Updated: April 9, 2010

State Grants Provided to Alger SORVA for Coalwood/Haywire

Subject: Marquette to Manistique ORV Route/Trail Alger, Schoolcraft and Marquette Counties

Alger SORVA has officially received maintenance grants for the Coalwood and Haywire Grades. Maintenance of the trail system is shared with Schoolcraft County SORVA. Alger SORVA is responsible for maintenance from the Coalwood / M-94 crossing in Shingleton west to the Ojibwa Casino in Chocolay Twp.. Schoolcraft SORVA will be responsible from the Shingleton crossing south to Manistique. Work will be starting in May with signage the first priority.

Updated: July 31, 2009

State of Michigan ORV Trail Designation Project  - APPROVED

Subject: Marquette to Manistique ORV Route/Trail - RTPD# 0807022009001 Alger, Schoolcraft and Marquette Counties

Documentation has been received from the State of Michigan Department of Natural Resources informing of the approval of the proposed Coalwood and Haywire Grades as a State designated ORV Route/Trail. Next step is to break down the sections of trail maintenance responsibilities so improvement can begin.

Updated: March 29, 2009

State of Michigan ORV Trail Designation Project

All paperwork has been submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Lansing, MI for a series of reviews. Rob Katona of the Michigan D.N.R. Marquette Operations Service Center is very pleased with the process to this point and sees no problems with getting the "state" approval and designation. This process of reviews takes from 3 to 10 months so we are hoping for designation by the end 2009.

Updated: April 09,2008

State of Michigan ORV Trail Designation Project

Through the Winter of 2007 / 2008 SORVA of Alger County has been working diligently to obtain the proper documentation for official State of Michigan ORV Trail Designation.

The approximate 50 miles of trail section seeking official designation is as follows:

Trail 417, near the Marquette Ojibwa Casino, East to Trail 7.

Right on Trail 7 to Trail 8 (Coalwood Grade).

Left on Trail 8 (Coalwood Grade) to the Doty Bridge.

What this "Official State ORV Trail Designation" will allow is for SORVA of Alger County to access State ORV Registration Funds for the support and maintenance of these trail sections during ORV use. The trail sections are currently designated for snowmobile use through the Winter months and are designated open for ORV use through the Hiawatha National Forest. With Alger County also allowing ORV use on County Roads, they are all currently useable by ORV's but the State ORV Funding is not currently available for the summer maintenance requirements.

To obtain official designation, letters of approval are required from each city and/or township these trails pass through. Meetings were held with AuTrain Township, Onota Township, Munising Township and the City of Munising with approval granted and letters provided. The trails also pass through part of the Hiawatha National Forest in which an  approval letter from the National Forest Service was also obtained.

At this point all paperwork is being submitted to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in Lansing, MI for review and hopefully approval.

All of us would like to thank Marc Schwengel for taking on this rather involved project. We would also like to thank all of the city and township officials for their approval and cooperation in providing of the necessary documentation.