PORTAGE TOWNSHIP - For Evan McDonald, having a relatively undeveloped 1,360-acre tract of forest land so close to the Hancock and Houghton communities is a unique opportunity for outdoor recreation and exploring nature.
McDonald, who is executive director of the Keweenaw Land Trust, said during a tour of the property Friday, the land, which is south of Houghton in Portage Township, is owned by the Hovel family, which lives in Wisconsin. The property is part of the Michigan Commercial Forest Program and as such is open to public use. The Hovels intend to allow access for non-motorized activity only.
"The Hovels want to encourage as much public use as possible," he said.
The Hovel property had many owners over the decades since the mining era, McDonald said. At various times, it was used for timbering and farming, but now it is significantly grown over.
"It wasn't managed for the last 70 years," he said.
The KLT is one of nine organizations which have formed the Pilgrim River Watershed Steering Group, which McDonald said is working to determine the best recreational and commercial uses for the property while protecting it as best as possible.
The steering group came into being, McDonald said, after representatives of the Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited approached the KLT in autumn 2006 to help determine how to protect the watershed of the Pilgrim River, which provides excellent trout fishing.
"This is a prized stream for them," McDonald said.
Before coming to KLT, McDonald said members of TU approached what was then the Department of Natural Resources to see if it had a program to acquire fishing streams with the intention of protecting them, but the agency doesn't have such a program.
McDonald said for the Hovels, the tract of land is a significant investment, but although they want to provide public access to it, they will be taking timber off it.
"They have to get an economic return to make it work," McDonald said.
John Ollila, who has property near the Hovels' and is involved with the steering group, said he intends to provide some of his property for the Pilgrim River Watershed Project.
"I will be outright donating some of it and putting an easement on the rest," he said.
Jeff Parker of the Keweenaw Trails Alliance, said five volunteers recently spent six weeks constructing about two and a half miles of what will eventually be about 12 miles of rustic trail on the Hovel property.
Parker said the trail was constructed using guidelines established by the International Mountain Biking Association to avoid erosion as much as possible.
"A number of us have taken training from IMBA," he said.
The trail was built mostly with hand tools, but a chainsaw and heavy-duty weed whacker were also used.
"It's a lot of fun," he said. "It's good exercise."
McDonald said the Houghton/Keweenaw Conservation District has applied for $60,000 grant from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Coastal Management Program for the Pilgrim River Watershed Project. If the application is successful, an in-kind match of the same value will have to be provided.
"That's going to raise public awareness," he said.
McDonald said the effort to put the Hovel property to use for recreation and timbering is just getting started, and more partners for the steering group are being sought to help achieve that goal.
Also taking the tour of the Hovel property Friday was Mary Claire Wyvle, who now lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn. area, but who grew up near the Hovel property.
Wyvle said she's impressed with the effort by the various interest groups to work together to put the property to use.
"It's 2010, and 10 or 15 years ago something like this coming together with partners may not have been possible," she said.
For more information about the Pilgrim River Watershed Project, including information about becoming a partner, go online to pilgrimriverwatershed.org.
Kurt Hauglie can be reached at khauglie @mininggazette.com.
