Post by aboo40 on Jan 19, 2009 0:09:33 GMT -5
Subject: Right to Ride in Michigan
Dear
We are writing to request your consideration of our petition to you regarding what we believe is an unreasonable, unwarranted and discriminatory approach toward the rights of that portion of your constituencies who enjoy, as their avocation, riding their horses on the trails in our great state. We believe that the DNR has taken a course of deliberate and incremental reduction of our access to, and use of, the trails and camps which have historically been utilized by trail riders and which, in large part, were built by, and are maintained by, organized groups of those riders. We believe that the DNR is being dishonest and unfair in the manner with which they have chosen to justify their actions toward the citizenry who prefer to ride a horse than to walk, pedal a bike or drive a motorized vehicle through the wooded lands of our state. We believe that it is your obligation, as our elected representatives, to intercede in our behalf and cause the DNR to behave, as they are pledged to do, toward the trail riding user group and every other user group, that is, without discrimination or favoritism, and with recognition that we, as citizens, voters and tax payers, have as much right to use and enjoy the public lands of Michigan as does any other group. We ask for parity and fairness and the exercise of honesty and good, common sense in our governmental bodies. We also ask for inclusion in the decision making process, with notification provided, and participation allowed, in a manner which demonstrates welcoming, good faith and a willingness to partner.
We belong to the Michigan Trail Riders Association, which was formed in the early '60s and incorporated as a non-profit in 1963 by a group of individuals from northern Michigan. In 1964, the legislature passed Public Act 225, which was written and introduced by then State Senator William Milliken and, in May of that year, then Governor George Romney dedicated the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail. Over the years, working with the DNR and Federal Forest Service, thousands of trail riders have donated countless hours of work to maintain what the founders put in place and to improve and expand the trail and camp system which traverses our fair State from Lake Michigan / Empire on the west, to Lake Huron / Oscoda on the east. Scattered along this non-motorized trail is a series of 10 camps (6 in DNR jurisdiction, 4 in FFS) which were designed to accommodate horseback riders but also are utilized by hikers, fishermen, hunters and recreational campers. In the 1990s, a North / South trail was completed and currently extends from Cadillac to Mullett Lake. The Elk Hill Camp is a high light on the North / South journey.
This June, the MTRA will celebrate the 45th anniversary, recognizing the first organized MTRA ride along the 230 mile trail from west to east, in June, 1964. Forty riders started at Lake Huron and eighteen finished at Lake Michigan. What a ride that must have been!
As a non-profit corporation, MTRA charges its members to belong. Membership fees in excess of operating costs are earmarked strictly for camp and trail maintenance and improvement. Members also pay to attend the 5 organized trail rides offered each year, between May and October. From these monies, the MTRA pays the DNR an “event fee” for each ride we host and also a “per camper per night” for every attendee. In 2008, the “event fee” was $550.00 per ride and the “per camper per night” fee was $6.00. Rider (camper) numbers vary from year to year and ride to ride. Using 2008 fee rates to illustrate MTRA costs / DNR revenue and an average of 100 campers / night and 35 days utilizing DNR camps, the MTRA would pay the DNR $23,750.00 to utilize the very camps and trails which the MTRA has worked to build, maintain and finance for 45 years.
Recently, the MTRA President, Garry Randall's research revealed that prior to 1990, the MTRA did not pay a camping fee to the DNR because the fees were waived due to the amount of work the MTRA did on the camps and trails. It was estimated that in the period of 1980 to 2008, the MTRA input was approximately $1,418,000.00 in fees, insurances, materials etc. Over the years, the MTRA has applied for and received grant monies which were directed entirely into trail and camp improvement.
The “sweat equity” of the membership has not been calculated, and probably could not be, as it has been enormous. Since its inception, the organization has held a number of organized work-bees each year. At times, a “special” work-bee is required to accomplish an unusual project, such as construction of the Board Walk at Luzerne, building the camp at Elk Hill, or the removal of Oak trees affected by Wilt at Lake DuBonnet camp. For all projects, with the input, and at the direction of the DNR and FFS, the MTRA has: plotted, marked and maintained nearly 500 miles of trail; constructed approximately 15 camps; put in vault toilets; drilled at least 15 wells; built numerous bridge-type structures across small waterways; stabilized marshy and fragile areas; constructed permanent ingress / egress at waterways; built retaining walls and limiting fences; built, leveled and graveled campsites and roads; culled diseased and dead trees from camps and trails; put in thousands of picket posts; cleaned camps and trails after tornados devastated vast areas. We have also worked with local governments, utilities and organizations such as the Boy Scouts, in these projects.
The Federal Forest Service is also a partner. Of the 10 camps on the W/E trail, 4 are in their domain. It is estimated by the FFS that in the past 20 years, the MTRA has contributed so much in material and labor that the FFS waived $152,790.00 in camping fees. Recently, a single boardwalk project near McKinley was estimated to have saved the FFS $7,200 in labor and materials.
