On July 28, 2023, while doing a cleanup on the CR-612 section of the UMR we found that the historical channel
to LONG'S Canoe livery had filled in with mud and the vegetation there was too thick to drag our boats through.

We decided to leave the old sign but place a new, smaller sign upstream to help other paddlers avoid the problems
this change in the river channel had caused us.

We had a small, 6' X 18" sign made and we got all the hardware to mount and place it for about $50.00.

Today, I got Renee Penny from the Kalkaska Conservation District to come and help me.

When we arrived at Long's to paddle upstream to place the sign, we were informed, in no uncertain terms, by Todd, the
owner of ShelHaven and Long's Livery, that the island where we were going to place the sign is owned by the UMR
Watershead Club and he would not allow us to place the sign there.

The UMR is a Michigan Designated Natural River and we doubt that anyone other than the State of Michigan can OWN an
island in the middle of a Designated Natural River like the UMR. But we will ask the DNR to learn more about this claim.

But we didn't want to get into a confrontational situation over this project. So we packed up and left.

This is just another case of, "You can't win 'em all." and "No good deed goes unpunished."

Fortunately, the absence of a sign in this location is not a danger to anyone and no one will suffer any injury if it is not placed.
So, we are not too upset with this outcome whether the onwship he described is true, which we doubt, or not. We will investigate.

Our work today was partially funded by grants from

The Consumers Energy Foundation

National Cherry Festival Foundation

Adams Chapter Trout Unlimited

And private donors like you.