Boyne City approves one-year alpine touring pilot at Avalanche Preserve with environmental safeguards

Boyne City commissioners approved a one-year pilot allowing the Michigan Backcountry Alliance to develop designated alpine touring corridors in the Avalanche Preserve, with parks staff responsible for coordinating corridor locations and vegetative management.

Parks staff and an Alliance representative said the proposal emphasizes low-impact use: volunteers would do limited thinning and stockpile deadfall, and ‘‘no chainsaws, cutting down mature trees or anything like that’’ would be used, the representative said. The plan anticipates thinning roughly 10% of the mapped area in the first winter and tapering corridor widths to prevent conflicts with hiking or snowshoe trails.

Commissioners questioned corridor widths (described as a rough guideline of 30 to 60 feet), how skiers and snowboarders would be prevented from crossing high-speed hiking trails, and the number of saplings that might need removal. The Alliance representative said corridors would taper toward trails and include barriers to force users to stop and remove gear before returning to hiking paths.

Supporters, including the parks liaison and several commissioners, argued the pilot would organize an activity that already occurs informally and could provide winter recreation opportunities for locals, particularly young people. The motion required coordination and a one-year review by the Parks & Recreation Commission; a roll call vote recorded unanimous support.