Who are the
Friends of the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail?
The Friends of the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee Trail is a “grass roots”
organization made up of a group of citizens from Clinton, Ionia and Shiawassee
Counties who feel that a recreational trail would be an asset to Mid-Michigan.
The group was formed in the spring of 1999 when the Clinton Area Planning
for Intergovernmental Teamwork (CAPIT) organized a meeting of interested individuals
from the three-county area. The ultimate goal of the group is to develop a
rail-trail between Ionia and Owosso on the former Central Michigan Railroad
property, which ceased rail service in 1992. The Friends of the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee
Trail are working in conjunction with all of the governmental units of adjacent
communities and with the assistance of the Michigan Field Office of the Rails
to Trails Conservancy. At this time, the Friends of the Clinton-Ionia-Shiawassee
Trail have been holding meetings along the proposed trail, answering questions
and gauging support for the project.
What is the scope of this project?
The proposed trail encompasses 41.3 miles of former railroad right of way
and lies in three counties (Clinton Ionia and Shiawassee) and involves more
than a dozen different local governments. At the current time, the rails and
ties have been removed from the property and a relatively flat and smooth
surface exists on much of the proposed trail.
What is the history of rail-trails in Michigan?
Actually, rail-trails are not new to Michigan and our state is recognized
as a national leader in rail-trails with over 90 trails encompassing over
1100 miles. In fact, Governor John Engler and the Michigan Legislature passed
the Michigan Trailways Act in 1993. The preamble to this act states that creating
a trail system “...is in the best interest of the state and is declared
to be a public purpose.”
Why put a trail on this property?
In the area where the proposed trail is situated, family oriented recreational
opportunities are not very prevalent and there is no facility of this type
in the immediate area. Former railroad right-of-ways such as this one make
excellent sites for trails because they tend to be relatively flat and typically
contain a well-constructed base as well as bridges over rivers and streams.
Developed as a trail, this facility could be used by all segments of the adjacent
communities depending on how it is developed. For instance, it could be used
for walking and biking for a relatively low cost of development and maintenance
or it could be developed for activities such as in-line skating which would
require a much higher cost because of the hard surface that would be required.
Each community adjacent to the proposed trail would decide what their needs
are and propose development options based on that need. The close proximity
of adjacent towns along the property to each other also makes it ideal for
use as a trail. This would enable trail users from adjacent communities to
go for a ride to the next town, enjoy a snack or lunch and then continue on
or turn around and return home. The property is owned by the Straits Corporation
of Bay City, MI. They are also the owners of the Central Michigan Railroad.
The Straits Corporation has indicated that they intend to retain the sub-surface
rights (one of many rights that come with property ownership) to the property
so that they can allow utility companies, for instance, to install underground
utilities such as fiber optic cables. This use is very compatible with the
property being used as a trail. In fact, almost 40% of developed rail trails
in the nation have this type of arrangement. This also helps to keep the cost
of acquiring the property at a much more affordable level.