Some later news on the issue:
DNR has tough decisions to make on trail
Those on both sides of snowmobile issue make their points
By RICH ADAMS
Tribune Editor
INDIAN RIVER - The first step in possibly opening a vital link between Cheboygan and Gaylord to snowmobilers was taken on Wednesday.
Some 250 people attended a public hearing to discuss the pros and cons of opening the 11-mile trail, which is the only section of the 47-mile former railroad track off limits to motorized vehicles.
The hearing, staged by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, was in a balmy gymnasium at Inland Lakes High School. The discussion, however - though sometimes emotional - was not heated. Comments by speakers on both sides of the issue were greeted with applause.
The main concerns - other than the prospect of opening the trail to snowmobiles in itself - were speed limits and hours of operation on the trail, should DNR Director Rebecca Humphries decide to rescind the land use order banning snowmobiles in September.
The DNR announced it would consider removing the ban on snowmobiles in June, after nearly 10 years of attempts to find an alternate route between Cheboygan and Gaylord failed.
Of the 30 people speaking at the podium, 20 were in favor of opening the stretch of trail to snowmobiles and 10 were against it.
DNR Director Rebecca Humphries, who stopped in Cheboygan on Thursday, said there are some tough decisions ahead for the Michigan Natural Resources Commission and the DNR regarding the trail.
“Concerning limited hours of operation, we're going to have to do some digging,” Humphries said. “We don't want to put people at risk and we don't want to strand them so they can't get home at night. But we also don't want to see them tooling by homes when people are trying to sleep. We are cognizant of these concerns, and the risk factor will weigh pretty heavily in our decision.”
Property owners along the trail were concerned about speed, noise, trespassing and property values that might be affected if the trail is opened to snowmobiles.
Ed Whipple, a property owner whose house is less than 100 feet from the trail, said his concerns were noise and safety. He set forth conditions he would like to see the DNR establish should the decision be made to open the trail.
“One, the hours of operation should be limited to 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.,” Whipple said. “Some people go to bed at 9.”
He said the season of operation should be limited to the calendar description of winter, Dec. 21 to sometime in March.
He said a third concern was speed limits, given all the road and driveway crossings that go across the trail.
“I think we need a 15 miles per hour speed limit,” he said. “That's what they have in Cheboygan and Paradise.”
Tony Naylor of the MATS group, which was formed 20 years ago to keep the Mullett Lake waters clean, said he was also opposed to the trail being opened, as was the organization. He cited that there are 86 homes on the trail with 100 feet of the path and 160 homes closer than 200 feet.
“Because the DNR made a promise 10 years ago, it should keep that promise,” he said. “The DNR should do what's right.”
Tim Grace, a member of MATS who supports opening the trail, said there should be no time restrictions on that portion of the trail, a sentiment echoed by most of the others supporting opening the trail.
“Stop signs will regulate speed,” Grace said. “There should be no other restrictions.”
He also said that of the 80 properties fewer than 15 percent had lights in them during February.
“People in Florida, Ohio and downstate Michigan can't be bothered by the noise if they're not there,” he stated.
Brian Callahan, also a member of MATS who attended the meeting in which the group voted to oppose the trail, said the vote was 18-7.
“That's 18 votes out of 700 people.” he said. “We had signatures on a petition in which 43 people asked to open the trail.”
Jim Moran of Alanson, who spoke in favor of opening the trail, said all forms of transportation should be restricted in speed if limits are set.
“If you are limiting snowmobilers to 50 percent of their speed, bike riders should have to go 50 percent of their top speed,” he said. “This was bought with public money and should be open to all the public.”
Don Schwalm, a year-round resident on the trail who opposes the change, said he is most concerned about record-keeping during any test period of allowing snowmobiles on the trail.
“Who or what group will be responsible,” he asked. “How will it be done? Will the records be available to the public? How will we determine how it is going if there is no record-keeping?”
Two property owners and trail opponents who are attorneys, Tom O'Hara and Carl McPherson, stated that the railroad land was acquired via land easements from property owners and once the railroad ceded the land, the property would revert to the landowners. Both threatened legal action if the trail were opened.
Several speakers, in an attempt to counter the noise issue, noted that watercraft are operated throughout the summer, often during the night, and that summer homes have their windows opened during that season.
Fred Brandt of Cheboygan said that snowmobiles moving along the trail will not produce more noise than trucks going by on Straits Highway at night. He also stressed the economic impact opening the trail would have.
“It would really help businesses by moving people to Cheboygan and Indian River,” he said. “Open it up.”
Bill Manson, executive director of the Michigan Snowmobile Association, supported opening the trail.
“Our board of directors voted not to oppose a speed limit, but voted to oppose a curfew,” Manson said. “Because this is a corridor trail, people from the north will be going south and from the south will be going north. Time limits could put a lot of tourists in jeopardy, especially tourists, by putting them on the lake.”
He encouraged the DNR and local law-enforcement agencies to put more patrols on the trail to encourage compliance with speed limits.
Mary Partee, who owns property along the trail, said the trail should be limited to non-motorized uses.
“We should keep it closed so people can use it for cross country skiing, hiking, and playing with their kids,” she said.
She also said enforcement of snowmobile trails was insufficient.
Mike Grisdale, executive director of the Cheboygan Area Chamber of Commerce, asked officials to apply the rules evenly.
“I am just asking the DNR to be fair, reasonable and consistent,” he said.
http://www.cheboygannews.com/article...news/news1.txt
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