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ELY TOWNSHIP -- Poles are being pulled out on a proposed portion of the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. It's located on an old railroad track in Ely Township near the Wawonowin Golf Course.

The poles, called bollards, were put in place to block full-size vehicles from passing through. Now, someone's pulling them out so their cars can use the trail, and the DNR wants it stopped.

"This is a rail trail that's open to people that are recreating; it's not a road. It's a trail," said DNR Recreation Management Specialist, Ron Yesney.

The trail used to be closed to the public but was opened up this spring under the condition that cars don't use it.

"It's meant for people who are here with their four wheelers, with their bikes, with their horses, with their wheelchairs. It's not meant for full-size vehicles. We do not want to have that conflict between full-size vehicles and people that are coming here to recreate," Yesney added.

The Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority is concerned that the millage proposal on November's ballot may fail because of all the vandalism.

"We're concerned because we want to come in here, and we want to have plans to build five more miles of trail coming from Ishpeming West, coming to Ely Township. We want to put some money in it. We want to put our money into the trail, and we don't want these issues to come up," said Iron Ore Heritage Recreation Authority Administrator, Carol Fulsher.

This is the fourth time since spring that the poles have been removed.

The DNR has contacted authorities and is looking to get more security on the trail.