Progress Updating the 1979 Michigan ORV Plan

Dr. Chuck NelsonDept. Community,

Agriculture, Recreation and

Resource StudiesMI State University

DNR’s Mission Conserve, protect and provide for

public use and enjoyment Michigan’s natural resources for present and future generations of citizens and visitors.

Stewardship mission is paramount

An Updated Plan for Tomorrow Key issues for updated plan

Meet legal mandates Provide adequate riding opportunity Minimize social conflict Maintain environmental integrity Maximize rider safety and enjoyment Make most efficient use of ORV funds Recent new wrinkle – New FS rules

• “Closed unless posted open” on all NF • Not just the Huron-Manistee

Forest certification

ORV Plan Requirements Inventory state forests Assess their suitability for ORV use Designate ORV system

Done between 1979 - today Resource management to maintain system and restore ORV

damage On-going This effort involves

• Partners• Law enforcement• Maintenance• Education• ORV events• ORV technology• Conflicts and other uses of public and nearby private lands• Rider enjoyment• Funding• Safety• Environmental integrity

Maintenance and Restoration Grant Workshop Input

Maintenance• Support for improved signage

• Yellow backers from AuSable Pilot Project• Sign plan removing discretion for sponsors

• Significant concern about liability associated with maintenance activities

• Growing trail use = more trail maintenance• Costs higher than reimbursement for most• Support gas sales tax money to ORV program

Restoration• Engineering requirements are challenging• Need better ID of ORV damage sites off trails• Need more restoration interests involved

Public Information Meetings• S. Michigan (Lansing 10/12/04)

• 92 signed attendance sheet• Three distinct user groups represented

• Motorcycles, ATV, full size truck/dune buggy• Non-trail oriented users not well represented

• Want separate trails to meet differing user needs• More trails in total• Parallel trails,“play” areas for large trucks • Many want NLP forest roads open to MC/ATV• Stated need for trail restoration, relocation

• Want direct access from trails to goods/services• Support using gas sales tax $ from ORV for ORV• Support hands on & written youth ORV safety ed.

Grayling Meeting• 63 signed attendance sheet (10/13/04)

• Again three distinct groups plus 56” width ATV • Gator, Mule, etc. • Non-trail oriented users not well represented

• Want separate trails to meet differing user needs• More trails in total• Parallel trails,“play” areas for large trucks • Many want NLP forest roads open to MC/ATV• Stated need for trail restoration, relocation

• Want direct access from trails to goods/services• Support using gas sales tax $ from ORV for ORV• Support hands on & written youth ORV safety ed

Marquette Meeting• 100 signed attendance sheet (10/14/04)

• Different character than previous meetings• Three ORV vehicle types represented• Also had vocal non-ORV riders concerned

about trespass, property and environmental damage, cross-country use & beach riding

• Also had hunt/fish/pick non-trail riders • Keep state/national forest roads open to ORV• Support county road shoulders open to ORV• ORV riders seen as major component of tourism

• Want more designated trails for tourists• Support for ORV education focused on written to

reach more youth, work through sheriffs• Want sign compatibility with snowmobile prog.

MI County Sheriff Survey 60 (72%) of 83 responded

Participate in teaching ORV safety using a model similar to marine safety education

• 38 (63%) wanted to teach ORV safety education, 2 (4%) maybe, 15 (25%) not interested, 4 (7%) no response to question

16 participated in ORV enforcement grant program in 2003• 77% enforcement time on trails• 23% at trail heads

Key violations targeted• operation under the influence of drugs/alcohol, • operation by a non-certified youth without adult supervision,• trespass on private lands,• operation on public lands/roadways where prohibited • lack of an approved helmet/safety equipment

Participated in enforcement because• Public safety need, citizen concerns about trespass, increasing

ORV use, illegal ORV use on roadways, enforcement need

Sheriff Survey Results Of the 16 in ORV enforcement:

• 7 (44%) of the 16 also conduct ORV safety education • 16 (100%) do marine safety education • 9 (56%) do snowmobile safety education• 6 (38%) do hunter safety education

More counties interested in ORV enforcement if barriers overcome

• Need additional money • ORV equipment• Enforcement personnel

• If designated trails were in county• Other barrier may be qualifications of enforcement personnel

• Do they need to be a certified police officer? Potential for year-round recreation officers at local level

• ORV, snowmobile and marine enforcement as well as safety education for all three

Strong support for having ORV safety training materials on the internet

County Road Commission Manager Survey 33(59%) of 56 counties north of Bay City

to Muskegon line responded • 17 (52%) no ORVs on county road shoulder

• Concerns about safety, liability, increased road maintenance costs

• 6 (18%) some county shoulders open to ORVs to connect trails

• Maintain balance, connect trails, promote tourism, cooperate with ORV clubs

• 10 (30%) all county road shoulders open to ORV• Treat ORVs like snowmobiles, benefits agriculture and

tourism, requested by residents/riders, high demand 15% are reconsidering existing policy

