Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Keep it Wild Keep it Whole Make it Grow

Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park

P.O. Box 1136 / Saugatuck, MI 49453 / 616-857-8234 / swanswan@i2k.com

Please reply to our email address (swanswan@i2k.com), rather than to this message. Thank you Linda and Betty for organizing the database.

We are thrilled at the outpouring of concern we have received. As of this writing there are 310 Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park, including 7 organizations representing over 1,000 individuals. We continue to hear from new people every day. If each of you gather three more friends we will grow by 900. Many many of you have offered to help--Thank You. If you have offered to help and haven't heard back from us, please send us a message.

Clearly, Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Natural Area needs to be bigger and wilder! Our goal is long-term stewardship of our spectacular state park.

The latest in a nutshell. The Laketown Township and City of Holland land swap applications--they have each applied separately--remain active at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). These applications, if accepted, would open the way for the building of a water plant (intake, pumping station, pipeline, and treatment plant) in the heart of Saugatuck Dunes State Park. The DNR--thanks to your signed statements and letters--says it will not act on these applications until Laketown and Holland present a cooperative plan. We are concerned, however, about how quickly such a plan might be pushed through if it is in fact presented to the DNR. The DNR also implied that it would like to see this issue resolved at a local level, which is why your and our pressure on elected officials remains crucial. Our lawyer is reviewing the hundred-plus pages of material we have accumulated thus far. More details on all of this below.

In December, we mailed 200 signed Statements of Concern to the DNR (see the bottom of this message). We'd like to send them more. If you have not yet signed our Statement, watch for a separate Email message. We encourage your personal letters, too. E-mail us for a sample.

Top

In this February 22, 2002 Update you will find:

1) Laketown Township

2) City of Holland

3) Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

4) Patty Birkholz

5) Bob Genetski

6) Support from Organizations

7) Write/Call/Attend meetings

8) Contact information for Government Officials

9) Questions and Concerns

10) Map

11) West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC)

12) Donations

13) Web site

15) Scientific papers

14) March meeting

16) Grand Rapids Press editorial

17) Statement

Please spread the word. And develop your arguments for better stewardship of the Park and Natural Area.

1) Laketown Township Back to Contents

We attended a Laketown Township Building Authority meeting in mid-December. Laketown Township, as of 1996, owns the Historic Shoreacres Park (the Township park surrounded by the State Park, formerly state land -- a prison). As most of you know, they applied to the DNR in March 2001 for a land swap which would allow them to build a water plant in the heart of the Park. We left the meeting feeling that Laketown is intent on locating the water treatment plant in the Park. They repeated many times that they can do so in an environmentally sensitive way. We await details on their plan. The Building Authority, as well as Bill Sikkel (contact info below), Allegan County Commissioner, mentioned several times a plan to develop the main trail for easier access for the handicapped and elderly (paved or crushed gravel or wood chip). He also mentioned the use of vehicles to transport people.

Since Laketown Township's Historic ShoreAcres Park is surrounded by Saugatuck Dunes State Park and because Laketown Township Building Authority has jurisdiction over the Historic Shoreacres Park we want you to know about any other developments within that 44-acre park. Bob Scanlan is the chair of the Building Authority (appointed by the Laketown Township Board). Contact information below. Laketown has recently accepted a proposal for a Mountain Bike Trail through the Historic ShoreAcres Park. The preliminary plans show the trail running along much of the fence separating the Township Park from the State Park. Laketown is also close to accepting a proposal for the restoration of the Felt Mansion on the grounds of Historic ShoreAcres Park. Here is the link to their web site http://www.ebold.com/~mansion/FeltMansion.html

We have asked Laketown to work together with the DNR to ensure careful stewardship of the State Park and Natural Area We await their reply.

