MARQUETTE - A group of about 75 Chocolay Township residents has filed a lawsuit against the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to shut down or strictly regulate 4¢ miles of a snowmobile trail that runs through a residential area of the township.

The suit was filed in 25th Circuit Court in Marquette on Friday by attorney Evan Dixon of Hancock, according to court documents at the Marquette County Clerk's office.
The plaintiffs, which the suit states are all residents of the township, are asking the court to "permanently enjoin" the DNR from maintaining the trail adjacent to their property.

"The DNR did not follow state policies in establishing and maintaining this trail," said plaintiff Joe Holman, an unofficial spokesman for the group who lives on Riverside Drive across the street from the trail.

The DNR had little to say about the lawsuit this morning.

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These people will not let this go and if people would just behave when riding thru this area, it would be a non-issue! I know you people with the loud pipes don't want to hear this, but this is exactly what these types of people are looking for to further their cause of getting this trail closed. I've been thru there a few times and it was pretty easy riding for the most part, but when yahoo's go blasting thru and braaaaapn' the sled that is going to draw attention in the most negative fashion from these people. I want to know how they handled the trains cruising thru with the loud whistles and all, but since it's gone I guess they thought they had the cat skinned. What a pain in the backside.


"The suit states the trail is a nuisance because of excessive noise, vibration, noxious fumes and inherent danger posed both day and night by snowmobiles, some that have been clocked at more than 90 mph by the Chocolay Township Police Department."

The the first part of the paragraph is a little inflated but the stuff in red is fuggin' ridiculous! Wake up racer wannabes....you're going to cost us a trail! :frech32:

I agree the 90 MPH is just plain stupid. After following this story over the past few years it's pretty obviose the people around there hate sleds and get off on trying to close that trail down.

We ride through this area numerous times a year, you can literally hold it to the bars on the old railroad trails except this 4 or whatever mile stretch, we have hundreds of miles of trails where you can go as fast as you want and not bother anyone, it is not that difficult to drive 25-30 mph for 4 miles. I totally agree these people hate snowmobiles and are fanatics, but , for now please drive 25-30 mph thru this area as we need this trail . See ya in the up. Jay

I have been through this area many times, about 6 years ago no grooming through this area and 4 foot whoops through the entire 4 miles. I figured at 90mph it takes appox. 2.5min, and at 30mph which would be 3x that would take 7.5 min. A small price to pay. It is a nice short cut to Marquette and I hope we get to keep it.

I think the newpaper article this past December will be the nail in the coffin for this.

LEOs were running radar, stopped a guy and he admitted to going 90mph :banghead:

The residents there DO NOT LIKE SLEDS...haven't in years. And I think they must have friends/relatives in Indian River :frech32:

Or they went on a field trip !

It's true, sleds shouldn't be going 90 mph through residential areas, or any speed over 60 for that matter. But shutting down the trail is what's ridiculous. Those people are always trying to get snowmobilers for something. :banghead: We don't ride through Chocolay that often, because we usually ride west or north. When we do go through Chocolay, though, we watch are speed keeping it below 50 or so. We'll see what becomes of it.