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Letters to the Institute
Whether you are currently a member or are thinking of becoming one, this is a forum to express your opinions. Thanks to all the
following writers for taking the time to contribute to this page.Send your letters to: Great Lakes Bulletin, P.O. Box 228, Benzonia, MI
49616. Please include a telephone number so we can confirm that you would like us to publish your letter.
Getting the Word Out
The Sierra Club is sponsoring something called Enviro-Mich on the Internet to spread information on environmental
issues. If you are not already doing so, would this be a good place to get more information out? I am convinced that if
the people of Michigan knew what was going on with oil/gas drilling they would be appalled.
Paul H. Parks, Grand Haven, MI
The Institute posts articles, press releases, and action alerts on Enviro-Mich. You can subscribe to this Internet
mailing list by sending an email to <majordomo@great-lakes.net>. Write "subscribe enviro-mich" in the body of the
message. Also, in the next few months we will be launching our own web site, which now is busily "under construction." Stay tuned!
Osceola Co. Supports Pine River Designation
With a great deal of interest, I just finished reading the article on Natural Rivers designation in the Great Lakes
Bulletin. [page 20, Fall 1997/Winter 1998 issue]. During several years of planning the Pine River watershed,
we were the only county represented. One of our townships was also the only township government
represented. Where were all of the other local units of government? Shame on them for allowing a pied piper
to make a presentation on the evils of Natural Rivers designation, taking his word at face value and passing
resolutions opposing designation without first investigating. The vast majority of those townships and counties
have no zoning and thus absolutely no control over the watershed in their area, yet they pass resolutions in
opposition. I believe there is a saying that ignorance is bliss. Hopefully, by being the only county government
involved in the planning and then supporting designation, we will have a positive impact when this all gets
sorted out. Keep up the good work.
Jim Maturen, Osceola County Board of Commissioners
For a copy of the Osceola County Board's resolution supporting designation of the Pine River under the state
Natural Rivers Act, contact Patty Cantrell at the Institute, 616-882-4723.
Build Up, Not Out
One thing that has occurred to me as I drive around the state and think about planning and land use issues is
that we too often define sprawl in residential terms. We also consume vastly excessive amounts of land for
industrial and commercial purposes. In the old days of the compact urban form we typically built structures
three and four stories high. My daughter's loft occupies about 900 square feet on the fourth floor of an old
warehouse/factory building in Kalamazoo. For the past two years, she and the people she employs have
banged out about $80 per square foot of product per year, and this is in the fine arts/museum display market
which doesn't pay all that well. The guy in the loft next to hers makes premium quality snow-boards. This
building, which covers about half a block, probably puts out a gross product that I suspect would shame any
modern manufacturing facility on a value created/square foot of land basis.
We are tearing down the core Hudson's store in Detroit that if laid out in modern fashion would cover 14
square city blocks instead of the one block that it sat on. We need to rethink height as a form of compaction.
Thad Ketchum, former member of the Planning Commission, Whitewater Township
Grand Traverse Co., MI
"Whose Land Is It?"
Our problem is underground gas transmission lines. There are two, 36-inch lines (one in 1968 and one in
1996) within less than 100 feet of our back door. Nothing there will grow well (even grass). Perennials come
up too early because of the heat from the lines, then they freeze off. Even the snow melts off the lines in the
winter, it's that hot. In summer, it's too warm and the soil dries out quickly.
I can't plant trees in the 50-foot and 25-foot rights-of-way without written permission, can't build on it. Whose land is it? I pay the taxes for land I can't use. These lines have split my 10 acres almost in half. This isn't the worst part of it. Last year, they proposed to come through with a 42-inch line, less than 50 feet from our back door. The gas line of 1996
took two-thirds of my garden, strawberries, raspberries, and asparagus, the clothesline, and our septic field tile,
and approximately 20 trees had to be moved.
I called our lawyer, and she said there was nothing that could be done because this was between the Great
Lakes Gas Co. in an agreement with the federal government. Gov. Engler, Sen. Lowe, and Congressman
Stupak all said the same thing, can't do anything. Several of the neighbors are troubled over this and are
fighting as best we can. I don't think the "raping" of the land like this should be tolerated. This is just plain
robbery of my (our) rights.
Lloyd Roudabush, Elmira (Otsego Co.), MI
For more information about the siting of gas transmission lines from Antrim Shale gas development, contact
Arlin Wasserman at the Institute, 616-882-4723.
Kudos for the Bulletin
Nice job on the Fall 1997/Winter 1998 Great Lakes Bulletin. Your in-depth reporting on these important issues
helps all of us to be better informed about appropriate land and water use. Keep up the good work!
Chris and Jim MacInnes, Beulah (Benzie Co.), MI |
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