Great Lake Bulletin Winter 1997

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Institute Updates
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Bob Sutherland

Bob Sutherland Joins Board of Directors

The Institute is pleased to announce that Bob Sutherland, a Glen Arbor businessman, has joined the Board of Directors.
A life-long resident of Leelanau County, Bob is president and chief executive officer of Cherry Republic, a retail, mail order, and wholesale distributor of apparel and cherry products. The innovative seven-year-old company is among the largest buyers and sellers of tart cherries in northwest Michigan.
Bob is a graduate of Glen Lake High School and Northern Michigan University. He provides the Institute with proven business skills, leadership in the farm community, and a solid record of public service.
He served as a Leelanau County Commissioner from 1992 to 1994. He is a board member of Friends of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, is on the steering committee of the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments Greenways Project, and sponsored an orchard preservation project that is managed by the Leelanau Conservancy.
Bob was named a 1996 Environmentalist of the Year by the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council.The award recognized his work in preventing the exchange of land owned by the Homestead Resort for a large parcel of public land in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Bob has been active for eight years with the Beach Bards Bonfire, a summertime storytelling and poetry group, where he leads the children's hour. He and his wife,Amy Sutherland, enjoy camping, canoeing, gar- dening, and going for walks with their St. Bernard.

Amy Kinney is New Director of Development & Member Services

The Institute is happy to welcome Amy S. Kinney as our new Director of Development & Member Services.
An attorney specializing in land use and environmental law,Amy formerly worked in Cincinnati as a clerk and associate with the firm of Manley, Burke, Fischer & Lipton. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and earned her law degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.
In her new position,Amy helps shape the Institute's overall program, responds to requests from members and the public, coordinates fund raising and special events, and manages the informational database and bulk mailings.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know all of our members,"Amy says. If you are an Institute member, or thinking about becoming one,giveAmy a call to find out about the programs and services available. She can be reached at 616-882-0067, Monday through Thursday.
Amy lives in Beulah with her husband, Larry Kinney, and two children.They are renovating an old farm- house, and enjoy skiing and gardening.

Institute Joins Appeal of Costly "Takings" Decision

The Institute has joined other environmental groups and the Department of Natural Resources to appeal an Appellate Court decision that could jeopardize environmental protection and land use regulation in Michigan.
The action stems from a 1988 DNR decision, which denied permission to the K&K Construction Co. to fill wetlands on a parcel in Oakland County to build a restaurant.The developers sued, contending that the ruling was a seizure, or "taking," of private property, and that under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution they were entitled to "just compensation."
In June 1996, the state Appeals Court upheld a lower court decision in K&K's favor and awarded $5.2 million. It was the second multi-million dollar takings decision in Michigan in less than a year.In 1995, Gov. John Engler settled a similar case involving oil drilling in the Nordhouse Dunes wilderness before the case could reach the Supreme Court.As a result, taxpayers doled out nearly $100 million to a group of mineral owners and a Traverse City-based oil company.
Legal experts say that the Appellate decision in the K&K case went too far. If the decision stands, it could further weaken environmental protection and land use controls in Michigan by making it increasingly easy for people to claim that enforcement of the law is an intrusion on their Constitutional rights.
A formal petition urging the Michigan Supreme Court to take up the K&K case has been filed by James Olson and John Noonan, Traverse City attorneys who also are general counsel for the Institute.

Benzie County Wetlands Project

The Institute is conducting a research and public education project to raise awareness of and protection for the dwindling wetlands in Benzie County.
Rapid development in this county on the coast of Lake Michigan is causing wetlands to disappear at an alarming rate, as they are filled to make room for waterfront homes. Moreover, Benzie historically has not pressed legal action against violators of wetlands protection laws.
Under the project, the Institute will:
* Prepare a research report to evaluate Benzie County's effort to inventory wetlands, and make recommenda- tions for improvement.
* Improve the public's understanding of the value of wetlands to the health of rivers and lakes. * Facilitate effective communication among the county's many volunteer conservation organizations. * Establish an ongoing program, in coordination with the Benzie County Planning Department and the Benzie County Prosecutor, to monitor construction activities, track wetlands permits, and watch for potential viola- tions.



