Editor’s Preview
We begin this newsletter, as usual, with our PRCA President’s remarks, and especially with his announcement of our Annual Open Meeting to be held on June 27th starting with lunch at noon at the PRCSF Headquarters and Information Center.
The big news, however, is the successful resolution of the issue surrounding the Song of the Morning dam on the Pigeon River. The gist of this settlement can be read in our Advisory Council representative’s report, with more details of the court orders to be found on our website at www.pigeonrivercountryforest.org.
Finally, we have a special report on the first meeting of the new State Forest Access Workgroup and we finish with some information on possible new land acquisitions in or next to the PRCSF.
(R.W. Kropf, ed.)
PRCA President’s Message
As you have probably heard by now the Song of the Morning Ranch (SOMR), Trout Unlimited, the DNRE, and the Association have agreed on a plan to remove the SOMR dam on the Pigeon in an ecologically sound way. We got the good news this year before the opening of trout season and well before the morels came out.. Bryan Burroughs, the Michigan head of TU and an expert on dam removal, was instrumental in accomplishing this with the help of Pete Gustafson, former chair of the PRCAC and Don Handyside, the chair of the SOMR board. You will find the Association’s statement on our website.
The whole process will take some time since the pond area must be stabilized as the pond is drawn down, but we anticipate a free-flowing Pigeon in a couple of years that will further enhance the wild characteristics of the Pigeon River Country.
You will also find the announcement of our annual meeting which is scheduled for Sunday, June 27. As before there will be a sandwich lunch at 12 with the meeting from 1 to 3 at DNRE forest headquarters. We’ve invited Brian Burroughs, Pete Gustafson, and Don Handyside to come to the meeting to tell us something about the agreement and to see how we can help in the process. You should check the website for further information.
April 9th 2010 Advisory Council Report
Pigeon River Dam Removal
The Advisory Council received official notice that a settlement has been reached in the case concerning the Dam on the Pigeon River located on Song of the Morning Ranch property. “The dam will be removed”, at the expense of the Song of the Morning Ranch and Golden Lotus Inc. (owners of the property) This is the result of a cooperative effort of the Pigeon River Country Association, DNRE and Michigan Chapter or Trout Unlimited, working together through the court system to insure that the situation will never again occur. The settlement agreement includes Trout Unlimited’s Brian Burroughs, close involvement in the planning and removal process stages. Brian is regarded as one of the foremost experts in proper dam removal procedures in Michigan.
Attorney and former Advisory Council Chairman Pete Gustafson was instrumental in holding things together during the proceedings and by many accounts can be credited with the successful outcome, as at several points throughout the process others were ready to walk away and take the issue to the trial stage. The Council expressed its special thanks to Pete for volunteering his legal expertise to assist the Pigeon River.
Webb Road Bridge Replacement
Luke Holton of the Cheboygan Country Road Commission gave a presentation on the replacement of the bridge over the Pigeon River at Webb Road. He indicated that if things go well they hope for a bid letting in July of this year which would result in project completion by November 2010. If not, they will plan a spring 2011 letting, with work to be completed in the summer 2011. Luke indicated a willingness to work with the DNRE and Advisory Council to insure the protection of the resource.
Advisory Council Tour
The Members of the Advisory Council will tour the Pigeon River Country State Forest in July 2010. A date of July 16th has been tentatively set. PRCA Advisory Council representative Mike Brown had recommended such a tour in 2009, but planning and scheduling did not work out. The intention was to familiarize new Council Members and reacquaint others with the Forest and the activities that are taking place. With meetings taking place in the evening many members don’t get a chance to get first hand on the ground knowledge of activities that impact the PRCSF and the resources we are asked to advise the DNRE in managing. Chairman Walters has indicated the public is welcome to attend, and all PRCA Members are encouraged to attend if able and have their voice heard.
State Forest Access
A Statewide access plan will be required under new legislation that was recently passed and per the DNRE the PRCSF will be the starting point of this plan. A very aggressive timeline has been established which will make it difficult for the Advisory Council to have much of a chance for input, through no fault of the DNRE. One has to wonder if that was not the intent of the Legislature when they passed the law (see further report on this subject below).
Conservation Officer Report
C.O. Nick Torsky reported little enforcement activity during the winter months in the PRCSF. He did report that in a recent Otsego County case involving the infamous “Snowman Cam” a decision was handed down by Judge Patricia Morse. Her ruling was that the law under which the citation was issued was “Unconstitutionally Vague”. Since the meeting the DNRE and the Michigan Attorney General’s Office have announced their intent to appeal the decision, citing the need to protect the Resources of the People of Michigan. To those of us that have followed the case and viewed the website of the accused it is clear that no attempt was made to stop deer from frequenting the feeders.
