Rail-trail to be resurfaced; Ocqueoc Falls in store for major upgrades
by Peter Jakey- Managing Editor
The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) Board of Trustees December 3 recommended to Governor Jennifer M. Granholm that 81 recreation projects and land acquisitions totaling $48.5 million be funded for 2008. A big chunk of the funding will go toward the resurfacing of the rail-trail from Alpena to Cheboygan.
The crushed limestone surface, which is expected to hold up under the use of snowmobilers during winter, will be user-friendly for bikers, walkers, in-line skaters and horse back riders during the warm weather months.
Another Presque Isle County project will see major upgrades to the Ocqueoc Falls area, including a riverside observation deck, parking lot improvements and a natural stone stairway to two areas of the river.
Of the $83.5 million in projects and acquisitions approved by MNRTF board, $1 million is coming to Presque Isle County for these two projects. This is the largest amount the MNRTF board has recommended for grants in the history of the program.
“Michigan is blessed with natural resources and special places that should be protected and enjoyed for generations to come,” said Governor Granholm. “These recommendations represent ways that we can ensure that Michigan citizens and visitors will be able to enjoy outdoor recreation now and in the future. I am pleased that many of the recommendations are designed to increase accessibility to outdoor recreation around the state.”
THE TRAIL starts just outside the city limits of Alpena at U.S.-23 and goes through the communities of: Cathro, Bolton, Posen, Metz, Hawks, Millersburg, Onaway, Tower, Aloha and Cheboygan.
The right-of-way width will be 100 feet between Cheboygan to Hawks and 66 feet between Hawks and Alpena. The trail passes through, or is adjacent to several recreational sites, including part of Aloha State Park.
?The crushed limestone will provide a safer, more accessible surface,? said Mary Dettloff, Department of Natural Resources press secretary. ?This type of surface has been installed on the Gaylord to Mackinaw trail corridor last summer. Although the first season of non-motorized use was short on that trail we received lots of positive comments from the public.?
THE FALLS area will receive its most extensive improvements in decades, with the goal of preserving the areas? natural qualities. Dettloff said the parking area will be enlarged to accommodate more cars and larger vehicles such as recreational vehicles and trucks with boats or trailers. There also will be barrier free parking spaces designated.
?The vault toilets will be removed and relocated to ensure of barrier-free accessibility,? said Dettloff. There will be a new well drilled in a new location, so they are central to the primary access road to the falls.
The pathway from the campground will be defined and improved with a designated pedestrian road crossing on the county road.
?PEDESTRIAN ACCESS to the river shore will be redesigned to provide barrier-free access, via a variety of methods including a ramp just north of the access area,? said Dettloff. ?The site will be regraded to reduce erosion on the river bank.? There also will be new accessible picnic areas, which will include harder surfaces around the tables.
Additionally, two natural stone stairways installed at the main falls and another further down the river.
?The main stairway will be outfitted with a wheelchair transfer station,? she said. A wooden ramp will be installed to offer a second option for accessing the river?s shore. ?There will be an information station dedicated to the wood turtle,? said Dettloff. ?The area is habitat for the wood turtle, a species of concern in the state of Michigan.? The trust fund was establi
The next step is for Governor Granholm to forward the recommendations to the Michigan Legislature for appropriation of the funds from the MNRTF. Typically, this part of the process is completed by the end of the summer following the board’s recommendations.
The projects add to a list of recreational projects coming to Presque Isle County. The others are a trail head building near the Millersburg train depot and the extension of the bike trail from P.H. Hoeft State Park to 40 Mile Point Lighthouse.