Hunting and hiking will likely coexist at Porter Creek - petoskeynews ...

BOYNE CITY -- Hunting should still be allowed at Porter Creek natural area west of Boyne City, but limited to deer hunting, be allowed only on specific dates and registration should be required, agreed members of the Charlevoix County Parks and Recreation Committee Monday night.

The county is working to enhance the 100-acre natural area by putting in walking trails, a parking lot and other improvements. This will likely encourage many more people to use the property for hiking, bird watching and family outings, explained parks and recreation director Ross Maxwell. The improvements are what prompted the board to make a decision as to whether hunting should still be allowed there as it is now.

The committee's decision will now go to the county board of commissioners for approval.

Deer hunting only, not hunting for any other type of animal, should be allowed between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, the committee unanimously agreed. And hunters should be required to register with the county clerk's office so that there is record of how many hunters are on the property at any given point in time and to ensure it does not become oversaturated.

The idea to register hunters was suggested by county commissioner Chris Christensen, who attended the meeting in an unofficial capacity.

"I'm not opposed to the hunting thing, but with the limited size of the property and the distance that a bullet or round would travel, I would wonder if some consideration should be taken so that anyone hunting there should register ..." Christensen said. He also expressed that not allowing hunting in September is a good idea because so many people are still out walking then.

Little Traverse Conservancy requires hunters to register when using some of its preserves, said committee member Susan Vrondran, but "It's a lot of bookkeeping."

The committee will have to figure out who will enforce the rule and who will be in charge of registration, said Maxwell. It could overwhelm current county parks and recreation staff, he explained.

She would vote for no hunting to be allowed at the park at any time to ensure safety, said former county commissioner Shirlene Tripp. Those on vacation might not be aware of hunters, she said.

"We didn't want any hunting because of the safety, but we should compromise," said Vrondran.

Also on Monday, the committee heard an update on renovations coming to Whiting Park west of Boyne City.

Performance Engineers, a Charlevoix company, is working to develop a conceptual plan to re-configure the campground and expand the number of sites with electric hookup, reported Maxwell.

"It will make the sites more useful for modern-style camping," he said.

Other possibilities for the campground include levelling areas for flatter sites, building new bathrooms, adding a pavilion for the swim school, weddings and picnics, and adding a boat launch and fish shanty launch.

He hopes to have a design the committee can agree on and send along to the county board of commissioners for approval by the end of the summer.

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Source: http://www.petoskeynews.com/sports/outdoors/pnr-hunting-and-hiking-will-likely-coexist-at-porter-creek-20130521,0,7939168.story

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