Guidelines
for Designation of Natural Beauty Roads
(As provided for by Part 357, Natural Beauty Roads, of the Natural
Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994, PA 451, as amended)
These guidelines have been prepared in consultation with the Department
of Natural Resources, County Road Association of Michigan, and other
persons knowledgeable in the identification of natural and aesthetic
values.
Guidelines
Goals
The goals of the Natural Beauty Roads program are to identify and
preserve in a natural, essentially undisturbed condition, certain
county local roads having unusual or outstanding natural beauty
by virtue of native vegetation or other natural features within
or associated with the right-of-way, for the use and enjoyment of
local residents and the public in general without endangering the
motoring public.
Objectives
To officially recognize and designate roads in the county-local
system which meet the natural beauty criteria.
To keep these roadsides as they presently exist insofar as possible
without causing endangerment to the motoring public.
To maintain and administer these roads and the associated right-of-ways
so that they will, once designated, meet the criteria and at the
same provide safe public travel.
To mark such roads for the information of the public.
Criteria for Designation
Character of the Road - To qualify as a natural beauty
road, a road must have outstanding natural features along its
borders, including native trees and other native vegetation such
as shrubs, wildflowers, grasses, and ferns and open areas with
scenic or natural vistas, which, singly or in combination, set
this road apart from other local roads in the county road system
as being something unique and distinct from anything else in Genesee
County.
Length - Normally a minimum of one-half mile will be
considered for designation as a natural beauty road with exceptions
below this length depending upon unusual and unique features.
Stretches should be continuous except where broken by a non-qualifying
portion. Non-qualifying portions should normally not exceed one-half
mile in length. Bridges, bridge approaches, culverts, and cross-tubes
will not be included in a natural beauty road.
Roadside Development- Qualifying local county roads should
preferably have no development along them, but such development
as exists at the time the road is designated should be compatible
with the surroundings, and should not detract from the natural
unspoiled character and visual impact of the road area. Local
zoning must be, and remain, compatible with the purpose of a natural
beauty road.
Road Beds - Natural beauty roads may be of dirt, gravel,
or hard surface. However, because hard surface local roads are
usually paved with special assessments from local property owners,
hard-surface local roads will normally not be designated as a
natural beauty road.
Function of the Road-Normally, the existing local road
should function as a local access road, i.e., one which serves
the adjacent property owners, and/or as a road serving those wishing
to travel for the purpose of enjoying the roads natural beauty
features. Any road serving as a collector or higher functional
classification as defined by Federal standards would generally
preclude designation as a Natural Beauty Road.
Speed-Natural Beauty roads are intended to be low-speed
roads for purposes of enjoyment. It is recommended that hard surface
roads be posted for a speed of not more than 35 MPH, gravel and
dirt roads, 25 MPH. All speed limits are subject to an appropriate
Traffic Control Order (TCO) being issued by the Michigan State
Police. Requests for speed limit changes for a local road becoming
a Natural Beauty road will be considered only subsequent to the
designation of the road as a Natural Beauty road.
Accepted
Maintenance Practices
In general, natural beauty roads should receive the same level
of maintenance performed on the road prior to designation and consistent
with actions that are necessary to protect the safety of the motoring
public, as long as the character of use and development of the road
and along the roadway does not change to the extent that a higher
degree of maintenance is necessary to protect the safety of the
motoring public.
Mowing-Mowing should be continued where done previously, but
should be limited to one swath (maximum of five feet) on either
side of the road as follows:
a. On
one-lane trail or dirt roads, mowing should be immediately adjacent
to the edge to the tracks.
b. On two-way gravel roads,
mowing should be immediately adjacent to the edge of the graded
surface.
c. On
paved roads, mowing should be immediately adjacent to the edge
of pavement.
Grading-Grading will be kept as narrow as possible. This should
normally be kept within a total width of 10 - 15 feet for trail
roads. On other roads, grading should continue as normally provided
in a manner consistent with maintaining the safety of the motoring
public and should be kept to a minimum when possible to avoid
disturbance of vegetation. It should be pulled back to avoid trees
and unusual sites which have been designated.
Herbicides-Under no circumstances will herbicides be used to
control or eliminate roadside vegetation.
Dust Control-Where dust control has been the practice or becomes
a necessity, a minimum level of dust control, as determined by
the Genesee County Road Commission, may be used.
Cross Drainage & Bridges-Cross drainage and bridges normally
will not be part of a Natural Beauty Road. However, when cross
drainage is included in the portion of a local county road designated
as a Natural Beauty Road, cross-drainage must be handled where
necessary to prevent damage to the road, possible washouts, and
other problems which in the opinion of the Genesee County Road
Commission may be detrimental to the safety of the motoring public.
Signage-Natural Beauty Roads will be identified at entrance
and exit points by a specifically designated standard sign to
be a design prepared by the Department of Transportation and placed
by the Genesee County Road Commission. The length of the portion
of the road designated as a Natural Beauty Road will be designated
on the entrance sign.
Tree and Shrub Trimming & Tree Removal-Where necessary for
the safety and/or protection of the traveling public and vehicles,
as determined by the Genesee County Road Commission after a public
hearing, tree branches and shrubs may be trimmed or whole trees
removed.
