Educating to Control Off Road Damage
Nine hundred three square miles make up Luce County, Michigan, the majority of that being State of Michigan, Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, and paper company land. Private land is scattered throughout the county with a concentration of inhabitants in and around the Village of Newberry. Thirty miles north of Newberry lies the Lake Superior shoreline. (This website contains information on the destructive impact that ORVs can have on our environment. It also provides an educational effort in response to that damage.)
Thru ORV rider education, ECORD is committed to protecting our natural resources from off road vehicle damage. At the same time, we offer participants in this new and rapidly growing activity the opportunity to learn how they can contribute to the protection of the environment, thereby securing the future of this sport.
.jpg) | ECORD is an all-volunteer organization, privately funded by sportsmen’s clubs, outdoor recreation groups, local businesses and concerned individuals. The formation of ECORD is a response to environmental damage caused by unaware, uninformed and, in some cases, irresponsible riders. A few can spoil it for all, putting riding privileges at risk for everyone. |
Photo above volunteers place field sign.
The State of Michigan has allowed counties in both the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula to adopt an ORV open road policy. Counties opening their roads to ORV traffic are now experiencing an increase in off road damage by ORV traffic. The open road policy has enabled riders to freely access areas they were previously unable to reach. Many of these areas are environmentally sensitive, not legal for riding, and not designated for ORV use. Our campaign is intended to be helpfully informative.
ECORD’s goal is to curtail environmental damage by informing riders of rules governing legal riding in sensitive areas and the consequences of ignoring those rules. We accomplish this by offering information pertaining to the laws of the state and the ordinances of Luce County. This is done thru both signage and printed materials placed directly in the field (on ORV routes, at trailheads, on county roads) where riders can easily access it.
| Our pamphlets clearly state where riders can and cannot legally go. By reading our information on how to ride responsibly, avoid environmental damage and the related fines, ORV visitors to Luce County can have a positive experience. ECORD information is also available thru many area merchants. Additionally, ECORD volunteers provide State Forest Campgrounds in Luce County with copies of the Handbook of Michigan Off-Road Vehicle Laws. | 
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Photo above information sign at local merchant. |
Our commitment to educate riders finds us working closely with the Luce County Board of Commissioners, Road Commission, Luce County Sheriff’s Department, Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement and the DNR Forest Management Division. The North Country Trail Association, S.O.R.V.A. of Luce County (Sportsmen’s Off Road Vehicle Association) and the Newberry Area Tourism Association all share this commitment.
ECORD welcomes you to the area. The business community of Luce County would like to thank you in advance for your patronage. We hope you enjoy your stay and return soon.
In Luce County, Michigan the ORV/ATV trail riding is fun and safe.
Also, keep in mind the laws are enforced!
If you would like to donate, help, or become an ECORD volunteer, please contact us.
ECORD of Luce County P.O. Box 701 Newberry, Michigan 49868
E-mail: upnorth@jamadots.com |
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