Legislators, it has been said that “horse people (trail riders) don't pay their way”. We dispute that statement. The 2009 MTRA has a membership of approximately 1200 “families” / 3000 individuals. We are the largest trail riding organization in the state of Michigan. Each of these 1200 families has a number of expenses which come along with owning a horse. Each of these items translates into income for an individual or a business, which, in turn, translates into economic health for that sector of our economy and, ultimately, in tax revenue for the State of Michigan. The equine population of Michigan in 2007 was 155,000, 37% of which were used for recreational pursuits. Obviously, horse owners / trail riders are an enormous “employer” of: farmers, veterinarians, horse shoers, horse trainers, horse dentists, grain elevators, fence dealers, tack stores, trailer manufacturers and dealers, tractor sales, lumber yards, builders (pole barns, sheds, fences and homes); automobile dealers and their service bays, tire dealers, gas stations, insurance agents, pharmaceutical suppliers (vaccines, supplements, health care items), camping supply stores, restaurants, food stores (to stock up the trailer for a ride) and the Secretary of State who licenses us as drivers and registers and licenses our trucks and horse trailers. Equine operations in Michigan comprised 440,000 acres in 2007. An informal survey within the MTRA indicates we own on average 50 acres of land. Most of us are fishermen and hunters and we are employed. All these attributes translate into revenue for our townships, counties and the State.
We are Trail Riders! As Michigan citizens, we love to ride our own state lands. And we'd love to have a system of trails and camps throughout the state which would act as a magnet for riders from other states. If enough opportunities existed here, in Michigan, many people would come from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin and other close-by states and Canada. We know this is so because riders from those places have come to Michigan to attend MTRA trail rides. We have had folks from Arkansas, New York, Arizona and other far-away states attend, also. Riders love Michigan for its beauty, its friendly people and climate. For many, the temperatures are more moderate, the terrain is challenging and the insect pests are less bothersome. In 2007, there were 3.9 million horses used exclusively for recreational purposes in America. Those horses had a 32 billion dollar impact on GDP. Wouldn't it be great to bring a whole lot of those folks to ride our trails and let them spend their money here in our great state!
We ask you to support our endeavor to maintain the horse/multiuser trails and camps and help us prevent the DNR from restricting access and/or closing these areas to the equestrian user groups.
All Best Regards,
Dear
We are writing to request your consideration of our petition to you regarding what we believe is an unreasonable, unwarranted and discriminatory approach toward the rights of that portion of your constituencies who enjoy, as their avocation, riding their horses on the trails in our great state. We believe that the DNR has taken a course of deliberate and incremental reduction of our access to, and use of, the trails and camps which have historically been utilized by trail riders and which, in large part, were built by, and are maintained by, organized groups of those riders. We believe that the DNR is being dishonest and unfair in the manner with which they have chosen to justify their actions toward the citizenry who prefer to ride a horse than to walk, pedal a bike or drive a motorized vehicle through the wooded lands of our state. We believe that it is your obligation, as our elected representatives, to intercede in our behalf and cause the DNR to behave, as they are pledged to do, toward the trail riding user group and every other user group, that is, without discrimination or favoritism, and with recognition that we, as citizens, voters and tax payers, have as much right to use and enjoy the public lands of Michigan as does any other group. We ask for parity and fairness and the exercise of honesty and good, common sense in our governmental bodies. We also ask for inclusion in the decision making process, with notification provided, and participation allowed, in a manner which demonstrates welcoming, good faith and a willingness to partner.
We belong to the Michigan Trail Riders Association, which was formed in the early '60s and incorporated as a non-profit in 1963 by a group of individuals from northern Michigan. In 1964, the legislature passed Public Act 225, which was written and introduced by then State Senator William Milliken and, in May of that year, then Governor George Romney dedicated the Michigan Riding and Hiking Trail. Over the years, working with the DNR and Federal Forest Service, thousands of trail riders have donated countless hours of work to maintain what the founders put in place and to improve and expand the trail and camp system which traverses our fair State from Lake Michigan / Empire on the west, to Lake Huron / Oscoda on the east. Scattered along this non-motorized trail is a series of 10 camps (6 in DNR jurisdiction, 4 in FFS) which were designed to accommodate horseback riders but also are utilized by hikers, fishermen, hunters and recreational campers. In the 1990s, a North / South trail was completed and currently extends from Cadillac to Mullett Lake. The Elk Hill Camp is a high light on the North / South journey.
This June, the MTRA will celebrate the 45th anniversary, recognizing the first organized MTRA ride along the 230 mile trail from west to east, in June, 1964. Forty riders started at Lake Huron and eighteen finished at Lake Michigan. What a ride that must have been!
