Specific Procedures are to be followed by interested citizens when recommending the designation of potential natural beauty roads or streets to their respective CRC or city/village legislative body.

Roads must be county-local roads, city streets or village streets to be considered for designation. They must not be collectors or primary roadways. Status of roads may be obtained from the CRC or city/village legislative body.

At least twenty-five of 1.) landowners in a township, 2.) residents of a city or 3.) residents of a village may apply by petition to their CRC or respective legislative body for designation of a county-local road or street (or portion thereof) as a natural beauty road. Signers do not need to live on this road. Petitions should state clearly the name, location, length and exact beginning and ending points of the road and should be supported by a statement of justification for the request for designation.

Within six months after the petition is received the CRC or legislative body will hold a public hearing to consider the described road or street as a natural beauty road. Within 30 days after the public hearing, the CRC or legislative body will announce its decision as to whether the road or street shall or shall not be designated as a natural beauty road.

The designation of a road or street as a "Natural Beauty Road" will not curtail or cut-back on existing road maintenance programs; will not prohibit the application of sound forest management in the right-of-way/ and will not affect the right of a public utility to control vegetation in connect with the maintenance, repair or replacement of facilities which were constructed in a road or across a road, prior to its designation.

For Further Information Contact:

Natural Heritage Program,

Wildlife Division,

Michigan Department of Natural Resources,

Box 30444,

Lansing, MI, 48909-7944.

Telephone - 517-373-1263

FAX - 517-373-6705

Mr. John D. Niemela, Director,

Michigan County Road Association,

PO Box 12067,

Lansing, MI 48901-2067

Telephone - 517-482-1189

FAX - 517-482-1253

e-mail - jniemela@localroads.net