Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail Home Page

Last Update: July 7, 2008

Please note: The July 22nd, 2008 meeting of the Friends of the Macomb Orchard Trail will be held at the Trail Head Park in Richmond (32 Mile and Main).
Meeting time is 7pm. All are welcome, and encouraged to attend. See you there!

James Murphy of BSA Troop 84, Richmond, Mi. has built some great looking map box's for the trail. Several are up, with more to come as the map boards are erected along the trail. Great job, James!

May 30, 2008 - Trail Status

Since we get a lot of questions on the trail's status, here's an un-official view:

- It's paved and open from Dequindre rd. to 32 mile.
- They're working on the bridge over the expressway just north of 32 mile now, so that section is closed. The bridge is scheduled to be done sometime this summer.
- I'm told that the Powell rd. bridge is closed. It's deemed as unsafe as the cement foundation is crumbling. They're studying it and will repair it over the summer.
- Most of the rest of the trail East of Powell rd is unpaved and soft. It's not officially open, but ride-able with a fat tire bike. They were suppose to work on that part of the trail this summer to make it firmer (but still unpaved) but I hear that the dispute with the contractor has stalled and nothing will be done for at least a year or more.

The Romeo Observer, Apr.30, 2008 - Pedestrian bridge scheduled for completion in July. Walkers and bikers will have a safe way of traversing M-53 beginning this summer. Construction has begun on a pedestrian covered bridge that will stretch over M-53 just north of 32 Mile Road, connecting the Macomb Orchard Trail on either side of the bypass. The bridge is scheduled for completion in July.

Crumm said there is some extra work needed in a stony section east of Powell Road that could be completed in the fall.

Goodbye to Trees Along the Trail!

If you've been on the Shelby/Washington section of the trail lately, you're probably wondering what happened to all the trees. Here are several recent articles on what's happening. We in the Friends group, along with many others don't agree with the way this policy is being implemented. If you agree, please call or write your local, state and national representatives and tell them how you feel.

Please note that this will be happening to the rest of the trail anywhere the power lines run next to it, and not just to our trail, but to anywhere in the state the power lines run!

Detroit Free Press, April 4, 2008 - Residents and local officials are cringing at the massacre of stately trees in Oakland and Macomb counties where yards and recreational trails abut high-voltage lines. The clear-cutting is a new policy of ITC Holdings, a Novi-based company that owns most of the high-voltage power lines in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

The Macomb Daily Opinion Page, March 27, 2008 - Power company should trim instead of cutting down trees.

Macomb Daily, March 23, 2008 - Power company trimming back vegetation. International Transmission Co., which owns the power line corridor that parallels the trial, recently began an aggressive "vegetation management" plan that includes clear-cutting trees that could potentially threaten power lines.

Jane Heffner, whose Washington Township home backs up the to trail, said contractors cut more than 50 trees -- some as old as 30 years -- that separated her backyard from the trail. "We came home one day and the trees were cut down," Heffner said.

Trail Maps: (Updated May 2008)

The Macomb Orchard Trail Commission has printed a glossy brochure with a map of the trail from Dequindre all the way to Richmond. We have reproduced the map as two PDF pages which you can view and print. NOTE: These are newer maps with miles. They are around 1.75 meg's each so they may take a few seconds to load if you're on a dialup line.

Click Here for the new Macomb Orchard Trail Map - Page 1

Click Here for the new Macomb Orchard Trail Map - Page 2

The Covered Bridge – Status update Mar. 27, 2007

A meeting was held in January with AEW Engineering, R.L. Architects and Lombardo Construction. It was decided to go with the steel support ties if possible for ease of construction and strength, assuming we can get them at a reasonable price. All the design work is complete and Greg Windingland of Lombardo Construction is working to get a materials list and rough materials cost estimate. It’s proving to be tough getting the lumber yards to donate the lumber due to the housing slowdown, so once I receive the materials list and estimates from Greg I’m going to try to get some publicity and see if I can help free up some donations. If you’re interested in donating, let me know (nkocsis@comcast.net), but until we have the materials list, I can’t give you any specifics.

Note: To ask questions or report concerns/problems about the Macomb Orchard Trail.
Call Macomb County Parks & Recreation: (586) 979-7010 ext 2.

NOTE: Most meeting minutes from 2005 or later are in PDF format which requires Adobe Reader (Free from Adobe Systems). Most computers already have Adobe Reader, but if you need a copy, go to www.adobe.com and click on the "Get Adobe Reader" Icon.

Minutes from the May 27, 2008 Friends meeting are now on-line: Click here to read them

The Spring 2008 Friends Newsletter is now on-line. Click here to read it.

With 11,833 miles of rail-trails in the United States, where do you turn for information?
Why, www.TrailLink.com of course! Try it!

The Macomb Orchard Trail Commission's web site can be found at: www.macomborchardtrail.com

Next meeting: July 22nd at 7 P.M.
NOTE: The July meeting ONLY, will be held at the park at 32 mile & Main in Richmond. Meetings are normally at:
Wolcott Mill Metropark, Camp Rotary Activity Bldg.
20505 29 Mile Road
Ray Township, Michigan
Meetings are typically the fourth Tuesday of each month.
Same place, same time.

Number of visitors since January 2000