ORV Round table meeting

[Creative Fab]

Mr. Paul mulder and myself attended an ORV round table meeting with the DNR, Dr. Chuck Nelson and the rest of the ORV grant sponsers. This meeting was yesterday at the DNR RAM center in Higins Lake.

We were able to voice our concerns and opinions on what we as a grant sponsers want to see happen to the grants and maintenence that we do.

Dr. Chuck Nelson facilitated the meeting and will use this information in his upcoming study of the ORV program. This study directly effects what our future of the use of Michigans public lands will be.

You have the tool to be part of this study by attending the public forums advertised in Mazzola's post in this forum.

Get your voice heard by attending!!!!

Pat Kinne
Pres. GLFWDA
1-888-705-8683

[DoubleJ]

I will be heading out to Lansing tonight for another round table meeting. I begins at 7:00pm. Pat will be attending the one being held in Grayling later this week. Hopefully we can finally get some of our issue out on the table for discussion.

1. Lack of challenging trails in Michigan for Full-size user groups.

2. Trails in the Gladwin area being closed without holding any public forums on
the matter.

3. The insurance issues for trail maintance and Event permit issuses.

Hopefully I can report back to the members tomorrow.

(please say a little pray to the computer Gods)

[Roadhouse]

Depending on APWA meeting I have tomorrow at 3pm for work, I'm gonna try to make the Grayling meeting.

[WhiteRhino]

I had planned on going to Lansing today but am still at work at 5:20.
So, I can't get there in time.

[wildflower]

Said a little prayer to the gods that be.
What did you find out Double J? All good I hope.
Wildflower ;)

[brewmenn]

I went to the meeting in Lansing last night. I felt that it was well worth the time to go. They show a presentation about the history and current status of the program and then have a public comment period where they write down the issues and ideas that people bring up. There was some bickering between the Motorcycle and ATV people about trail width issues and how things are maintained. I think we got the point acrossed that we don't really have any trails that are to our liking and it seemed to me that both the bike people and ATV people agreed with that and support us.

Besides Double J and myself there was a group from the Two-Trackers there and Joe spoke to them for a while about GLFWDA and some of them seemed receptive to the idea of joining. All in all I felt it was a very good and productive meeting.

[wildflower]

Let's hope things go just as well if not better in Grayling for Pat.
Wildflower :D

[DoubleJ]

I thought the meeting did go well. Like Brewman stated there was a little bickering between the Motorcycle guys & gals and the ATV guys & gals. The issue was the width of the trails and who had more users.

One of the best things that happen at the meeting was that I had the chance to speak early into the meeting. As I talked about our issues, I did notice alot of other user groups shakeing thier head in agreement to our points. As the other user groups stood to make thier issuses, alot of them reconfrimed what our issues are and agreed that we were getting the short end of the stick. It worked out great that Brewman got to speak towards the end of the meeting and sumed everything up and brought up some good points too.

I talked to Ironman before I left for the meeting. We went over our issues together so that when he is at the Grayling meeting, he will be bringing up the same issues.

They still have sometime for more public input. You can send your comments and concerns to Steve Kubisiak, Recreation and Trails Program Manager:

Off-Road Vehicle Plan Update
kubisias@michigan.gov

Hopefully I will be hearing from that group over in Grand Rapids about joining Great Lakes. All there comments and concerns were right on target with our own.

Go get'em Pat, we warmed them up for you. :lol:

[Roadhouse]

I couldn't make Grayling because of work meeitng. But I sent an email to Steve about my concerns and what I would like to see.........which is the same as everyone else with a full size rig.

[Creative Fab]

I did not know you guys posted here about your meeting in Lansing, my bad!

There was no quad folks at the Grayling meeting but if there were they would have had the same bickering going on there.

This ORV plan update is on the fast track so please get any of your comments in as soon as you can. Lets flood them with comments! kubsias@michigan.gov

First draft due in Jan. 05, final in May 05

Pat