As a non-profit corporation, MTRA charges its members to belong. Membership fees in excess of operating costs are earmarked strictly for camp and trail maintenance and improvement. Members also pay to attend the 5 organized trail rides offered each year, between May and October. From these monies, the MTRA pays the DNR an “event fee” for each ride we host and also a “per camper per night” for every attendee. In 2008, the “event fee” was $550.00 per ride and the “per camper per night” fee was $6.00. Rider (camper) numbers vary from year to year and ride to ride. Using 2008 fee rates to illustrate MTRA costs / DNR revenue and an average of 100 campers / night and 35 days utilizing DNR camps, the MTRA would pay the DNR $23,750.00 to utilize the very camps and trails which the MTRA has worked to build, maintain and finance for 45 years.
Recently, the MTRA President, Garry Randall's research revealed that prior to 1990, the MTRA did not pay a camping fee to the DNR because the fees were waived due to the amount of work the MTRA did on the camps and trails. It was estimated that in the period of 1980 to 2008, the MTRA input was approximately $1,418,000.00 in fees, insurances, materials etc. Over the years, the MTRA has applied for and received grant monies which were directed entirely into trail and camp improvement.
The “sweat equity” of the membership has not been calculated, and probably could not be, as it has been enormous. Since its inception, the organization has held a number of organized work-bees each year. At times, a “special” work-bee is required to accomplish an unusual project, such as construction of the Board Walk at Luzerne, building the camp at Elk Hill, or the removal of Oak trees affected by Wilt at Lake DuBonnet camp. For all projects, with the input, and at the direction of the DNR and FFS, the MTRA has: plotted, marked and maintained nearly 500 miles of trail; constructed approximately 15 camps; put in vault toilets; drilled at least 15 wells; built numerous bridge-type structures across small waterways; stabilized marshy and fragile areas; constructed permanent ingress / egress at waterways; built retaining walls and limiting fences; built, leveled and graveled campsites and roads; culled diseased and dead trees from camps and trails; put in thousands of picket posts; cleaned camps and trails after tornados devastated vast areas. We have also worked with local governments, utilities and organizations such as the Boy Scouts, in these projects.
The Federal Forest Service is also a partner. Of the 10 camps on the W/E trail, 4 are in their domain. It is estimated by the FFS that in the past 20 years, the MTRA has contributed so much in material and labor that the FFS waived $152,790.00 in camping fees. Recently, a single boardwalk project near McKinley was estimated to have saved the FFS $7,200 in labor and materials.
Legislators, it has been said that “horse people (trail riders) don't pay their way”. We dispute that statement. The 2009 MTRA has a membership of approximately 1200 “families” / 3000 individuals. We are the largest trail riding organization in the state of Michigan. Each of these 1200 families has a number of expenses which come along with owning a horse. Each of these items translates into income for an individual or a business, which, in turn, translates into economic health for that sector of our economy and, ultimately, in tax revenue for the State of Michigan. The equine population of Michigan in 2007 was 155,000, 37% of which were used for recreational pursuits. Obviously, horse owners / trail riders are an enormous “employer” of: farmers, veterinarians, horse shoers, horse trainers, horse dentists, grain elevators, fence dealers, tack stores, trailer manufacturers and dealers, tractor sales, lumber yards, builders (pole barns, sheds, fences and homes); automobile dealers and their service bays, tire dealers, gas stations, insurance agents, pharmaceutical suppliers (vaccines, supplements, health care items), camping supply stores, restaurants, food stores (to stock up the trailer for a ride) and the Secretary of State who licenses us as drivers and registers and licenses our trucks and horse trailers. Equine operations in Michigan comprised 440,000 acres in 2007. An informal survey within the MTRA indicates we own on average 50 acres of land. Most of us are fishermen and hunters and we are employed. All these attributes translate into revenue for our townships, counties and the State.
We are Trail Riders! As Michigan citizens, we love to ride our own state lands. And we'd love to have a system of trails and camps throughout the state which would act as a magnet for riders from other states. If enough opportunities existed here, in Michigan, many people would come from Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Wisconsin and other close-by states and Canada. We know this is so because riders from those places have come to Michigan to attend MTRA trail rides. We have had folks from Arkansas, New York, Arizona and other far-away states attend, also. Riders love Michigan for its beauty, its friendly people and climate. For many, the temperatures are more moderate, the terrain is challenging and the insect pests are less bothersome. In 2007, there were 3.9 million horses used exclusively for recreational purposes in America. Those horses had a 32 billion dollar impact on GDP. Wouldn't it be great to bring a whole lot of those folks to ride our trails and let them spend their money here in our great state!
We ask you to support our endeavor to maintain the horse/multiuser trails and camps and help us prevent the DNR from restricting access and/or closing these areas to the equestrian user groups.
All Best Regards,