(names listed below)

Laketown Township Hall

4338 Beeline Road

Holland, Michigan 49423

335-3050

Meetings take place the second Wednesday of each month at 7PM

2) City of Holland Back to Contents

The City of Holland made a land swap application to the DNR in November. Like Laketown's, if accepted, it would open the way for the building of a water plant in the heart of Saugatuck Dunes State Park. We will be meeting with Mayor McGeehan in the near future.

The Holland Sentinel continues to report that the Holland plant would be located on State land east of the Park. According to Holland's application to the DNR, the pumping station, pipeline and treatment plant would lie west of the Saugatuck Dunes State Park entrance sign, within the current park boundaries. The Sentinel reports that the Holland Board of Public Works manager, Tim Morawski, describes the land as having "nothing particularly unique" about it. The Holland Sentinel doesn't mention that the easement Holland requested for a pipeline and beachside pumping station consists of rolling forested park land near and on the main trail to the beach. Let Holland officials know that you like our park the way it is.

(names listed below)

Holland City Council

City Hall

270 River Avenue

Holland, MI 49423

616-355-1301

3) Michigan Department of Natural Resources Back to Contents

The DNR (State of Michigan body which manages the park) has told us that they want the City of Holland and Laketown Township to come up with a cooperative plan, and that until they do, the DNR will not act on their applications for the land swap applications. These swaps would open the way for a water plant (intake, pumping station, pipeline, treatment plant) to be built in the park. The DNR has also told us that they would like to see this issue resolved at a local level. This means Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park (you and us!) needs to stay in regular contact with elected officials in Laketown, Holland, and Allegan County.

For contact information see Contact information for Government Officials.

We are making arrangements to meet with DNR officials in the near future.

4) State Representative Patricia Birkholz (Saugatuck resident, local State Rep., now running for State Senate) Back to Contents

Many of us have received letters of response from State officials. The response from Patty Birkholz includes the sentence, "While I sincerely wish that we could avoid the placement of a water intake facility in the Saugatuck Dunes State Park, I also realize that, as a community, we may have no other choice." Please call and/or write Patty to question this statement. A few questions to ask her are: By whom and by what process has the Saugatuck Dunes State Park been determined to be the best location for a regional water intake, pumping station, pipeline, and water treatment plant? What studies have been undertaken, under what authority, and by whom? What information has been gleaned through these studies? Will she take a leadership role to protect the park (and other public land)? Will she take a leadership position in studying the need for water in our region and how best to meet it?

You can reach Patty at:

The Honorable Patricia Birkholz

State Representative

State Capitol

PO 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7973

1-888-287-2889

5) Bob Genetski Back to Contents

Saugatuck resident, Bob Genetski is campaigning for District 88 State Representative seat (currently held by Patty Birkholz). He is the first candidate to contact us and offer to write an editorial in support of protecting the public wild lands of the Saugatuck Dunes State Park. While we will not endorse any political candidate, we do appreciate Bob's efforts in bringing this issue into the campaign. Thank you Bob.

You can reach Bob at:

Bob Genetski

PO 475

Saugatuck, MI 49453

616-857-7618

vote4BobGenetski@aol.com

6) Support from Organizations Back to Contents

We have received letters of support from many individuals, as well as the following organizations:

Michigan Environmental Council

This organization is a coalition of 60 environmental organizations in Michigan

Lake Michigan Federation

West Michigan Environmental Action Council

Audubon Society of Kalamazoo

Douglas Lake Shore Association

League of Women Voters Holland Area

Environmental Issues Group at Hope College

Please encourage any organization (including corporations and schools) to which you belong to write a letter in support of our efforts.

7) Write/Call/Attend meetings Back to Contents

Please continue to call and write Laketown Township officials, the Allegan County Commissioners, Holland City Council members, our State Representatives and State Senator, as well as officials at the DNR. Your letters are making a difference. And please send copies of all your letters to Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park.

