Michigan Snowmobile and Trail Advisory Council Michigan Comprehensive Trail Plan www.michigan.gov/trailplan May 2013 MICHIGAN COMPREHENSIVE TRAILS PLAN As required by PA 45 of 2010 2013-2018 _______________________________________________________ MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILE AND TRAILS ADVISORY COUNCIL MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES MAY, 2013 Trail: A path, route, way, right of way, or corridor posted, signed or designated as open for travel by the general public. An opportunity to experience solitude or companionship, recreation or challenge; an opportunity for the appreciation of nature; a means of achieving renewal of body, mind and spirit. TABLE OF CONTENTS MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILE AND TRAILS ADVISORY COUNCIL ........................ 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................... 2 CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ................................................................ 13 CHAPTER 2 - RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS ................................... 25 CHAPTER 3 - MOTORIZED TRAIL SYSTEM .............................................. 39 OFF-ROAD VEHICLE (ORV) TRAIL SYSTEM .................................... 39 SNOWMOBILE TRAIL SYSTEM ......................................................... 45 CHAPTER 4 - NON-MOTORIZED TRAIL SYSTEM ...................................... 56 LOOPED TRAILS ............................................................................ 56 EQUESTRIAN TRAILS ..................................................................... 75 LINEAR TRAILS .............................................................................. 93 CHAPTER 5 - WATER TRAILS .............................................................. 103 APPENDIX 1 2012 TRAIL USER SURVEY ANALYSIS ............................ 113 APPENDIX 2 ORV PLAN .................................................................. 118 APPENDIX 3 CONNECTING MICHIGAN ............................................... 118 APPENDIX 4 MICHGIAN TRAILS AT THE CROSSROAD .......................... 118 APPENDIX 5 2011 EQUINE TRAILSWAYS SUBCOMMITTEE REPORT ..... 118 APPENDIX 6 STATEWIDE TRAIL NETWORK PLAN ............................... 119 APPENDIX 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................. 149 APPENDIX 8 REFERENCES .............................................................. 151 APPENDIX 9 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS ................................. 151 MICHIGAN SNOWMOBILE AND TRAILS ADVISORY COUNCIL The Michigan Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Council (MSTAC) was created by PA 46 of 2010. The 11-member council was appointed by the governor and includes five representatives of the snowmobile and ORV community (three or more must be the owner of a snowmobile) and two members from the Equine Trailways Subcommittee. One of the members of the council must be from the Upper Peninsula. The MSTAC is charged with advising the director of the DNR and the governor on the creation, development, operation and maintenance of motorized and non- motorized trails in this state. In providing this guidance, the advisory council shall “seek to create a linked trail system.” Members of the committee are: Frank Wheatlake (Chair/Snowmobile) Sandra Batie (Equine) James Dickie (Snowmobile) James Duke (Snowmobile/U.P. Resident) Thomas Dunn (ORV) Michael Foote (Equine) Carolyn Kane (Non-motorized) Nancy Krupiarz (Non-motorized) William Manson, Jr. (Snowmobile) Erin McDonough (Non-motorized) Greg Yager (ORV) MSTAC conducts much of its work through four subcommittees: Equestrian Trailways, Non-Motorized, ORV, and Snowmobile Subcommittees. The Equestrian Trailways Subcommittee (ETS) is called for in Act 45 of 2010. PA 46 of 2010 charged the ETS with preparing an equestrian plan which can be found in Appendix X. The ORV, Snowmobile, Equestrian and Non-motorized (excluding the equestrian portion) portions of this plan were prepared by the respective subcommittees, assisted by DNR staff and reviewed, edited and adopted by MSTAC. Stakeholders also provided assistance on the Water Trails Chapter of the plan. All comments that were received as a result of the public review of the plan were considered by the appropriate subcommittees and recommendations regarding the comments were provided by the subcommittees to MSTAC for consideration. A summary of the public comments is provided in Appendix 9. Appendix 7 identifies the participants in these trail user subcommittees. Michigan Trail Plan Page 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Michigan Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Council (MSTAC) and the Equine Trailways Subcommittee (ETS) were established with enactment of Public Acts 45 and 46 of 2010. PA 45 of 2010 defined equestrian (EQ) use