Institute Updates
		Bob Sutherland
	Bob Sutherland Joins Board of Directors The Institute is pleased to announce that Bob Sutherland, a Glen Arbor businessman, has joined the Board of Directors. A life-long resident of Leelanau County, Bob is president and chief executive officer of Cherry Republic, a retail, mail order, and wholesale distributor of apparel and cherry products. The innovative seven-year-old company is among the largest buyers and sellers of tart cherries in northwest Michigan. Bob is a graduate of Glen Lake High School and Northern Michigan University. He provides the Institute with proven business skills, leadership in the farm community, and a solid record of public service. He served as a Leelanau County Commissioner from 1992 to 1994. He is a board member of Friends of the Sleeping Bear Dunes, is on the steering committee of the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments Greenways Project, and sponsored an orchard preservation project that is managed by the Leelanau Conservancy. Bob was named a 1996 Environmentalist of the Year by the Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council.The award recognized his work in preventing the exchange of land owned by the Homestead Resort for a large parcel of public land in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Bob has been active for eight years with the Beach Bards Bonfire, a summertime storytelling and poetry group, where he leads the children's hour. He and his wife,Amy Sutherland, enjoy camping, canoeing, gar- dening, and going for walks with their St. Bernard.
	Amy Kinney is New Director of Development & Member Services The Institute is happy to welcome Amy S. Kinney as our new Director of Development & Member Services. An attorney specializing in land use and environmental law,Amy formerly worked in Cincinnati as a clerk and associate with the firm of Manley, Burke, Fischer & Lipton. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, and earned her law degree at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. In her new position,Amy helps shape the Institute's overall program, responds to requests from members and the public, coordinates fund raising and special events, and manages the informational database and bulk mailings. "I'm looking forward to getting to know all of our members,"Amy says. If you are an Institute member, or thinking about becoming one,giveAmy a call to find out about the programs and services available. She can be reached at 616-882-0067, Monday through Thursday. Amy lives in Beulah with her husband, Larry Kinney, and two children.They are renovating an old farm- house, and enjoy skiing and gardening.
Institute Joins Appeal of Costly "Takings" Decision The Institute has joined other environmental groups and the Department of Natural Resources to appeal an Appellate Court decision that could jeopardize environmental protection and land use regulation in Michigan. The action stems from a 1988 DNR decision, which denied permission to the K&K Construction Co. to fill wetlands on a parcel in Oakland County to build a restaurant.The developers sued, contending that the ruling was a seizure, or "taking," of private property, and that under the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution they were entitled to "just compensation." In June 1996, the state Appeals Court upheld a lower court decision in K&K's favor and awarded $5.2 million. It was the second multi-million dollar takings decision in Michigan in less than a year.In 1995, Gov. John Engler settled a similar case involving oil drilling in the Nordhouse Dunes wilderness before the case could reach the Supreme Court.As a result, taxpayers doled out nearly $100 million to a group of mineral owners and a Traverse City-based oil company. Legal experts say that the Appellate decision in the K&K case went too far. If the decision stands, it could further weaken environmental protection and land use controls in Michigan by making it increasingly easy for people to claim that enforcement of the law is an intrusion on their Constitutional rights. A formal petition urging the Michigan Supreme Court to take up the K&K case has been filed by James Olson and John Noonan, Traverse City attorneys who also are general counsel for the Institute. Benzie County Wetlands Project The Institute is conducting a research and public education project to raise awareness of and protection for the dwindling wetlands in Benzie County. Rapid development in this county on the coast of Lake Michigan is causing wetlands to disappear at an alarming rate, as they are filled to make room for waterfront homes. Moreover, Benzie historically has not pressed legal action against violators of wetlands protection laws. Under the project, the Institute will: * Prepare a research report to evaluate Benzie County's effort to inventory wetlands, and make recommenda- tions for improvement. * Improve the public's understanding of the value of wetlands to the health of rivers and lakes. * Facilitate effective communication among the county's many volunteer conservation organizations. * Establish an ongoing program, in coordination with the Benzie County Planning Department and the Benzie County Prosecutor, to monitor construction activities, track wetlands permits, and watch for potential viola- tions.