WEST MICHIGAN - A 40-mile surfacing of the White Pine Trail has been scrapped in response to protest from trail users and some state lawmakers.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources no longer plans to put crushed limestone on unpaved portions of the Grand Rapids-to-Cadillac trail this year. Instead, the state agency will consider putting asphalt on an unpaved portion of the trail next year.

Only portions of the 92-mile White Pine Trail - between Belmont and Rockford, and between Reed City and Big Rapids - are paved with asphalt currently.

The change in plans puts some $3 million in funding at risk.

"We reassessed things and ended up deciding to suspend the project, redesign it and to pursue reapplying for the (Michigan Department of Transportation) grant and try to secure the funding for paving" with asphalt, said Ron Olson, the DNR's chief of parks and recreation.

"If the same amount of money was available it would pave, give or take, 10 miles. To do the whole 40 miles would cost upwards of $8 million."



RELATED: White Pine Trail plans upset lawmakers, who call for DNR to 'do the right thing'

Objection from Friends of the White Pine Trail prompted state Sen. Peter MacGregor, R-Cannon Township, and a handful of other West Michigan lawmakers to push for asphalt instead of limestone.

The DNR will have to re-apply to MDOT for a federal grant earmarked for alternative transportation - money that can't be used on roads, for example. What part of the trail to pave would be subject to future public input, Olson said.

"One thought was to pave toward the end, meaning somewhere between Big Rapids and Cadillac, but that's just an idea. That's not capped in stone."

Friends of the White Pine Trail posted to Facebook that "we now must keep the pressure on the governor and the state-level legislators to get the trail paved -- with hard surface!"

MacGregor said he wants to meet with the DNR to get part of the trail paved with asphalt this year, using money that was allocated for the crushed limestone.

The current grant for crushed limestone cannot be used for asphalt this year, MDOT spokesman Jeff Cranson said.

Matt Vande Bunte covers government for MLive/Grand Rapids Press. Email him at mvandebu@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter and Facebook.