Two New Petitions to Keep Land Access Open

[USMC 0369]

Hi there MJR...ers..

I know a few of you are from Michigan, or near and around Michigan so I wanted to post a couple of links up for some petitions that are being circulated to keep some public roads open. The county road commissions in two seperate counties are taking public opinion on closing roads that access or connect NFS & state forest trails. If these roads are closed down, the trails they connect to will be lost.

A little background on Michigan trail system, if you don't keep up with that sort of thing, is that the DNR in Michigan (same as our BLM) is out-of-control. The state has seen massive closures and most of the trails on NFS and State Forest land arent even on the map. We are quite lucky in that our NFS rangers and for the most part the BLM work with the 4x4 community to arrange some equitable resolution. Such is not the case in MI.

Please, take a moment to sign these petitions:

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/StapleRoad/

Be forwarned!!! After signing the petition you will be taken to a 'donation' page. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DONATE. Your signature is already taken when you get sent to that page.

[sarah]

Signed

[Desert Jewel]

I did my part and signed both of them.

[ECV Jeep]

Signed em both

[dirtman13]

Done :thumbs_up

[Schmo]

Done

[Mike]

I'm in for both as well. Growing up in Georgia, I am very aware of the HUGE difference in attitude from the authorities about 4x4 trails in states outside of California.

[freewaydan]

I'm in for both too

[USMC 0369]

Success!!!

** AS POSTED ON GLFWDA.ORG **

We won!

The Hearing was this morning.
The Newaygo CRC voted to NOT abandon the road but to look into the feasibility of putting it back on the section line as plotted. It currently leaves the deeded easement to pass around a gully. This falls under the 'Highway By User' statute that essentially says 'Where a road ends up over time (at Least 10 years) is where the CRC has a right of way, regardless of the maps and deeding.


They again affirmed that the NCRC has never abandoned a road if there was opposition to the proposal.

THANK YOU for your help!

Thank you MJR for your help in this matter! One link is removed and the other petition is still active! Lets get as many signatures at possible. Every signature helped win one battle, but the other is still active. Many GLFWDA members have helped with the Eldorado Nat'l Forest Petition and it's good to see 4x4 communities unite to fight for our public lands.

~nick

[RAT]

Dun! Message is in the mail...

[USMC 0369]

Update 9/19/07

Reading the GLFWDA website this morning...the war rages on in Muskegon County, MI over the closure of unimproved roads that connect or provide access to ORV users.

Thanks to all who have signed!

Let's keep this one going though.
This is going to be a MUCH tougher sell than 64th St was, and the implications run far deeper.

The Muskegon County Road Commission (CRC) has a history of willful abandonment. They've abandoned scores of miles of two tracks over the last 2 decades.

However, they have new people in place with different attitudes (favorable to our position), but we'll need to demonstrate overwhelming support for this road to show these new guys that their views toward abandonment are what the public desires.

This is the Muskegon CRC's test case, if you will.
If this goes well, we'll have an easier time getting the rest of the two-track roads in the county reopened. If it goes poorly, we can probably kiss them good bye.


Again, I know it's not local, but its a message of unification. This petition was recently posted up on Pirate 4x4 hoping to get some more support. Anything you can do to help is appreciated, not money or anything, but help getting the word out and as many signatures as possible. I'm going to go sign the petition for Barb, she just doesn't know it yet.