Escanaba to Hermansville Rail-Trail

Forest Management Division

4-5-11

Content

• Mission• West U.P. Rail-Trail System• Multi-use Trails• Non-Motorized Trails• Trail and Recreation Economics• Escanaba to Hermansville Specifics• DNR Action Steps• DNR Proposed Action• Review of Management Alternatives• Public Comment Ground Rules• DNR Planning Processes• Questions and Discussion

Mission of MDNR

• The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the State's natural resources for current and future generations

Summary of West U.P. Multi-use Trails

• State Managed Rail-Trails in West U.P.• Total of 350.5 miles of trail

– Mass City to Houghton (Bill Nichols) – 38 miles– Hancock to Calumet – 14 miles– Hancock to Laurium – 15 miles– South Range to Freda (Freda Grade) – 13 miles– Chassell to MTU – 9 miles– Bergland to Sidnaw – 38 – Iron River to Marenisco – 64– Arnheim to Chassell – 8 miles– Felch Grade – 38 miles– Escanaba to Hermansville – 25.5 miles– Baraga to Arnheim – 13 Miles– Marquette to Munising Jct – 38 miles– Iron Mountain to Norway – 12 miles– Chatham to Little Lake – 25 miles

Rail-Trails, Current and Future; Working to Connect Communities

Multi-use Trails• Trail usage

– Most rail-trails in U.P. are multi-use – they are open to motorized and non-motorized users

– Maintenance dollars come from Snowmobile, ORV, and RIF/RTP grants

Non-motorized Trails

• Facts– MDNR manages 77 miles of State Forest Pathway

in the West U.P.– MDNR manages one non-motorized rail-trail in west

U.P. equaling 8 miles– Non-motorized trails are maintained with dollars

from Recreation Improvement Funds (RIF) – The Recreation Passport program has been

developed with a mechanism to help fund State Forest non-motorized trails

Recreation Trail Economics

• Many U.P. communities rely heavily on recreation and tourism dollars associated with rail-trails

• Michigan’s rail-trail network will stimulate more recreational and economic opportunities for communities

• Tourism/Recreation and Forestry are the two most prominent economic drivers in the U.P.

Escanaba to Hermansville Specifics

The Corridor: – The corridor was built by Soo Line in 1901– Was acquired from CN Railroad in 2007 with funds

from Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF)

– Is Railbanked under State Law and by law will need to stay in its current configuration in case it needs to be reactivated for railroad use

– Was purchased with goal of connecting communities and providing recreation opportunities

Escanaba to Hermansville

• Specifics: – Is 25.5 miles in length and is

mostly 100’ wide– Connects with the 38 mile

Felch Grade ORV route and multi-use trail

– Will be managed for recreational trail use – with additional focus on preserving corridor for future rail use

– The surface material is large aggregate Interconnects with Felch Grade

DNR Action Steps Since 2009

The DNR has:• Partnered with Normenco Sportsman Club to remove

trash from rail-trail – 2 days, 10 volunteers, 128 man hours, 278 tires and 7.5 tons of trash

• GPS’d and inspected the corridor and recorded all of the driveways, trespasses, and bridges

• Compiled public input from previous public input period• Addressed public concerns at specific sites• Developed a list of four proposed management

alternatives for the corridor• Elected to pursue two Directors Order’s prohibiting

specific activities on the rail-trail

Proposed Actions

Based on public comment, the DNR is proposing to:

• Continue to look for ways to improve the rail-trail and insure the rail-trail is an asset to the communities which it serves

• Create a Directors Order to restrict Full-size vehicles from using the rail-trail

• Create a Directors Order restricting hunting from the rail-trail

Management Alternatives

• Proposal 1: Continuous multiple use from Hermansville to Escanaba, non-motorized use from M-69 to J Road.

Management Alternatives

• Proposal 2: Multiple use from Hermansville to J Road and J Road to Escanaba; non-motorized use from M-69 to J.

Management Alternatives

• Proposal 3: Non-motorized use from Hermansville to J Road, multiple use from M-69 to Escanaba

Management Alternatives

• Proposal 4: Non-motorized use from Hermansville to J Road, multiple use from M-69 to J Road and J Road to Escanaba

Public Comment Ground Rules

When Speaking:– Maintain professional relations and discourse

with all persons– Offer constructive and insightful input – Avoid discussions of recreational supremacy.

All forms of recreation and their respective groups shall be treated equally

– Public comments should not be directed toward others in the crowd

– Refrain from making comments about the corridor’s ownership, the Rails to Trails Act, or requesting the State sell the rail-trail back to private landowners

DNR Planning and Decision Making Processes

• Where do we go from here: – Analyze public comments– Process information and develop plan– Evaluate Trail Proposal– Finalize management plan– Pursue engineering and construction funding to

finance the construction of a safe and sustainable trail

– Develop management agreements with user groups

– Continuously improve and maintain the rail-trail

Questions

Thank Youwww.michigan.gov