Road Surfacing-The existing road surface at the time of designation
should normally be continued. Necessary changes in surface to
improve drainage, reduce maintenance problems, etc. may be cause
for the Genesee County Road Commission to at its sole discretion
after a public hearing undesignate a Natural Beauty Road if such
changes disturb the natural beauty characteristics for which the
road was originally designated.
Resources
Barnes, B.V. and W.H. Wagner, Jr. 1982. Michigan Trees.
Ann Arbor, MI. University of Michigan Press. 384 pp.
Billington, C. 1949. Ferns of Michigan. Cranbrook Institute
of Science Bulletin 20. Bloomfield Hills, MI. Cranbrook Institute
of Science. 339 pp.
Billington, C. 1952. Ferns of Michigan. Cranbrook Institute
of Science Bulletin 32. Bloomfield Hills, MI. Cranbrook Institute
of Science. 240 pp.
Case, F.W., Jr. 1987. Orchids of the Western Great Lakes Region,
revised edition. Cranbrook Institute Bulletin 48. Cranbrook
Institute of Science. 251 pp. + 46 plates.
Mickel, J.T. 1979. How to Know the Ferns and Fern Allies.
Dubuque, IA. William C. Brown Company Publishers. 220 pp.
Newcomb, L. 1977. Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Little, Brown,
and Company. 490 pp.
Peterson, R.T. and M.A. McKenny. 1968. A Field Guide to Wildflowers.
Houghton Miffin Company. 420 pp.
Smith, H. V. 1979. Michigan Wildflowers. Cranbrook Institute
of Science Bulletin 42. Bloomfield Hills, MI. Cranbrook Institute
of Science. 489 pp.
Smith, N. F. 1995. Trees of Michigan and the Upper Great Lakes.
Thunder Bay Press, Lansing, MI. 178 pp.
Voss, E. G. 1972. Michigan Flora I, Gymnosperms and Monocotyledons.
Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 55. Bloomfield Hills,
MI. Cranbrook Institute of Science. 488 pp.
Voss, E. G. 1972. Michigan Flora II, Dicots (Saururaceae - Cornaceae).
Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 59. Bloomfield Hills,
MI. Cranbrook Institute of Science. 724 pp.
Voss, E. G. 1972. Michigan Flora III, Dicots (Pyrolacese - Compositae).
Cranbrook Institute of Science Bulletin 61. Bloomfield Hills, MI.
Cranbrook Institute of Science. 622 pp.
Guidelines for Petitioners for Natural Beauty Roads
The Natural Beauty Road Act empowers County Road Commissions to
dedicate only county local roads as Michigan Natural Beauty Roads.
Specific procedures are to be followed by interested citizens when
recommending the designation of local roads as Natural Beauty Roads
to the Genesee County Road Commission.
The roads recommended must be county local roads before they can
be considered for designation by the Genesee County Road Commission
as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road; they must not be collectors or
primary roadways. The status of a specific road can be obtained
from the Genesee County Road Commission. Bridges and cross-culverts
are generally not eligible for designation as a Michigan Natural
Beauty Road.
Twenty-five or more of the land holders in a township may apply
by petition to the Genesee County Road Commission for designation
of a county local road or portion thereof as a Michigan Natural
Beauty Road. Signers of the petition need not live on the road being
considered for designation; however, they must own property in the
township in which the proposed Natural Beauty Road is located. Signers
must indicate their name and description of property owned. The
petition must clearly state the name, location, length, and exact
beginning and end points of the county local road being petitioned
for designation as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road and must contain
a statement of justification for the request for designation.
Additionally, in order for a petition to be accepted by the Genesee
County Road Commission for consideration, the following information
must accompany the petition:
A resolution from the township in which the local road being
proposed for designation is required; the resolution must indicate
that the township supports the designation of the road proposed
as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road and that the township will pay
the cost of the associated signage to include installation and
maintenance costs.
An accurate map of the proposed Michigan Natural Beauty Road
at a scale of not less than 1" to 200' identifying and showing
the location of any and all native trees and vegetation and/or
other natural features.
An inventory to include numbers and location of the trees and
plants found in the county local road right-of-way proposed for
designation as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road
A statement from the Michigan State University Agricultural
Extension Service indicating which trees, plants, and vegetation
located in the right-of-way of the proposed Michigan Natural Beauty
Road are native to Genesee County.
Within six months after a petition is received, the Genesee County
Road Commission shall hold a public hearing to consider designation
of the described road as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road. Within
thirty days after the public hearing, the Genesee County Road Commission
will announce its decision as to whether the local road proposed
shall or shall not be designated as a Michigan Natural Beauty Road.
If a proposed local road fails to be designated as a Michigan Natural
Beauty Road, the Genesee County Road Commission will not accept
another petition for the same section of local road or any portion
thereof for five years from the date of decision by the Genesee
County Board of Road Commissioners.
The designation of a local road as a "Michigan Natural Beauty
Road" will not curtail, cut-back, or alter existing road maintenance
programs, such as tree-trimming and brush removal; 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 connection with the repair, maintenance, or replacement of facilities
which were constructed in a road, it's right-of-way, or across a
road prior to the road's designation as a "Michigan Natural
Beauty Road". Any change in zoning of properties abutting a
"Michigan Natural Beauty Road" may be grounds for the
Genesee County Road Commission to rescind the designation of "Michigan
Natural Beauty Road".
