Red pine thinning, trail repair planned for Dutch Mill

Written by The Daily Press

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Dionna Harris

RAPID RIVER - Thinning of a stand of red pine planted in the 1930s, along with repairing damage caused by illegal off-road vehicles is planned for the Dutch Mill area of the Hiawatha National Forest.

Dutch Mill, located just north of Rapid River, is home to Rapid River Falls Park and the Rapid River Cross County Ski Trail. It is along a section of the ski trail where a red pine stand, planted by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) during the 1930s is expected to be thinned.

The U.S. Forest Service conducted an inventory of vegetation and outlined the management needed for the area - regeneration of aspen and spruce.

The plan also calls for maintaining desired cover trees, such as paper birch, which is being slowly replaced naturally by more shade tolerant trees.

The plan outline also calls for harvesting of 1,048 acres of mature timber, along with 653 acres of northern hardwoods and conifer stands. The thinning of 490 acres of white spruce and red pine may also be undertaken.

The money generated by the proposed timber harvest goes directly to the U.S. Treasury, according to Mary Maercklein.

Also planned is the reduction if illegal off-road vehicle use in some areas of Dutch Mill, and repairing damage caused by ORV to prevent soil and water erosion.

Those areas where ORV damage occurred will be replanted to create natural barriers to ORV use, along with reinforced road closures and obliterating an existing illegal ORV trail.

A section of Osier Road has also been targeted for repair because of illegal ORV use. Forest Road 22031 near Chippeny Creek is also in need of repair due to illegal cross country ORV use.

The original plan called for the construction of a new cross country ski trail loop along the Rapid River Ski Trail. Comments received from local ski clubs led the U.S. Forest Service to reassess that portion of the improvement plan.

The proposal had called for the construction of 3,034 feet of new trail which would have eventually tied into trails within Rapid River Falls Park.

Comments concerning the proposed action plan are being accepted by the U.S. Forest Service. Written comments can be mailed to Silvieus at 8181 U.S. 2, Rapid River, MI 49878. Comments may also be called in at (906) 474-6442 ext. 123.

Source: http://www.dailypress.net/page/content.detail/id/507964.html?nav=5003

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“Farmers as a group rarely tend to want more government regulation. But the growing problem of trespassing caused by illegal riders spurred our membership into action to pass common-sense visible identification and ORV enforcement measures. We are proud that we were able to work with rider groups to find a solution that all sides could agree to.”

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