By Staff
LANSING – The Department of Natural Resources is asking for assistance from the public to report any damage or theft they may witness or are aware of related to snowmobile trail signs.
Each fall and during the snowmobile season, 67 snowmobile trail grant sponsors take to the trails to replace stolen/broken signs.
Replacing these signs takes a significant amount of time and is a significant financial cost to the snowmobile program on the more than 6,546 miles of Michigan's designated snowmobile trail system.
"In addition to the cost, this is a major safety concern," said Steve DeBrabander, DNR's state trails operations supervisor. "A missing stop sign, stop ahead sign or yield sign could lead to a serious accident.
Individuals who steal or vandalize these signs may have some liability if there is an accident."
The DNR requests that anyone who witnesses, or is aware of theft or vandalism of trail signs, please contact the DNR's Report All Poaching line, a toll-free law enforcement hotline, at 800-292-7800. Information may be left anonymously.
For more information on Michigan's snowmobile program, please go to www.michigan.gov/dnr, click on Recreation and Camping and then click on Snowmobiling.