Photo Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is inviting the public to review proposed forest road changes for new forest road maps.
This includes a trial of approximately 100 miles at Camp Grayling for ORVs.
“Forest roads are a gateway to ORV riding, hiking, hunting, fishing and enjoyment of state forest lands,” stated Jeff Stampfly, Chief of the Department of Natural Resources’ Forest Resources Division.
Updates are made yearly by the DNR to make sure the forest road inventory is accurate and meets the requirements of the law. According to the DNR, comments are being accepted on the proposed updates to the forest road system until Dec. 1.
Proposed changes to the forest road maps include:
- Adding roads that were previously unmapped and removing roads that no longer exist.
- Removing duplicate road entries
- Closing or opening roads to conventional vehicle use
- Closing or opening roads to ORV use
The DNR states that a significant proposed change included this year is opening a portion of the forest roads located within Camp Grayling’s training area to ORV use. They say the roads under consideration are located on state forest lands, leased from the DNR for military training near Grayling.
According to the DNR, the proposed opening of forest roads to ORV use in this area would be a trial basis and includes 94.8 miles of forest roads on 16,000 acres north of County Road 612 in Crawford County.
The roads under consideration will be open to the public when they’re not in use for military training.
However, they will be gated off for public safety when in use by the military. Additionally, a notice will be posted on Camp Grayling’s Facebook page and will be shared on local radio stations.
“Grayling is known for its abundance of opportunities to enjoy the woods and water, and this opening to ORVs will add to our area’s outdoor offerings,” said Lovells Township Supervisor Gary Neumann.
“We’re looking forward to the trial opening of these forest roads for recreational use, and we’re committed to ensuring public safety. We intend to use this trial to evaluate the feasibility of opening more Camp Grayling lands for ORV use,” said Camp Grayling commander Col. Scott L. Meyers. “The camp takes great pride in our community support, and helping people enjoy what northern Michigan has to offer expands that relationship. Looking forward to seeing you on the trail!”
Public comment will be accepted online and by mail through Dec. 1.
You can comment on or view the locations of these proposed changes on an interactive map or printable PDF .
Emails can be sent to the DNR .
The DNR also states that comments will be accepted at their upcoming Michigan Natural Resources Commission meetings in early 2022. They say at their January meeting, state forest road proposals will be presented to the DNR Director. In February, the DNR Director will make a formal decision.
According to the DNR, the new maps will go into effect and will be published online on Apr. 1, 2022.
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