LANSING, Mich. — Sen. Roger Victory on Thursday supported legislation to allow off road vehicle (ORV) racing activities to continue at designated areas at the Silver Lake State Park.
“The Silver Lake dunes are the only sand dunes east of the Mississippi River that are open to ORVs, which attracts many visitors from across the country,” said Victory, R-Hudsonville. “I have heard from many families in West Michigan who enjoy our state parks and the Silver Lake dunes. Dune racing at Silver Lake has been a huge tourism asset for years, and this measure would allow it to continue for many more.”
Silver Lake State Park is an approximately 3,000-acre park along Lake Michigan with about 2,000 acres of sand dunes that can be used for camping and ORV riding. It includes an ORV scramble area where riders can test their equipment.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently prohibited drag racing at the park’s ORV area after the attorney general determined that the drag racing ban in the Michigan Vehicle Code applies to state parks.
House Bill 4980 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to exempt drag racing activities at Silver Lake State Park authorized by the DNR from the drag racing prohibition.
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Editor’s note: The above photograph is available by clicking on the image or by visiting https://www.SenatorRogerVictory.com/photos/.
Caption: Sen. Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville, listens to Michigan residents discuss the importance of off-road vehicle activities at Silver Lake State Park and legislation to allow ORV racing activities to continue in designated areas at the park. House Bill 4980 was approved by the Senate committee and later by the full Senate.
