SN 7.10.2021

The Sun and News, Saturday, July 10, 2021/ Page 11

New DNR land strategy plans

future of 4.6 million public acres

The title - “The Power of

Public Lands: Your resourc-

es. Our commitment.

Michigan’s legacy.” - says it

all.

A new strategy for the 4.

million acres of state forests,

parks, trails, game and wild-

life areas, and other public

lands the Michigan

Department of Natural

Resources takes care of has

been submitted to the

Legislature and is now avail-

able at Michigan.gov/

PublicLands.

The strategy was devel-

oped over the past 18 months

through a collaborative pro-

cess that included multiple

opportunities for the public

and stakeholders statewide to

get involved and help shape

the final document. The new

land strategy will be imple-

mented between 2021 and

2027, following consider-

ation and approval by the

Legislature, and sets priori-

ties and guides actions for the

best use of this large DNR-

managed public land base to

benefit Michigan residents

and visitors and the state’s

natural resources.

Goals outlined in the pub-

lic land strategy include:

• Protecting natural and
  cultural resources.


• Providing access to out-
  door public recreation oppor-
  tunities.


• Performing responsible
  natural resources manage-
  ment.
  “These goals are important
  to the health and well-being
  of Michigan residents - the
  people who own these public
  lands - as well as to the qual-
  ity of life in our state, and our
  heritage and identity as
  Michiganders,” said Scott
  Whitcomb, DNR senior advi-
  sor for wildlife and public
  lands.
  “Accomplishing them will
  ensure that people of all abil-
  ities will have diverse and
  accessible opportunities to
  hunt, camp, fish, hike, ride
  trails, and connect with
  nature and history in ways
  that are unique to Michigan.

It will mean high-quality,

resilient natural resources

that support fish and wildlife

populations and sustainable

resource-based industries

like forest products and the

capacity to explore and sup-

port renewable energies.”

Thoughtful, responsible

management of Michigan’s

public lands yields many

important results:

• Drawing millions of vis-
  itors and supporting local
  economies through recre-
  ation and tourism.


• Supplying 20% of timber
  to the forest products indus-
  try.


• Providing hunting, fish-
  ing and wildlife viewing
  opportunities, which contrib-
  ute billions to the economy.


• Protecting Michigan’s
  distinguished and treasured
  hunting traditions.


• Partnering on urban revi-
  talization centered around

access to the outdoors.

The public land strategy

provides a wealth of addi-

tional information on why

public lands matter. It also

includes details about the

history of DNR-managed

public lands, tools the DNR

employs to manage a large

public land base and a strate-

gic approach to land acquisi-

tions.

This updated land strategy

seeks to align and leverage

divisional and depart-

ment-wide strategies and pri-

orities to set a comprehen-

sive, coherent direction for

the DNR to effectively man-

age the public lands that set

Michigan apart today and

years into the future.

More information about

the strategy and DNR-

managed public lands can be

found at Michigan.gov/

PublicLands.

A new strategy sets priorities and guides actions for

4.6 million acres of Department of Natural Resources-

managed public lands like the Middleville State Game

Area (pictured) and numerous other sections in and

around Barry County.

es, given that Michwave

erected the towers without

township approval.

“I don’t see us being vul-

nerable,” Robertson said.

The tower issue first came

to the attention of the plan-

ning commission in

November 2019, when

Michwave approached the

township for approval of a

special land-use permit for a

120-foot-high tower at the

Whitneyville Avenue loca-

tion, which was Lakeside

Community Church.

However, the tower had

already been up for two

months at the time of

Michwave’s application.

Michwave president Jon

Langeler told commissioners

at the time that the company

had been using a wireless

repeater location on the roof

of the church to serve nearby

residents, but tree growth in

the area had reduced signal

levels to the point that a

tower was needed.

Commissioners in March

2020 approved the special

land use for the Whitneyville

location.

The township later

received a tip from a resident

about the tower near Snow

Avenue. The resident said the

tower, which is 130 feet tall,

was erected in 2016, again

with no prior approval from

the township.

