# DNR Executes Agreements With 69 Snowmobile Trail Grant Sponsors for



## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
Dec. 20, 2007

Contacts:
Steve DeBrabander 517-241-3687
Mary Dettloff 517-335-3014 

DNR Executes Agreements With 69 Snowmobile Trail Grant Sponsors for Trail Grooming 

The Department of Natural Resources announced today that it has executed agreements with all 69 snowmobile trail grant sponsors, who have signed their trail maintenance and grooming grants to cover more than 6,546 miles of Michigan's designated snowmobile trail system. 

"With the early December snow and cold temperatures we are off to a great start to this snowmobile season," said Steve DeBrabander, DNRs state trails operations supervisor. 

Over $5.8 million in grants have been issued by the DNR to cover all eligible trail grooming costs of the 69 trail sponsors for grooming equipment and repair, trail brushing, signing and grooming and parking lot plowing of staging areas for this coming season, which started on Dec. 1 and ends on March 31, 2008. Funding to support the snowmobile trail improvement fund comes from the annual $25 Michigan Snowmobile Trail Permit, a portion of the snowmobile registration fee, and a portion of state gas tax revenue. 

The 6,546 mile designated snowmobile trail system is a statewide network of signed and groomed trails that extends from the southern border of Michigan, up the west side of the Lower Peninsula and throughout the Northern Lower Peninsula and Upper Peninsula. This network of trails is on both public and private lands and the 69 local trail sponsors are instrumental in getting the trails ready for the season, and keeping them groomed. According to snowmobile industry estimates, snowmobiling in Michigan is a $1 billion economic impact to the state.

For more information on Michigan's snowmobile program, please go to www.michigan.gov/dnr, click on Recreation and Camping and then click on Snowmobiling.

The DNR is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the states natural resources for current and future generations.


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## Hamilton Reef (Jan 20, 2000)

Snowmobile season revs up 

http://www.mlive.com/outdoors/grpress/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/119824470959950.xml&coll=6

12/21/07 By Howard Meyerson Press Outdoors Editor [email protected]

Snow conditions around the state are looking good for snowmobilers going into the holidays. 

With a foot or more in places and additional snow falling this week, conditions overall are a far cry from the warm, dry spell last year that resulted in closing the entire 6,546-mile snowmobile trail system the week before Christmas.

"Everything is open, including a new trail in the thumb area near Deckerville," said Richard Kennedy, a trails operation specialist with the DNR. "I've heard there is snow everywhere." 

Upper Peninsula land managers say there is good coverage all across the northern Upper Peninsula. The southern edge of the western U.P. still needs snow, but there has been some accumulation on the southern edge of the eastern U.P. 

"We are grooming in all of the northern counties on the west end of the U.P.," said Ron Yesney, a recreation specialist in the DNR's Marquette office. "This is the first year in 10 years that we had groomable snow on Dec. 1. The only places we are not grooming yet is the southern edge of the western U.P." 

Yesne said the western U.P. draws riders mostly from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Last year, at this time, he was telling them to stay home. 

Trail conditions, so far, are fair to good and should only get better. 

"We do get people coming up from lower Michigan," he said. "They come up because they want to visit Lake of the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains or go up into the Keweenaw where there is more topography." 

Danny Laux, a DNR fire officer in the Baraga office, said there is 20-plus inches on the ground around Houghton and Keweenaw County. Last season there wasn't runnable snow until late January."

Laux's area, with 900 miles of trail, is considered some of the premier riding in state. 

"We're off to a good start," said Laux. "It's much better than last year and a lot of the area businesses are quite happy about being a month ahead." 

Trails are open all across the eastern U.P. as well, said Dan Moore with the DNR's Newberry office.

"The eastern U.P. is in good shape," he said. "Things are looking good for between Christmas and New Years. We are keeping our fingers crossed." 

Lower Peninsula land mangers were suggesting last year that holiday visitors bring their hiking boots rather than their snow machines, but their prognosis this year is considerably better for riders. 

"We just got between eight and 12 inches of snow," said Ken Hansen, with the Mio office of the Huron-Manistee National Forest. "The clubs have been out and grooming." 

Hansen said this is the first year his district has had groomable snow this early. The two trails there total 121. They draw riders from downstate and Ohio. 

In Baldwin, the conditions were about the same. Trails are open and are being groomed. 

"The clubs are in full swing grooming," said Kathy Bietau with the Baldwin Ranger district, which has 161 miles of trail in the national forest. Bietau said. 

Even the southern trail system known as the West Michigan Snowmobile Trail was getting packed earlier this week, though area clubs and managers were hoping for more snow. 

"If we get some more snow and cold weather it will be great riding," said Kim DuFresne, with the DNR's Plainwell office. 

West Michigan has a 700- mile trail network that is groomed by nine snowmobile clubs. DuFresne reminds riders that four inches of snow is required to ride any park trails like the Musketawa and White Pine. 

Snowmobilers are being advised to stay off lakes anywhere in the state. Rideable snow on the ground does not mean that lake ice is thick enough to support a machine.


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