How to open a closed trail?

[MuddyPaws]

Ok, lets say there is a road that has been closed to full sized rigs in the U.P. but it is open to the snowmobiles in the winter. The road is wide enough to take a logging truck down it, and they do, all summer. The reason I got that it was closed is that full size rigs were rutting it up and then the DNR had to go out and smooth it out for the snowmobiles. :blink: Smooth it out? Last time I checked, a snowmobile was a off-road vehicle and as such, gets operated off-road...meaning through the woods....meaning it ain't gonna be smooth. Anyway, don't get me started on that...what I want to know is is there a process that can be taken, a petition, forms, something....to request a road be re-opened?

[offroadracer99]

Death to the snowmobilers! Let the snow run red with the blood of the snowmobilers. :lol: Oh did I write that? yeah I totally agree with you, but the snowmobilers don?t really count as ?off-road? enthusiasts. They want smooth trails, they can?t ride if its rough :( , then they might have to have some riding ability to be able to go down the rough trails. The ones that cry are just the yuppies on sleds, and the DNR caters to them because they are big bucks for the towns. The DNR has given me crap before cause I had my truck on ORV trail during the winter, and they said it was groomed for the sleds, you know the 1000cc sleds with studded tracks that eat through the snow down to the dirt, something my 36s can?t do. :blink:

Anyway, the DNR just keeps the yuppies happy by keeping everyone else off the sled trail. <_< But I would sign anything to get the trucks and ATVs down the sled trails during the non winter months.

[MuddyPaws]

Well, it&#39;s not like the road isn&#39;t used during the summer. Logging trucks go down it all the time, but when they go, the gate closes behind them. There has to be a way to get a trail open. I want to take proper channels rather than what seems to be the standard in many places...simply go out and rip the gate down.

[Creative Fab]

First thing to do it to find out if it is on public land or private.

If it is public does it show on a map?

Can you prove that the road has been in place for at least 60 years, the reason being that if it shows on a map from 60 some years ago it would take a public notification and damn good reasons to have it closed. And then it would have to be closed permantly I believe, not open seasonally.

We have a lawyer thast works for us through United Fourwheel Drive Assoc, which you are a member of through GL. If you do some research and find that it is a public road I can put you in touch with her and see what type of action we should take.

Keep us informed of what you find Tim&#33;

1-888-705-8683 GL toll free line

Pat

[offroadracer99]

That sounds like a great plan&#33; I would like to hear what happens with this, as I am sure others would too, but, yeah, ripping down the gate would be a bad idea B)

[MuddyPaws]

Ok, as for the 60 year thing, I have no idea...i&#39;m not as old as Jim :P . I don&#39;t know how to find that out.

As for it on a map, it is in my DeLorme Gazetteer. Page 106, about B-3. It&#39;s called the Waiska River Trail. The pic below shows the road. I have highlighted it in pink. It shows it not going through, but it does. I drove it from the south east end up to Raco last year...the gates were open. I was working on a trail ride this spring and went out scouting and there were new gates on both ends of the road. I went to the DNR office and this is what the CO told me...

That road has been closed in the summer for a while. It was costing too much money to grade it for the snowmobiles because the trucks and Jeeps were rutting it up. The logging company pays for grading the road and the gates were bought with money from the snowmobile association. The only vehicles allowed down there in the summer are the logging trucks. We open it when the snow comes for the sleds.

I haven&#39;t been here long enough to know if there was a public meeting. The road crosses from state land to national forrest and then runs the border of the Delirium Wilderness area...a protected forest. Delirium Info (http://gorp.away.com/gorp/resource/us_wilderness_area/mi_delir.htm)

This is a great road/trail. Very scienic...some great hunting areas...a few small bridge crossings....a little mud...I want it open. There has to be a way.

http://eup.k12.mi.us/~tstrader/temp/gl-posts/trail-closed.jpg

[Creative Fab]

If I am hearing you correctly, this is National Forest Land?

The USFS has just adopted a new "closed unless posted open" policy.

I would assume that this trail would fall under that new guideline, however one could use the argument of it being opened for one user group and closed for another&#33;

I will get you United&#39;s e-mail address for the legislative advocate, Carla Boucher.

Here it is, mailto:LegisAdvoc@UFWDA.Org

Pat

[MuddyPaws]

Closed unless posted open...well, there are signs north of Raco that state trails are open unless posted closed. They are numbered roads and some trails go up to the lookout over the big lake.

It still doesn&#39;t address the state land end of the closure.

I will e-mail that person and see if there is anything that can be done.