The 98,000-acre Pigeon River Country State Forest -- the largest uninterrupted block of contiguous state forest land in the Lower Peninsula -- has had a kind of love-hate relationship with mankind over the last century or so.
We pretty much cut it all down between the years of 1860 and 1910, leaving the area a vast sea of stumps crisscrossed with railroad logging lines. Forest fires as late as the early 1930s had repeatedly swept through the region consuming most of the little remaining timber.
During the 1920s, the fledgling Michigan Department of Natural Resources established the Pigeon River Country State Forest. Elk, which had been introduced to the area in 1918, were starting to flourish and establish a herd. By the end of the decade there were nearly 20,000 acres in the PRCSF.
Additional land was added over the years, much in part thanks to the Natural Resources Trust Fund, which would purchase adjoining acreage when it became available. The last couple of big tracts -- Green Timbers and Blue Lakes Ranch totaling over 12,000 acres -- were added in 1982 and 1990, respectively.
The 1930s saw the establishment of a Civilian Conservation Corp camp near Cornwall Lake, which brought a healing to the scared land. Much of the barren land was hand planted with native pine. Grids were constructed to offer fire protection; streams were cleared of debris and eroded stream banks healed. The forest flourished, closing old wounds, and the elk as well as other forest denizens were also flourishing.
The next human threat to this wonderful land came during the 1970s when the oil industry tried to turn it into a drilling platform, which would have forever changed this wild, quiet area into a beehive of activity with roads, industrial activity, noise, dust and raw petroleum odors.
Fortunately, nearby residents as well as people all over the state had fallen in love with the 'natural' Pigeon, and wanted to keep it that way. They weren't willing to see it degraded again.
In July 1972, the Pigeon River Country Association was formed to protect the forest from the invading oil interests. A long, multiyear court battle all the way to the Michigan Supreme Court ensued, and the newly formed association won the long battle. Oil drilling was limited to the southern third of the PRCSF, and further exploration and development in this area has also been closely regulated.
The two seem to coexist peacefully today. The association is still around, meets annually and is very much involved in any decision that relates to the use and health of the Pigeon.
The latest human threat is overuse from user groups.
Again, the DNR along with the help and input of the members of the Pigeon River Country Association and other interested parties formed a study group to recommend management plans that could control the latest threat to the forest.
"We needed more balance among the user groups, and some restrictions on areas they could use and not use," said Lori Marzolo, the DNR Atlanta unit manager, which currently oversees the welfare of the forest. "People, for the most part, seem to be pleased with the recommendations and are supportive."
In my opinion, horseback usage had frankly gotten out of control. You may remember my column last fall on a hiking trip to the Green Timber tract. Horseback riders, which I'd never seen in there before, had chewed up the trail leaving it in poor shape for hiking. They were going wherever they pleased with no regard for trails and off trail as well.
And, they've been coming in increasing numbers for the last few years.
Under the new rules, which go into effect next month, horseback riders are now restricted to open county roads and forest roads, the north spur of the Shore-to-Shore Trail and the Elk Hill and Johnson's Crossing trail camps. All other trails and camping areas, including the Green Timber area, will be closed to horses and any off-road, off-trail riding is prohibited.
"We had seen an overabundance of horseback riders in the last few years," said Marzolo. "They like riding with the elk, and we aren't real crazy about that anyway. Horseback riders need to spread out into the other three-some-million acres that make up our state forests, and not concentrate on just the Pigeon River Country State Forest."
Snowmobiles will be allowed only on county and state forest roads that are open to vehicles. No roads or trails shall be used or identified as a designated snowmobile route and no off-trail riding.
Mountain bike riders won't see a lot of change, except they now won't be permitted in the Green Timbers tract, which they were before. Otherwise the High Country Pathway, the Shingle Mill Pathway, and county and forest roads remain open to them. The most popular ride is Shingle Mills. The 77-mile long High Country Pathway is difficult riding with long stretches where you have no road contact and is a better hiking trail.
Personally, I think they have done a good job identifying problem areas. The Pigeon isn't considered wilderness in the true sense, but where else can you roam with elk, deer, black bear, coyote, bobcat, grouse, woodcock, beaver and snowshoe hare.
There may even be cougar out there. It's that kind of wild and beautiful place.
Kudos to all of those -- the association, the DNR, the many individuals -- who have worked to keep it that way. Thank you for a job well done.
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