By Shelby Stewart
Staff Writer
Ortonville- Quote requests have gone out on a stake survey for the Ortonville Wildlife Preservation Park. Three were sent to local companies, though only one had responded as of the meeting on Monday night.
The property had been the site of illegal activity in the protected land, such as cutting of trees and building structures, as well as having motorized vehicles in the woods, all of which are prohibited.

The 47 acres, near Harvey Swanson Elementary school, was given the designation of wildlife preservation park on April 24, 2017 and it prohibits motorized vehicles, bikes and developed trails on the property to protect the flora and fauna of the area.
During the regularly scheduled meeting in January, the village council was presented with photos of trees that had been cut down and ramps that had been constructed on the property by councilman Dan Eschmann, who is one of the adjoining properties. The village had decided to get a survey done and post signs once the survey gave an exact property line.
“Having a couple signs to let the public know that number one, this is an entrance, it can be an entrance type sign,” said village president Wayne Wills.
One of the main concerns brought up at the meeting in January was that without signs, some of the residents may not know that the property is strictly for off-trail hiking.
“As we were discussing the illegal activity, the illegal cutting of trees, the illegal building of structures on this property, we said well do our residents know that this is the Ortonville Wildlife Preservation Park to be used for hiking off-trail,” said Eschmann. “We wanted to make sure that designation was out there.”
The council would like to have a sign much like state parks would have stating rules and what is or is not allowed in the area at the only entrance accessible from public property off of Mill Street. Much of the park is surrounded by private property and is not accessible to the general public from another area.
“We’re without a village manager right now and this would be a village manager task to research signage,” said Eschmann.
The village will be looking into signage from a local business once they have a survey done.