trail clearing technique and tools

[ArlyA]

Here is one of 5 deer stands we've found out there which we will be hauling out this spring and summer. We're confident there are more. These were illegally installed, most years ago I suspect. Why do people leave them? Sure makes work that other people must do. Trail care is sure easy. We thank god for a 6x6 to help move them.

 

[airbiscuit]

Who is allowed to use the trail?
People
Dogs
XCountry Skiers
Snowshoers
Mountain Bikers
Horses
Wheelchairs
Fishing people
Hunters

Stakeholders of the above might be potential donors

 

[airbiscuit]

Its on there but they only own a portion of whats seen on this map. I'll try find a better map that only shows that they own. The whole watershed conservancy is called the Pilgrim River Watershed so we renamed "our" portion the Boundary Road trails to reduce the confusion.

 

[2manyrocks]

Locally, scouts do a lot of trail projects to earn their eagle badges.

 

[ArlyA]

Locally, scouts do a lot of trail projects to earn their eagle badges.

Ya, we've got thoughts on that, but might not be allowed here..... We have a group from MI Tech students help last fall who did get things done and we think they'll be back. We have had much better luck having 1 to 3 people helping AND we got more work done.

 

[airbiscuit]

Who is allowed to use the trail?
People
Dogs
XCountry Skiers
Snowshoers
Mountain Bikers
Horses
Wheelchairs
Fishing people
Hunters

Stakeholders of the above might be potential donors

It sounds like you are doing heroic work on your own. If you want to move this along at a faster pace and grander scale you will need money and/or help.\

You might want to start another thread on TBN specifically asking about resources to build this trail.

For more money:
It might help if you were a 501c-3 or could use someone else with a 501c-3 as a conduit
You might inquire with

• Whitetails Unlimited
• The Ruffed Grouse Society
• Trout Unlimited
• Snowshoe Manufacturers
• XCountry Ski Manufacturers
• Pet Supply/Pet Food Companies
• Local Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary, etc.
• Trek or other Mountain Bike Companies
• Veterans Groups

For donated labor

• Post for a TBN Work Day
• Post for an Arborist Site Work Day
• Michigan Tech (Fraternities, Sororities Natural Resource Classes, Advanced Photogrammetry Mapping, etc.)
• Local Contractors/Excavators

I know you're not a fan of rough cut mowers, but I'll bet a TBNr would volunteer a day with a tractor and a rotary cutter. There's no faster way to blaze a trail.

Year 1 &2 there is brush stubble, but trails would be usable for winter use. Year 3 it is nice grass.

 

[ArlyA]

We have oganiztions in our area that keep up trails or public lands with employees who's full time job is to write grants. My spouse spent 40 hours to write up a nice application that returned zero. This was not the 1st grant she's written,,,, but we'll rewrited it some and reapplie it. Point is grants are not free $$$ just waitng for you to grab. Its a lot of work.

 

[airbiscuit]

I don't disagree. I was just suggesting that there might be a lot of places to cast your net. Maybe a way to streamline the process would be to compose an email describing the property, it's multiple uses, your plan and who it benefits, and a description of how they could help. Send it a to bunch of places, and if you get a favorable response, follow up with a proper grant request.

There are a lot of organizations who are benefiting from your work.

 

[cqaigy2]

I can understand that one would rather be outside on the trail, rather than working on fund gather, for sure. Would be great if a grant writer/ fund raiser would take over that for gathering the funds, while you guys could spend it and use it.

 

[ArlyA]

I can understand that one would rather be outside on the trail, rather than working on fund gather, for sure. Would be great if a grant writer/ fund raiser would take over that for gathering the funds, while you guys could spend it and use it.

When you ask people for help with labor or $$ the most common responses are.
"Just ask X (some other person) to help! They'd love to help with that"

The BEST response to that is "could you ask them?" and they inevitably say "you need to ask, I'm to busy!". 100% of the time we asked X, they won't even get back with us. A waste of our time.

Or when we ask someone "we need to find funding. Could you help?" They inevitably say "you just need to apply here and there!" So we ask "could you write the applications?" And of course they say "I'm to busy, YOU need to apply!"

This is how volunteer projects go. I've got LOTS of good ideas for YOU to do!