Do you believe a 27-mile long paved (with asphalt or crushed limestone) bike trail belongs in a national park?  This is what's going to be built in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in northern Michigan.  It will be 10 feet wide, minimum, with 2 feet wide crushed rock shoulders -- 14 feet wide.  Instead of following along the existing road rights-of-way, which would have the least impact and still meet all the project's criteria, they are routing this "trail" (really a mini-highway) into deep interior pristine forests.  Many trees will have to be cut and the environment will be adversely affected by the construction, bulldozing, grading, putting in six inches of base rock, and asphalt in some sections.  This project is called the Leelanau Scenic Heritage Trailway.  Sounds nice, doesn't it, until you find out the truth.  It's supposed to be non-motorized, but how will they enforce that?  With ATV's?  How ironic.  The group behind this is Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, a business promoting group.  They think this bike trail will help the economy, and the National Park Service is just going along with all their suggestions and letting them dictate the width and materials and route of the trail. 

The petition is called Don't Pave the Forest.  Check it out and sign it and tell your friends!  Public opinion is all we have to persuade the National Park Service to reconsider this ill-conceived project.

www.thepetitionsite.com/1/dont-pave-the-forest

Thanks for signing! 

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