By Rusty Gates
This spring, Parmalee Trading Post, located just north of Parmalee Bridge, purchased approximately twenty-five canoes and began operating a commercial livery. This past summer they ran canoe trips on the lower North Branch, Mainstream, and lower South Branch.
Both the lower North Branch and South Branch had been peaceful havens for anglers trying to avoid the upper river's weekend canoe onslaught launched from Grayling and Roscommon. Property owners, fishermen, and others began writing to the DNR to stop the intrusion. Section F.2.d. of the Au Sable River Natural River Plan states:
"New canoe liveries, expansion of existing canoe liveries, or expansion of commercial launching or retrieval of watercraft in the designated portions of the river system shall be prohibited."
Simply stated, under the State's Natural Rivers Act, expansion of existing liveries and the establishment of new commercial canoe liveries are both illegal. For almost ten years now, townships and counties have had to deal with the implementation of zoning laws and green belt setbacks for new construction established under the Natural Rivers Act. The state, up until this time, has not enforced its obligation with reference to commercial canoe activities.
The DNR, in a letter dated August 1, 1997 to the Parmalee Trading Post, requested that Parmalee "cease any and all use of state-owned lands and facilities within the Au Sable Natural Rivers area for the purposes of launching and retrieving your canoes, tubes, or other types of watercraft utilized in your operations." An effective date of September 15th was given with an allowance for advance reservations. No commercial canoe activity was seen on the river after this date by this livery. This is a very important first step in controlling unabated commercial canoe exploitation of our river system.
The next step is to determine if existing liveries are in violation of the Natural Rivers Act by expanding their fleets of rental vessels after enactment of this Act. Records are available at local sheriff's offices where canoes are registered. We believe that three of the four liveries in Roscommon have added additional rental canoes, as well as half the liveries in Grayling. There is even the possibility that a new livery established since the enactment of the Natural Rivers Act has been operating illegally since its inception. We encourage you to write K. L. Cool in support of his recent actions to control what can only be described as a total over exploitation of our rivers and contempt for the Natural Rivers Act.
The resulting degradation of the resource due to increased silting at ingress and egress sites, destruction of streamside cover and erosion of banks, litter, and trespass is criminal. The list goes on. Let Director Cool know you are behind him. His address is PO Box 30028, Lansing 48909. Your letters of support are important. RWOL
© Copyright 1997 - , Anglers of the Au Sable, Inc. All rights reserved. Last modified: February 11, 2002