on state lands and charged the ETS, MSTAC, and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with the responsibility of developing recommendations for a state trail system. The act calls for a three step planning process for the state trail system initiated by ETS preparing an equine trail plan and submitting it to MSTAC by June of 2011. The ETS 2011 Report can be found at: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/2011RecReportETS_Final_030212._378261_7 .pdf. Once MSTAC receives the ETS equine trail plan, it has one year to prepare a plan for a state trail system that considers all trail users. Under the law, MSTAC then provides its plan to the DNR which has one year to prepare and adopt a comprehensive trail plan. The following plan is intended to meet the planning requirements, but more importantly, acknowledge Michigan’s position as the nation’s Trail State. Michigan has an incredible array of trails, developed and maintained by an extensive collaboration among state and local governments, non-profits, foundations and volunteers. The following plan provides recommendations on how to improve this system and to ensure the continued benefits of national prominence. While much has been accomplished there are significant opportunities left to address. The coalition that has created and is managing this spectacular trail system must together continue to plan, manage and maintain the system while recognizing the challenges presented by existing funding constraints. Michigan Trail Plan Page 2 INTRODUCTION - CHAPTER ONE Chapter 1 provides an overview of the extensive trail network that provides hours of fun, improved health, and lasting memories for Michigan’s wide range of trail users from snowmobilers to paddlers, hikers to mountain bikers, and road bike enthusiasts to off-road vehicle (ORV) riders. The Michigan trail system also provides access to Michigan’s many diverse natural resource offerings including hunting, fishing, wildlife viewing, berry and mushroom picking and swimming. Trails promote a healthy lifestyle and increase opportunities to explore nature. The trail network is an important economic driver for Michigan’s economy; hosting festivals and races, attracting out-of-state guests and new residents, and assisting in placemaking. This system is the result of an amazing network of partnerships that have acquired, developed and are maintaining trails. MSTAC and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ shared vision for Michigan’s trail system is: The State of Michigan’s trail system is a significant statewide sustainable network of trails in quantity and quality that takes into account the full spectrum of trail users. The system has sufficient funding to allow existing trails to be appropriately maintained and to expand to meet user and community needs. Every home in the state is a trailhead because the network provides close-to- home opportunities for transportation, healthful exercise, recreation and enhanced sense of place. The network provides connections to parks, urban centers, cultural and conservation areas. The network also provides access to and enjoyment of Michigan’s abundant natural, cultural and scenic resources while also conserving those resources. Trails are linked to allow citizens and visitors to experience urban and rural environments on the same network with minimal conflicts. Amenities to increase the enjoyment of trail use are easily accessed in adjoining villages, towns and cities, and those communities enjoy the economic benefits that are derived from the statewide trail network. A full range of opportunities from universal access to challenging trails are available throughout the state. The public has an electronic portal to access trail information and related amenities. Trail planning and implementation are coordinated among all levels of government. The system is acquired, developed, maintained and promoted through partnerships among units of governments, the private sector, volunteer organizations and non-profit organizations. Michigan Trail Plan Page 3 RECOMMENDATIONS AND ACTIONS - CHAPTER TWO Chapter 2 identifies eight priority recommendations with associated key actions that should be implemented to assist in achieving the vision and ensuring that Michigan’s trail system continues to be nationally recognized for its quality, extent, and the experiences that the trails and their host communities provide. The priority recommendations reflect common threads regarding issues, threats and opportunities identified for all trail types and trail user’s interest as reflected in trail user surveys. The priority recommendations are: Trails are maintained to ensure a sustainable and quality trail system by establishing development and maintenance guidelines. Key recommendations include: adopting maintenance guidelines for each trail type, regular adjustment of fees to reflect