Trail use order to come before Natural Resources Commission tomorrow

TILDEN TOWNSHIP — The Michigan Natural Resources Commission has a meeting tomorrow in downstate Roscommon. The agenda for that meeting includes some potential changes for the Iron Ore Heritage Trail in Marquette County.

The director of the Michigan DNR has proposed an order for the trail between Winthrop Junction in Tilden Township and Marquette County Road 601 in Humboldt. The order would affect how that section of trail, which runs for about 12 miles, could be used.

“We’re in the business of running trails, not roads, so we’re trying to limit the users of the trail,” Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority administrator Carol Fulsher said. “What that means is, just get full-size vehicles off the trail. We want to operate it as a multi-use, year-round trail.”

The order would ban vehicles 65 inches or more in width. Hunters also wouldn’t be allowed to hunt from the grade with firearms or with a bow and arrow anymore.

“And basically, that’s a safety issue,” Fulsher said. “We don’t want hunters on the grade along with the trail users. Those are the two things we’re asking for — no full-size vehicles and no hunting from the grade.”

The trail use order won’t be approved at Thursday’s meeting. It’s on the agenda as an information item only. However, it could be approved as soon as the commission’s April 9th meeting in Lansing.