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March 26, 2002State trying to determine direction of rails-to-trails program- NEMCOG is gathering input on two trails that run north and south in Cheboygan CountyBy ADRIENNE JANNEYSpecial to the Record-Eagle CHEBOYGAN - Once dominated by the clack of train wheels and the warning whistle, Michigan railways are now trails that echo with the buzz of snow machines in the winter and the plodding of sweaty feet in warmer weather. As the rails-to-trails effort grows and expands, public input is needed to determine the direction in northern Lower Michigan, said Paul Johnson of the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments. The Department of Natural Resources may someday obtain grants to smooth the trails for the whoosh of rubber tires. "Right now the program is really in its infancy," he said. "As we're making plans, we would like to get input." The council is starting with Cheboygan County, home to two recreation trails: one that runs from Gaylord through Cheboygan County to Mackinaw City before turning south into Emmet County; the other which spurs off that trail in the middle of the county on the east side of Mullett Lake and weaves through Aloha Township, Tower, Onaway, Millersburg and into Presque Isle County. Johnson spends many weekends hiking the trails with his wife and their dogs, and while he's out there, he solicits input from those who use or live near the railroad grade. "People come up to me and talk and they let me know exactly what they think usually," he said. "They let me know their opinions and concerns about the corridor." The public wonders what the DNR's plans for the trail are, and in the area west of Mullett Lake, where snowmobiles are banned, residents have concerns about enforcement, Johnson said. "Some people are very happy about (no snowmobiles) and some people are not," he said. "I hear it from both sides." Cheboygan city manager Scott McNeil, who is chairing a committee made up of government representatives from all the localities containing the trail, said that in the past, residents and townships have been concerned over liability issues. While most of those concerns have been laid to rest with education, another concern is property rights, he said. For example, private property owners have to obtain easements from the state to cross the trail. And people who use the trails have interests as well. Johnson said the trail is good for hiking, although McNeil said snowmobiling is the predominant use. Johnson believes the straight up-and-down nature may make it less desirable for skiers, who prefer to loop rather than retrace their path. The loose ballast makes walking difficult for some and biking nearly impossible over much of the trail, McNeil said. Such problems and concerns will be discussed at a series of public meetings, the first of which was held March 18 at city hall. The next meeting is at 7 p.m. April 15 at the Mentor Township Hall, followed by a 7 p.m. May 20 meeting at the Mackinaw Township Hall and a 7 p.m. June 17 meeting at the Mullett Township Hall. Johnson said the meetings, which he will attend, are as much for the public to discover the state's intentions for the trail as they are for public input. "It's really an information exchange; it's not a one-way kind of thing," he said. |
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