Press Releases

This week, Representative Jack Bergman sent a letter to the Alger County Road Commission (ACRC), expressing his disappointment in their short-sighted decision to cut off snowmobile access to Miners Castle within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. By allowing the expiration of the shared usage agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for County Highway 58 (H-58), Rep. Bergman explained that the Commissioners are demonstrating “a blatant disregard for the economic wellbeing of the surrounding community.”

Rep. Bergman’s disapproving letter comes after he previously called on the ACRC to renew the shared usage agreement, sending an initial letter to the Road Commission on October 3^rd, which they disregarded. As Rep. Bergman asserted, the residents of Alger County who will be adversely affected by this decision will not forget the contempt for their wellbeing and economic security that the ACRC has demonstrated.

Read the full letter here or below.

Members of the Alger County Road Commission:

I write to express my profound disappointment in the Alger County Road Commission’s (ACRC) unilateral decision to cut off snowmobile access to Miners Castle within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Your choice to allow the expiration of the shared usage agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for County Highway 58 (H-58) demonstrates a blatant disregard for the economic wellbeing of the surrounding community and the voices of the of the residents you are entrusted to serve.

ACRC claims it recognizes the importance of winter tourism and snowmobiling to the economy of Alger County and, more broadly, the State of Michigan. This stance stands in direct opposition to your actions – ACRC seems to keep coming up with new ways to oppose Trail No. 422’s continued operation. Despite ACRC citing concerns about damage to H-58 caused by snowmobiles and incidents between snowmobiles and passenger vehicles, DNR has been unable to identify any significant road damage or locate any records of accidents involving snowmobiles and motorists on the roadway during Trail No. 422’s more than forty years of existence.

What can be verified, however, is the substantial economic benefit provided to the Munising community by all-season tourism to Pictured Rocks. A September 5, 2024, report by the National Park Service found that the 910,000 visitors to Pictured Rocks in 2023 spent $45.8 million in communities near the park – stopping in our shops, eating at our restaurants, and staying in our hotels. That spending supported 540 jobs in the local area and yielded a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $48.7 million.

As you know, Michigan is as much a winter destination as it is a summer one, with thousands of snowmobilers from across the Midwest flocking to Pictured Rocks each winter to visit and enjoy the crown jewel of the Upper Peninsula. To this end, the U.S. Department of the Interior recognizes Pictured Rocks to be only one of three parks in the country with significant snowmobile visitation.

By allowing the shared usage agreement with DNR for H-58 to expire, ACRC is effectively choosing to turn away thousands of snowmobilers and outdoor enthusiasts who contribute tens of millions of dollars to our local economy every year. What message does this send about Alger County?

Make no mistake – the residents of Alger County will not forget your contempt for their wellbeing and economic security. While the effects of Trail No. 422’s closure may not be felt immediately, the long-term economic harm to Munising will echo throughout the area for years to come.

Should Trail No. 422 close on December 1, this episode will become a cautionary tale of the Alger County Road Commission’s shortsighted leadership that failed its constituents, its businesses, and its visitors. National attention will turn to this closure, and the legacy of this commission will be one of economic harm and community betrayal. However, you still have a chance to reverse course. I urge you to do the right thing and prevent this closure before the damage becomes irreversible.