Please encourage 3 friends to write brief letters to those officials listed below. We can Email a sample letter and all addresses to anyone who contacts us (swanswan@i2k.com) Elected officials, especially, pay close attention to these letters and to newspaper editorials. According to the Sierra Club's activist network, letters are preferable to phone calls. Faxes and Emails are least effective. But do whatever you can! Your efforts have helped already.

Please see below for a listing of officials to contact.

Also, please see section 9 for our questions and concerns regarding the proposed regional water intake plant. There are many other questions and concerns concerning the broader issues of Great Lakes water- and land-use which are beyond the scope of this group, but which we encourage you to raise.

8) Contact information for Government Officials Back to Contents

Laketown Township Board

Township Hall

4338 Beeline Road

Holland, Michigan 49423

335-3050

Meetings take place the second Wednesday of each month at 7PM

Dan A. Koeman, Supervisor

Robert Lamar, Clerk

R.C. Reed, Treasurer

Gary Dewey, Trustee (also a candidate for the 88 district State Representative Seat, currently held by Patty Birkholz)

Phone calls and letters asking his position on our questions and concerns will help make this a campaign issue.

Lloyd Lubbers, Trustee

Al Meshkin,Township Manager

Bob Scanlan, Chair of the Building Authority

Allegan County Board of Commissioners

Allegan County Courthouse

113 Chesnut St.

Allegan, MI 49010

616-673-0205

Meetings take place the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month at 3:30

District 1, William A. Sikkel, Vice Chairperson, 616-335-5251

William Sikkel has voiced his interest in allowing vehicles to transport people to the beach along the main trail or proposed pipeline/access road

District 2, Beverlee DeJonge, 616-395-9703

District 3, Mark DeYoung, 616-681-9413

District 4, David Babbitt, 616-543-4272

District 5, George Wesbey, 616-236-5767

District 6, Max R. Thiele, 616-673-4514

District 7, Don Black, 616-792-6446

District 8, Jon C. Campbel, Chairperson, 616-694-4632

District 9, Muriel O'Leary, 616-664-4740

Holland City Council

City Hall

270 River Avenue

Holland, MI 49423

616-355-1301

Meetings take place the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of every month at 7PM

Albert McGeehan, Mayor

Soren Wolf, City Manager

Jerome Kobes, Council

Mike Tretheway, Council

Robert VandeVusse, Council

Craig Rich, Council

Rebecca Israels, Council

Linda Falstad, Council

Mark DeRoo, Council

K.L. Cool, Director

Department of Natural Resources

PO 30028

Lansing, MI 48909

517-373-2329

Rodney Stokes, Chief

Parks and Recreation Bureau

Department of Natural Resources

PO 30028

Lansing, MI 48909

517-373-9900

The Honorable Patricia Birkholz

State Representative

State Capitol

PO 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7973

1-888-287-2889

The Honorable William Van Regenmorter

State Senator

State Capitol

PO 30036

Lansing, MI 48909-7536

517-373-6920

The Honorable Wayne Kuipers

State Representative

PO 30014

Lansing, MI 48909-7514

1-888-584-7377

9) Questions and Concerns - Sent to all individuals listed above on February 10, 2002 Back to Contents

Laketown Township and the City of Holland have each applied separately to the Department of Natural Resources for land swaps which would open the way for them to construct a water intake and treatment facility in the heart of Saugatuck Dunes State Park. Our Questions and Concerns include:

1. By whom and by what process has the Saugatuck Dunes State Park been determined to be the best location for a regional water intake, pumping station, pipeline, and water treatment plant? What studies have been undertaken, under what authority, and by whom? What information has been gleaned through these studies?

2. How would a regional water intake, pumping station, pipeline, and treatment plant benefit the Saugatuck Dunes State Park and its neighborhood? How would it benefit the people of Michigan?

3. How would construction and long-term vehicle traffic through the Saugatuck Dunes State Park affect the park? Among our concerns are destruction of trees, erosion, run-off, limiting access to hikers/skiers, and endangering those using the main trail, which is proposed to become an access road.