Next Meeting
Next Advisory Council meeting is scheduled to start at 6:30 PM at the PRCSF Headquarters on Friday July 16th 2010. (Report by Michael Brown, PRCA representative to the PRCSFAC)
PRCSF Access Plan Workgroup
On April 26, the first of a series of special meetings was held at the MDNRE’s Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center at Higgins Lake. This work group is charged with the task of further updating the rules and regulations concerning user access in the Pigeon River Country State Forest. This new series of meetings has been designed to fulfill a promise regarding further planning made by the DNR directorship at the time of the implementation of the 2008 revision and update of the Concept of
Management for the PRCSF and to respond to new legislation passed by the Michigan Legislature.
The workgroup is made up of eighteen persons representing various divisions of the MDNRE, various conservation organizations and recreational interests. It was also attended by nearly an equal number of specially interested parties. The PRCA was primarily represented by Eugene Horan in his capacity as Vice-President of our organization, and secondarily by myself as past-president and as a more or less typical forest “hiker” and “biker.” Scott Whitcomb, the PRCSF Manager, and also a PRCA member, was also one of the principal speakers, presenting his particular recommendations adjustment of the “Pack and Saddle Trailways Within the PRCSF.
The legislation in question is House Bill No. 4610 and Senate Bill No. 578, both of which began as a result of horseback riding interests seeking greater access to the PRCSF as well as many other state-owned lands, but which ended up as Public Acts 45 & 46, which, in turn, has resulted in amendments to Part 721 of the 2010 Trails Legislation, which provides for an expanded Michigan Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Committee.
This committee, to be made up of eleven members appointed by the Governor, nearly half of which (5) are to be snowmobile or ORV owners, is to also to have two members from a five-member equine subcommittee. Together, these committees are charged with the task of advising the DNRE Director and the Governor on the creation, development, operation, and maintenance of both motorized and non-motorized trails, with the equine subcommittee particularly charged with developing a “network” of saddle trailways and the “promotion of the equine industry.” The Equine Subcommittee has been given one year to draw up its plan, and the larger Snowmobile and Trails Advisory Council another year before it submits its plan for a statewide trail network to the Governor. (However, the question was raised as to whether or not the make-up of these committees, especially the first, was not too much dominated by motor-sports interests—certainly a good question in the face of our country’s energy problems, ed.)
So how will all this affect the PRCSF? For one, since the PRCSF already contains a good segment of the North Spur of the Michigan Shore to Shore Riding Hiking Trail, the only real issues raised at this particular meeting (in addition to the repeated request for more clearly marked trails—must all markers be blue?) was the need for an adequate number of campsites for horses and riders who wish to ride within the PRCSF and trails that are available to them within the forest. While the Forest Manager has proposed linking some of the little used dead-end Forest Roads in such a way as to provide more circle ride opportunities, especially for those using the Elk Hill Equestrian Campground in the center of the Forest, the additional equestrian campgrounds at Stony Creek (several miles north of the PRSCF boundary) and at Johnson’s Crossing (at the far south boundary of the PRCSF) are of little use to those who wish to confine their ride to within the PRCSF. Accordingly, two more equestrian campgrounds are being proposed — one to be located south of the PRCSF Headquarters near the Witness Tree and another in the NE quarter of the PRCSF off Clute Rd. [A map of all roads and trails open to equestrian use can be found here, including the proposed additions (yellow lines) and new campground locations (red boxes).]
In any case, a final draft off these proposed changes is to be presented to the Natural Resources Commission on June 3rd (when it will also be posted on the DNRE website) and open to public comment until June 10th. A rewritten draft will then be presented to the Workgroup on June 30th. The DNRE will make its final determination by July 15th. Then a 60 day waiting period will be required before implementing any new restrictions.
After the June 30th review, the workgroup will be charged with working on a PRCSF Vehicle Access Plan. (Report by R.W. Kropf, editor)
New State Land Acquisitions
The purchase of two parcels of land with money from the trust fund from oil and gas revenues, are being considered. One, consisting of 410 acres, is located along the NW edge of the forest (see the upper left of the map on the next page), and although not within the forest boundaries proper are next to it, would include about a mile of frontage on both sides of the Pigeon R, whichwould certainly be a boon to the forest so long identified with this river.
The second piece under consideration is about 624 acres within the southern area of the PRCSF, where Saunders Creek joins the upper reaches of the Black River. Although some of it is non-forested
and already is the site of an Antrim Shale gas well,
it is surrounded on three sides by PRCSF land. (See
bottom of map below, just left of the center.)
While is it unlikely that the state can acquire the mineral rights, many feel that the additional surveillance of that activity, plus removal of an old dam, are all good reasons for the state to acquire this property — if it can afford it. ( R W Kropf, ed. )