vehicles with wheels have been prohibited in the area for 20 years, but snowmobiles have been allowed since 1991. Spalding said: "The experiment didn't work out real well."
Michigan has more than 6,100 miles of designated snowmobile trails in six state forests, three national forests, and many acres of privately owned lands.
Snowmobiling has become increasingly popular in recent years and is seen as a boon to the tourist business. Snowmobile registrations have climbed for 10 straight seasons, reaching 393,598 at the end of the 2001-02 season.
The Cadillac Pathway northeast of the city was closed to horses for similar reasons. Use of horses on the trail had contributed to erosion, particularly on hillsides, and also generated complaints from hikers and runners.
"The trail was not developed with horses in mind," Spalding said of Cadillac Pathway. "They can still ride on 3.8 million acres of state forest land."