Township Planner Lynee

Wells said at the time that the

tower was 26 feet from the

south property line, violating

the setback requirement.

Commissioner Stan

Bosscher took issue with the

design of the concrete base.

Commissioners rejected the

special land-use request for

the Snow Avenue tower on a

4-3 vote.

Then in July 2020, the

township received word of a

tower at the 96th Street site.

Michwave officials linked

the construction of the tower

to the COVID-19 pandemic,

since a homeowner was

designing respirators and the

tower was needed as an

essential service.

However, commissioners

voted unanimously to deny

Michwave a special land use

for having the tower at that

site, again citing lack of com-

pliance with setback require-

ments as well as concerns

about the tower’s foundation.

Township officials say

they understand the concern

that Michwave customers

have about the potential loss

of service if the towers

should come down, and are

looking into alternatives to

try to fill that need. Robertson

planned to meet Friday with

a potential service provider.

“I’ve gotten calls. I got a

call [Wednesday asking],

‘What’s happening with our

towers?’” he said. “Even

though it’s not our fault, it’s

not [the residents’] fault. I

think the impression the

tower installer gives to his

customers is ‘It’s the town-

ship’s fault. They’re not

being reasonable. These

aren’t necessary rules.’”

cost-of-living raise for town-
ship employees. The increase
is less than the inflation rate
for the first six months of this
year, which has been estimat-
ed at 3.4 percent. The
increase does not apply to
elected officials or people
who serve on appointed bod-
ies, such as the planning
commission. The township
would then consider a second
increase at the end of the
year, based on remaining
inflation figures, Treasurer/
Administrator Richard

Robertson said.

• Spending $22,900 for
  trail improvements along
  Kraft Avenue, connecting the
  Meijer site on 68th Street
  with a nearby residence close
  to the Davenport University
  campus. Excel Excavation,
  which is already building a
  trail along 68th Street where
  a Meijer gas station and con-
  venience store is being built,
  will build the connection.


• The purchase of cabinets
  for the fire station’s tool
  room and medical supply

room from Hondorn at a cost

of $4,736. Hondorn had ear-

lier supplied cabinets for the

new bathroom and laundry

room at the fire station, Fire

Chief Scott Siler said.

• Conditional hiring of
  three paid on-call firefight-
  ers: Gabriel Lett, Brendan
  Hammer and Hanna Gross.
  The hirings are conditional
  on the firefighter candidates
  passing physicals. They will
  go through the fire academy
  for training, Siler said.

$100 security deposit is also
required, village documents
show.
Similar reservation fees
are in place for the
Sesquicentennial Pavilion
and the large gazebo at
Stagecoach Park for individ-
uals at $100 for residents and
$200 for non-residents, with
a $35 fee for nonprofits. A
$100 security deposit is also
required.
At Spring Park, reserva-
tion fees for the picnic shelter
are $50 for residents, $75 for
non-residents and $35 for
nonprofits. No reservation
fee is charged for the shelter

at Calvin Hill Park. A $

security deposit is required at

both of those locations,

according to village docu-

ments.

Village Manager Patricia

Rayl expressed concern

about the proposed change.

“You’re removing a reve-

nue stream that would go

towards the maintenance of

the parks,” Rayl said.

“I feel comfortable with

that, because everyone [who

is part] of those organizations

is a resident that pays into the

general fund,” Cramer

responded. “I feel like we’re

double-dipping.”

Nonprofit groups, reli-

gious organizations and

schools based outside of the

village would pay a $50 res-

ervation fee. The $100 secu-

rity deposit would remain in

place at all park facilities.

Another part of the motion

calls for any organization

wanting to use electricity or

other amenity offered

through the department of

public works at a park facili-

ty for a non-event rental to

provide at least 48 hours’

advance notice of their intent

to the department.

FEES, continued from page 1

TAX BREAK, continued from page 1

TOWERS, continued from page 1