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Get Involved!
Were thinking big but realistically as your Board of Directors establishes
2008s goals for the Western Michigan Chapter of the North Country Trail
Association. We hope to make progress on projects started in previous years
and get started on some new ones.
The highlights:
- Work with the Lower Michigan Trail Council to establish a practical working
relationship with the game division of the Department of National Resources
that would facilitate maintenance in game areas and help us to identify
landowners we would need to contact to get permission to construct trail
east of the Rogue River State Game area.
- Begin to consider the routes north and south out of Lowell, the route
between the Rogue River State Game area and Croton Dam and the remaining
gaps in the Huron-Manistee National Forest.
- Fill out the landowner contact team by recruiting members to join the
volunteers who have already expressed interest in participating.
- Continue to participate with the Lower Michigan Trail Council in its
efforts to create signage where the North Country Trail crosses State
Highways.
- Inventory the trail crossings on local roads in Kent and Newaygo Counties,
determine signage needs and seek approval from county road commissions to
erect or improve signs pointing to the North Country National Scenic Trail.
- Build a loop trail in Wabasis County Western Michigan Park to National
Park Service specifications and identify possible entry and exit points
in the loop when the main trail comes to the park and seek out other
possibilities in our territory for loop trails to make the NCT more
practical for casual hikers.
- Finish the Loda Lake loop by National Trails Day in June.
- Look for and begin implementation of enhancements to the Manistee NF
section of trail to increase Newaygo County attraction to backpackers.
Consider spur trails to Highbanks Lake, Minnie Pond, and the Muskegon River,
and perhaps others, along with signage noting distances between water sources.
- Continue our justly praised trail construction and maintenance activities
with the high standards they currently enjoy.
- Finish the currently scheduled improvements to the schoolhouse (including
interior painting, window glazing and repair) and evaluate further needs,
such as replacing the stove, hot water heater and refrigerator, repairing
siding and possibly finishing the basement.
- Make a serious effort to identify and recruit future officers and directors
of the chapter.
- Partner with the Boy Scouts who have expressed an interest in earning Eagle
rank to design and build information kiosks at selected trail heads and to
improve existing ones. We should also develop standard information for our
kiosks.
- Restart the membership maintenance program.
- Seek wider participation in chapter activities.
- Schedule hikes with both the hard-core hiker and the recreational hiker in
mind.
- Improve contacts with the Department of Natural Resources and the Forest
Service and invite their input.
- Encourage members to turn out for public events like National Trails Day,
Lowell Expo, and the Santa Claus parade which help to promote the North
Country National Scenic Trail. Develop plans to increase awareness of the
trail by activities in the field.
that all seems like a lot for one year but entirely possible
if we could engage 50 percent new blood
- Paul Haan (WMI Trail Manager)
Will you participate? Ready to roll up your sleeves? If you are, contact the
leaders of our primary activities and volunteer your services. Their phone
numbers and e-mail addresses can be found at the top of this page.
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