A month after historic ice storms, hundreds of miles of Northern Michigan roads still “impassable”

CrewsarestillworkingtoclearNorthernMichiganroadsinthewakeoficestormsamonthago. DanHeckman,aforestplanningandmodelingspecialistwiththeMichiganDepartmentofNaturalResources,saidWednesdaythattherearenearly700milesofstateforestroadsthathavebeendeemed“impassable,”andmonthsofworkaheadtoclearthoseroadsandthethousandsmoremilesthathaveyettobeassessed. “Youknow,Ithinktheone-worddescriptionwouldbea‘mess,'”hesaid. ThestormsthatsweptthroughNorthernMichiganandtheUpperPeninsulainlateMarch,downedtreesandknockedoutpower,promptingGovernorGretchenWhitmertodeclareastateofemergencyacrossawidestretchofthestate. Heckmansaidthebreadthofthedamageishardtograsp.“Thebigimpactthat’shardtowrapyourheadaroundisthatit’simpactingover3millionacresoflandacrossallownershipsinthenorthernLowerPeninsula,”hesaid.“Aboutamillionofthatisstateforestlandthatwe’rehavingtodealwith.” Heckmansaideac