i am one of the "backlotters" and i completely agree with the folks that own property near these access roads. i do use these public beaches and try to respect the people who live there by picking up my trash (and sometimes other trash) and not parking on their lawn. i hope others will be just as respectful!

I don't think our lakes and access to them should be monopolized by people with the economic means to purchase lots and parcels that abut them. As a child, living near Lake St. Clair but not in a city that abuts it, i was not allowed in any city parks since i was not a resident. It was these road ends that i was able to gain access to for swimming and fishing. For many years these lakefront owners have been trying to prevent access via these road ends. Several years ago the lake developed an algae problem that had a horrific odor. Then the lakefront owners wanted the public, including the "backlotters" to pay to clean up the lake so they could enjoy their private beaches again. Can you believe that lakefront owners would have the audacity to ask the very people they try and deny lake access too, pay to make their lakefront property more enjoyable to them? They must keep the road end access available to the public. Maybe posting signs showing hours and not to trespass. The police could actually ticket violators.

House Bills 4463 & 4464 are solid pieces of legislation which take ALL citizens of Michigan into consideration. For a hundred years or more people moored boats at road-ends and accessed our water ways without issues. People historically enjoyed our waters and made life long friends in this manor. House Bills 4463 & 4464 allow our States local municipalities the right to regulate NOT eliminate road-end activities. Not simply limited to boat mooring. The passage of these two bills will allow local units of government to regulate and enforce activities and will aid our local economic status. "who else knows the needs of the local municipalities then the local units of government within those respective locations?" Michigan is in an economic pit right now. We need recreation to enhance our State economic base. These two bills will allow local units of government to generate thousands of dollars in revenue within their communities. This money can generate jobs, help pay for emergency equipment and offer communities a means to pay for enforcement. (Hire a police officer or enforcement officer) The message of this issue needs to be brought more into the public eye throughout Michigan. Michigan citizens need to know more about these bills and the good they can provide for ALL citizens and people who visit Michigan to spend money, vacation and help our economy. One might think the majority of those who disagree are full time residents of the municipalities effected but in fact, most people who appose these bills are summer residents only. The issue of accessing our waters isn't only a summer issue. A.T.V.'s will access for ice-fishing in the winter as will snowmobiles. Accessing our waters is a year-round matter and will include road-end use year round. Ourlocal units of government should have the right to regulate according to what local officals feel they need within their respective communities. Let local government officials do their jobs!! They're voted into office and should be able to manage their own respective areas as they see fit, to the best interest of their communities and citizens. The description of "Marina" seems to set a vision of huge marina facilities, this is not so. These two house bills offer guidelines that minimize this type of activity among many others. May I suggest reading the bills first hand. Mr. Hanson voted against these two house bills as stated. However, he visited many of the sites and during those visits agreed that these bills were good pieces of legislation. He mentioned he didn'receive any correspondence from those who supported these bills. Mr. Hanson, I contacted you many times personally in that regard as did others. I'm suggesting to many so called "backlotters"...should YOU belong to an association that is seeking additional knowledge as to the meaning / purpose of these bills, contact the State wide association P.O.W.A.R. P.O. Box 60 Higgins Lake, Michigan 48627. (POWAR-"Preserve Our Water Access Right-of-Ways") The POWAR association will visit your area and help citizens enhance their knowledge about House Bills 4463 & 4464. These two bills are good pieces of legislation that work for the betterment of ALL citizens of Michigan. I urge you to support these bills and to contact POWAR! And to think, I haven't even mentioned how these bill could save your property values! Think of your families futures! Thank you. Respectfully R Federau.

Jloud you are right, people need to respect the rights of others and keep trash off the lake! You describe the road ends as public beaches and I'm glad you can use them in this manner but the fact is that beach activities are currently not legal at road ends. Some lakes even have signs limiting the road ends to ingress and egress and prohibiting beach activities. Most backlotters are not as fortunate as those on Hamlin Lake.These bills make beach activities legal. Current case law allows for swimming but expressley prohibits sunbathing and lounging. How dumb is that?? As far as boat mooring goes, that should be a local decision. Townships that use excuses such as "no parking" or congestion are taking the easy way out. Local ordinances can be enforced to take care of any issues that come up. Nobody said there has to be mooring at every road end. Give the townships some credit and make the Supervisors and Trustees accountable for maximizing access to your lake. Every lake is different and all options should be available to the townships, whether they use them or not. Road end uses that don't work on Hamlin Lake may be needed on other lakes.

What Mr. Federau amd Mr. Abdelnour have failed to state is that the bills they advocate will allow people to fill the water at these road ends with private docks and boat hoists - theirs to be specific. The Courts have consistently ruled that the water at these sites is public property and to allow everyone to use it equally, it must be unobstructed by private structures. This guarantees that we all have equal access to our lakes and streams. What it prevents is the taking of that space by people who simply do not want to trailer their boat.

Just a handful of lakes in Michigan would be affected by this legislation. It is purely special interest that is driving these bills, especially the Higgins Lake Civic Asso. that Mr. Federau is President of. Why let a few people who don't want to trailer their boats or pontoons obstruct road ends for the rest of the public. These road ends need to be used in the manner they were dedicated, for the Use of the Public, that means everyone, not just a greedy few. MAG said it best, buy a trailer!

These backlotters crack me up and so do the comments of this author and frontlotters. First by common law the adjacnet land owners at the waters edge own the road to the middle including bottomlands(land under water)less the public interest if the dedication was made prior to January 1st 1968. Second Mr.Federau doesn't give two hoots about the lake just his own easy access to his docked boat close to his home as using a park or boat launch like the rest of the public is beneath him. It has already been to court that this activity has not gone on for 100 years. They abused the good nature of the lake fronters and got what they deserve. The state of michigan has the right to buy land to give the public greater access to the lake. After all it was the public that sold the land to private individuals in the first place. I worked many hours to afford to live on the water and my family made sacrifices. but some people want something for nothing. Mr. Federau fails to mention he tried to steal in court public rights and lands. nuff said.

On January 30, 2008 Mike Cox, Michigan's Attorney General in his AG's opinion #7211 by written declaration announced the END of the "ROAD END WAR". The fight is O-V-E-R Mr. Federau NOW what part of NO don't you and your organization understand? The N or the O? No longer can you stall and delay the reality of what the term "for the use of the public " means. Yes you and "your people" still have access on and off of the lake. What you have LOST is your ability to take over these publically dedicated road ends for your private "red neck yacht clubs". Your rights to the use of these road ends is no different than that of any other member of the public. Reality is now a fore gone conclusion and your private boat hoists at public road ends are GONE FOR GOOD and GONE FOR THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC. The backlooter bills HB 4463 and 4464 were nothing but "special interest" legislation that tried to legitimize your "illegal" activities suggesting that you and your remaing HLCA members were somehow "special" and had greater rights to these road ends than any other member of the public. You and your "back lot buddies" are no different than the public. I take that back, the others "follow the law" you are always trying to "circumvent it".