Road Commission requests residents take care of their own fallen trees, branches and not pile them roadside

Many Crawford County residents may not realize that they own trees, grass and land up to the edge of the road in front of their home.  And that road commissions statewide have a permanent legal easement to that land, without owning it, to keep the shoulder of the road clear.

This is called the road right-of-way, and 33 feet of it either side of the centerline was created to drain water away from the roadbed and to be a safe area for cars running or sliding off the road. So, while residents are permitted to have a mailbox and mow the lawn in their right-of-way, the road commission also has the right to clear brush periodically and trim your trees in this space that may pose imminent danger to motorists.

In the aftermath of what has been called “one of the top 10 most destructive storms” and an “unprecedented, catastrophic storm,” Northern Michigan county road agencies are cleaning up several million trees that have fallen into the road – preventing travel and power restoration, and endangering public safety.

A dozen of those counties are under a Governor-declared “state of emergency” because the damage is so severe.  Crawford County is one of those counties, and the road commission is appealing for the public’s help, understanding and further cooperation in getting and keeping the right-of-way clear.

“While we know this storm has been very, very hard on our residents and we are all at the limit of our patience, our road commission staff has been working around-the-clock to cut and push trees out of the roadway,” said County Road Commission.  “We have assistance from other county road commissions and even the National Guard to try to get us back to ‘normal’ soon.”

“That said, our road commission will only dispose of trees we push off the road and into the right-of-way – and it will take us weeks to months to remove them with great strain on our budget and staff,”.  “We are asking that residents not add their trees, branches and other debris to the road right-of-way.  It is public space that we are legally required to maintain – and we simply don’t have enough staff or funds to get rid of any additional storm debris beyond what we’ve cleared from the road.”

“We are working diligently to restore our County roads to full and safe function with the tireless energy and dedication of our staff, and others who have come to our aid,”.  “We ask for the public’s help in not adding trees to the right-of-way, so that we can all get through this safely.”

Further questions may be addressed to our office.  Be aware that virtually all staff are out working on roads and communication will be delayed.

The Crawford County Road Commission is requesting the public’s cooperation in not placing brush and/or other materials downed or damaged by the recent ice storm in the road right of way. Michigan law prohibits such encroachments. Placing objects in the road right of way interferes with the Road Commission and Utility Companies ability to provide required service and maintenance. These materials can clog culverts and cause flooding on private properties as well. The Road Commission is assisting the County and the Townships to find other areas for property owners to dispose of such materials.