• Lots of flux• Looking both at opening and closing

Road Commission Managers Where illegal, citizen comments heard

• Causes damage to roads/shoulders• ORVs travel at excessive speed, fleeing law• ORV fatalities occurred on county road• Leads to trespass

Where legal, citizen comments heard• Reduced speeding, not trying to flee law• Benefits service businesses• Leads to trespass• More road/shoulder damage • ORV traffic confuses motorists, safety

concern

Road Commission Managers Three noted total of 4 ORV fatalities on roads

• Tend to lack data on ORV accidents on roads• Similar lack of knowledge about citations for illegal

ORV operation• When asked about MCCCT connectors on county

roads for DNR licensed ORVs• 27% support, 39% oppose, 34% unsure/not applicable

situation to them

• Much more supportive of DNR/FS acquiring or designating trails/routes on public lands

• 70% support, 3% oppose, 27% unsure/not applicable situation to them

State Trail Coordinator Survey State Trail Coordinators 26 (52%) of 50 states respond

6 (23%) have current state ORV plan 25 (96%) of 26 reported some public land riding

opportunity• 77% had federal land opportunities• 73% had state land opportunities • 46% had local public land opportunities

• 52% “closed unless posted open”, 48% “open unless posted closed”

• Survey was pre-Forest Service policy announcement 80,658 trail miles reported

• 79% open to all types ORV • 17% ATV/cycle only • 4% cycle only• <1% truck only

42% states had one or more designated scramble areas

Trail Maintenance/Damage Restoration for other States

Trail maintenance done by many• 69% used non-profits• 35% used for-profit contractors• 58% states did some/all maintenance• 62% had federal maintenance • 23% had some local gov. maintenance

Trail restoration done by fewer• 27% states had damage restoration prog.• Used all the above sources to implement

Law Enforcement and Fatalities Few states track ORV citations

Only 15% of states provided numbers of ORV citations Few provided data on fatalities

40% of states provided data on ORV fatalities, 60% stated they had no info

US Consumers Product Safety Commission (2003) reports that 1982-2002

• 224 people died in ATV accidents in Michigan• 5,239 people died nationwide

• 33% of deaths nationwide were to persons <16 Michigan State Police Office of Highway Safety Planning

(2004) reported that during 1994-2003• 2,528 ORV/ATV accidents on Michigan roadways• Resulted in 77 fatalities

Data available not comparable in quality to snowmobile fatality data which DNR LED investigates and compiles

2005 National OHV Program Managers Data – Thanks to Chair Bob Walker (MT) for compiling

Education requirement for ORV use 17 (35%) of states require for some

• Typically youth 32 (65%) have no educational

requirement 26 (53%) have minimum age

requirement to operate ORV• 23 (47%) no minimum age requirement• All states without a minimum age

requirement also lack an educational requirement

Michigan Trail Assessment 2004 Fall 2004 DNR and FS personnel

assessed Michigan’s ORV system Special thanks to three MI DNR trail

analysts • Wayne Wheeler (UP)• Paige Perry (E NLP)• Katie Campbell (W NLP)

Also, good participation by FS ranger districts in the Huron-Manistee NF

Condition of the Designated System – Fall 2004 2,639 miles evaluated

• 1,777 (68%) rated good (meets standards >95%)• 854 (32%) rated fair (meets standards 75-95%)• 8 (<1%) rated poor (meets standards <75%)

Key goal is bring all up to good 7 cycle trails, 11 ORV trails, 3 routes need

significant improvement• Improved brushing, signage, re-routes or boardwalks

for wet areas Comparison to 1996 system assessment

where 2,097 miles were reviewed• 61% good, 27% fair, 13% poor

Illegal Uses 44 (54%) of trails/routes have reported

illegal use Main problems are non-designated spur trails

• Access hunt, fish, private lands, hill climbs Other concerns include

• Illegal hill climbs• Illegal scramble areas• Riding in wetlands or on lake/river shorelines• Road riding on roads open to SOS vehicles only

Conflicts 20 (25%) of 81 trails/routes had reported

conflicts Conflicts reported include

• Between ORV users and others using trail/route system

• Non-motorized uses• Logging vehicles

• Cycle and ATV users on the same trail• ORV users and neighbors to system

• Dust, noise, trespass

• Conflict with oil/gas service personnel

ORV Damage to Public Lands Considerable amount away from designated

system Many photos submitted with GIS info from DNR field

staff Serious concern of forest certification evaluators during

MI visit• Want to see best management practices fully

implemented Current Operations Inventory not well suited to ID such

damage• Much done during snow cover

Many land managers believe damage away from the designated system exacerbated by some LP counties opening all county road shoulders to DNR licensed ORVs

• Provides access to illegal, environmentally sensitive sites

Plan Action Steps, Rationale and Fiscal Implications First set submitted to DNR 12/21/04

DNR now reviewing 5th draft Internal review process through FMFM Then by DNR wide team Then out to the public

Full review takes time, longer than I planned Still compiling supporting material on trends,

etc. during internal review