More Two Tracks are going to be closed by the Forest Service in Michigan.

If you are coming here to help stop the Forest service service from closing more Michigan Trails, Thank you!

We have had great response to our campaign to get people to let the Forest Service know that people in Michigan do not want their trails closed. So far, we have had 4700 people click on Facebook and other links to come to these pages. Unfortunately only 500 people went on to actually see how easy it is and see how to contact the Forest service to let them know your opinions. Just liking this post on Facebook will not save the trails from closure. Only by writing, emailing, or calling the Forest Service directly, will they find out what you have to say.

I'm hoping the other 4200 people will come back here to read below how to contact the Forest Service. So, please share this with all your friends to make sure they sent in their email or letter.

If this is the first you have heard of this and are still not sure what is going on, read this - Forest Service getting ready to close more trails in Michigan

If you want to read why the forest service is doing what they are doing, read this - Why the Forest Service is doing what they are doing.

If you want to read more about why we feel the Forest Service should not close more trails, read here - Why the US Forest Service should not close more Two Track Trails

Remember, it takes more than just 'Liking' the post on Facebook, If you want an easy way to contact the Forest Service and let them know your feelings on this, read below.

It is important to act soon. Comments will only be accepted till February 15, 2015.


How you can help keep these trails open in less than 5 minutes more of your time.

In short, send an email to r9_hmnf_website@fs.fed.us at the US Forest Service by February 15, 2015.

In the Subject Line put TAP Comments

If you like regular mail better:
Huron-Manistee National Forests
attn: TAP Comments
1775 S. Mitchell Street
Cadillac, MI 49601

If you wish to be able to prove you sent in this comment so you will have official standing in any future appeals, you should send ANY official correspondence to the NFS "Return Receipt Requested". This means you will have to take the letter to the post office and fill out the return receipt form.

It is also important to put your name and address in any emails too so they will send you the results of their future actions in this matter.

Select any or all of the following comments as you see fit. Feel free to add your own. Copy and paste them into your email. Get your friends to do it too.

You don’t have to use them all of you don’t want. Its not a recipe that will be ruined by the lack of one ingredient. Just use the ones you believe in. Make sure you put your name and address at the bottom. Stand up for what you believe.

Suggestions for comments to tell them.

__________________________________________________ ____________

I oppose closing any more roads or trails whether authorized or unauthorized in nature.

I support reopening all unauthorized roads and trails that have been closed and/or omitted on the Motor Vehicle Use Map except in areas of extreme environmental damage caused by recreational motor vehicle use.

I support the creation and or redesignation of two track roads and trails to 4x4 or Jeep trails. These trails do not need and should not receive the same level of maintenance as regular Forest Roads. To lower speeds and minimize environmental damage, I support keeping these trails narrow as is typical for Michigan two tracks. Tree lined and curvy too. Cleared shoulders merely tend to increase speeds and damage to vegetation and wildlife. Typical maximum speeds on these roads for full sized vehicles is 5 to 10 MPH

I oppose widening and gravel surfacing of Forest Roads. This treatment only increases speeds, endangers wildlife, and elevates dust and noise for forest users. In general, it diminishes most user’s experiences.

To me, two tracks are more than transportation routes, they are also an inherent recreational experience. They should not be treated merely as a path from point A to point B and as such, should not be included in the road density miles.

I believe that the best judge of whether a road or trail is needed or not is the presence of trees in the wheel ruts. If there are trees growing there, the road is not needed and will close naturally by the regrowth of plants in the tracks. (Grass in the middle of a two track doesn’t count.) All other two tracks are being used and therefore needed. If a road becomes impassible due to damage or natural obstacle, it won’t get used and will soon be overgrown. Just because the road is not needed for timber production or FS management activities, it does not mean it is unneeded to the public.

Closing roads or trails without marking them closed is just plain wrong. I should not be fined and be made a criminal for driving down a road that bore no physical marking or indication on the ground that it was closed.

I believe that reducing the road density will have the following detrimental effects:
• Decreasing area tourism causing financial hardship far exceeding the savings in maintenance costs.
• Decreasing forest users safety by increasing distance to the nearest trail in the event of emergencies for those who venture off the trail.
• Increase the probability of Meth labs in the area due to less traffic in the forest
• Increase dumping
• Increase illegal cross country vehicle use by reducing legal miles and reducing the chance of someone witnessing the bad behavior.
• Increased environmental stress on those areas that do remain open.

Driving the two tracks is an integral part of the culture of northern Michigan that cannot be ignored. Part of the heritage of the north.

Long term sustainability of the forest requires the population to take some ownership and stewardship of the forest. If you keep most of the people out of the forest, there won’t be anyone left that cares about it.

Roadless wilderness areas need to be created from currently roadless areas. Closing all the Forest Roads in an area does not make a roadless wilderness if there are cars zooming 60 MPH down an adjacent county road.

I agree with the recommendation of the Michigan Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan that the state needs more miles of motorized vehicle trails. Closing Two Tracks goes against utilizing the resources that this State commissioned and adopted study recognizes is necessary to the recreational needs of the state.

Finally, it is my deepest belief that the need of the public to have easy, comprehensive access to public land via all of the trails we have created over generations of use, outweighs the Forest Service’s need to close the trails because it does not have the budget to pave the forest.

Thank you for your time
(Insert name and address here)