Blizzard conditions that ripped through parts of the Upper Peninsula Sunday have created numerous hazards for snowmobilers across parts of five counties.

The storm crippled travel for motorists, with nearly 20 inches of snow dumped over some parts of Marquette County and higher amounts registered farther north in the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Winds that surpassed 60 mph were clocked along the Lake Superior shoreline. Highway travel along M-28 between Marquette and Munising was shut down, while heavy loads of snow collapsed some rooftops.

“The Sunday blizzard has adversely impacted snowmobile trails throughout the north central and western U.P.,” said Rob Katona, Michigan Department of Natural Resources central U.P. trails specialist. “Heavy snowfall, combined with strong gusty winds, have created snow drifts 8 feet deep and higher, with numerous trees downed throughout the trail system.”

Areas hardest hit include the snowmobile trails located in Marquette, Baraga, Ontonagon, Houghton and Keweenaw counties. Read more

COLUMBUS, Georgia– With the Wallenstein Bush Pilot FX85 Skidding Winch in Realtree EDGE Camo, the logging doesn’t have to stop where the trail ends. The skidding winch goes where your tractor can’t, reaching lumber that used to be off the map.

Built on the strong reputation of Wallenstein skidding winches, the FX85 boasts a 8,500-pound pulling capacity and a 165-foot reach.

Pull multiple logs at one time using keyhole sliders. The self-release snatch block pulley system will help you turn corners with ease. You can also operate the winch using a remote control. Additional features include a removable clutch assembly, operator’s shield, rope-controlled brake/clutch system, trailer hitch and two choker chains. Read more

By Glen Wunderlich
Restoration was completed on this Allis Chalmers model IB (“I” is for Industrial) in year 2017, just in time for the “Gathering of the Orange” event at the Mid Michigan Old Gas Tractor Association show.
This 1956 tractor appears to be the latest one assembled and sold based on all documented information available to date.

This winter in Mid-Michigan, the tractor has done a fine job keeping things open. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s been fun work!

Four snowmobilers were rescued Saturday night from the ice of the Big Iron River by a pair of conservation officers who risked their own safety to find the riders and bring them back to waiting emergency crews.

The ordeal began at about 6:30 p.m. EST Saturday, when Negaunee Regional Dispatch broadcast a report of snowmobilers being separated from their larger group. They were now stranded on the river, south of White Pine.

Michigan Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officers Jenni Hanson and Zach Painter – who typically patrol Gogebic County – had been working earlier in the day near Bergland with U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Josh Lopac.

The three officers were working to police careless snowmobiling Saturday in Ontonagon County.

“We work together a lot,” Painter said. “There’s a lot of land in this part of the Upper Peninsula that’s part of the Ottawa National Forest.”

That same day, Painter had responded to a personal injury accident, involving a snowmobiler who struck a tree and had to be airlifted to a Wisconsin hospital. Hanson had been assisting with a women’s snowmobile clinic in Bergland. She was on her way home when the call came in. Read more

Jan. 22, 2019

Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officers continued their safety and enforcement patrols over the holiday weekend – a deadly weekend that claimed the lives of five snowmobilers in a single day.

Police agencies in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula investigated the deaths Friday of two snowmobilers in Gogebic County and one each in Luce, Alger and Kalkaska counties.

This winter, six snowmobilers have died in the U.P. and three in Lower Michigan. The statewide snowmobile fatality total for the entire winter of 2017-2018 was 15, with 10 of those fatalities occurring north of the Mackinac Bridge. Read more

President Donald Trump has signed the 2018 Farm Bill. The $867 billion bill expands the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by three million acres, to a total of 27 million acres, but limits the government subsidy to 80% of the average rent for the acre and disallows whole farm enrollment into the program. In a twenty-five minute signing ceremony, the President called the measure a “bipartisan success” and thanking Democratic lawmakers for “ensuring that American agriculture will always feed our families, nourish our communities, power our commerce and inspire our nation.”

Contact: Ron Olson (DNR), 517-243-1477

Purchase to be funded by state sources, commitments from The Nature Conservancy and the Mott Foundation

One hundred acres of pristine sand dunes, wetlands and forests soon will become part of Ludington State Park in Mason County, Michigan. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced today that it has purchased the land and mineral resources from Sargent Minerals-Ludington, LLC – commonly known as Sargent Sands – a Michigan-based company, permanently preserving this valuable property for public recreation.

The 100 acres, adjacent to Ludington State Park, are comprised of sand dunes – about 60 acres of which have never been altered. The property is located in the northern section of a larger 372 acres that have been mined for sand for decades. Although surrounded by state park land on three sides, the Sargent property is not yet part of Ludington State Park, where mining does not occur.

“This purchase will permanently protect a beautiful tract of critical sand dunes, conserving a unique landform and its plants and animals for public enjoyment,” said DNR Director Keith Creagh, who approved the purchase during the Oct. 11 Natural Resources Commission meeting in Lansing. “We are very appreciative of the willingness of the Sargent family to work with the DNR on this purchase. Their generous actions will leave a considerable legacy for future generations.” Read more