4. Relocating the parking lot further south is in conflict with the Master Plan, which was carefully designed to protect the Saugatuck Dunes Natural Area while still making the beach reasonably accessible. What strategies have been considered for the protection of the Natural Area?

5. How would the construction and maintenance of a regional water intake, pumping station, pipeline, and water treatment plant affect the ecology, topography, and general wilderness atmosphere of the Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Natural Area in both the short and long term?

Again, many thanks to all of you! The content and wording of these questions have been informed by the many many people who have shared information with us over the past few months.

10) Map Back to Contents

Contact us with your snail mail address for a copy of the map showing the proposed intake, pumping station, pipeline, and treatment station.

11) WMEAC Back to Contents

West Michigan Environmental Action Council's Tom Leonard has been particularly helpful. Thanks Tom! Please join WMEAC.

West Michigan Environmental Action Council

1514 Wealthy SE

Suite 280

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

616-451-3051

www.wmeac.org

12) Donations Back to Contents

How to make a tax-deductible donation to Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park:

Make the check payable to:

WMEAC

For Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park

Mail to:

Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park

c/o

WMEAC

1514 Wealthy SE

Suite 280

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Thank you for all the donations you've sent.

13) Web Site Back to Contents

We have several people working hard on a web site (thank you Bill and Chuck). We will e-mail a link as soon as we have it up and running.

14) Scientific papers Back to Contents

We have several people collecting statements of support and relevant scientific papers from scientists, botanists, geologists, birders, biologists, etc. Thank you Mike, Michelle, Michael and Karen. If you have contacts within the scientific community who would be willing to lend their support by writing letters or sharing their dunes ecosystem research please have them contact Mike and Michelle at muchofunn@yahoo.com

15) March meeting Back to Contents

We hope to have another information meeting toward the end of March. Over 200 people attended our meeting on November 12th at the Herrick Library.

16) The Grand Rapids Press editorial Board Back to Contents

The Grand Rapids Press carried an Op Ed in their December 21, 2001 edition that began "Two proposals for water intake and filtration plants in fragile Saugatuck Dunes State Park deserve careful scrutiny -- and an explanation. The plans come from Laketown Township and the City of Holland, neighbors that should work together where utilities and other services are concerned. Instead, they're competing, exacerbating historic tensions between the two governments and. . ."

Unfortunately, we were unable to obtain permission to present the body of this excellent article here. However, you can purchase it at The Grand Rapids Press website. In the "Archive" section of the search page, enter "Saugatuck Dunes" in the "Search full archives back to 1995" text box. Do not include the quotes.

If you have not yet signed our Statement of Concern (see below), please watch for an email about it.

Also, watch for information about a Lake Michigan Federation dune walk, a fund raiser, and our next General Meeting.

Thanks for all your help. Please reply to our email address rather than to this message.

We can do this.

As we've said before:

Keep it Wild Keep it Whole Make it Grow

Alison and David Swan

swanswan@i2k.com

616-857-8234

17) Statement Back to Contents

Saugatuck Dunes State Park and Natural Area ("the Park") belongs to the citizens of Michigan. Its Master Plan, designed by a local citizens advisory committee and approved unanimously by the Natural Resources Commission in 1982, set aside this small tract of land for nature study and preservation, and low impact recreation. Concerned Citizens for Saugatuck Dunes State Park ("Concerned Citizens") believes that remains the best possible use of the Park's resources. Concerned Citizens rejects the use of the Park and adjacent lands for anything which threatens the Park's status as a premier location for nature study and preservation, and for a wilderness experience. Concerned Citizens asks the State of Michigan and the Department of Natural Resources to honor the spirit of the 1982 Master Plan by committing themselves to careful stewardship of the Park. Concerned Citizens will provide whatever support it can in that stewardship, and requests that park users be included in any decision-making processes that affect the Park.

In regard to the proposed water intake facility (intake, pumping station, pipeline, and treatment plant), Concerned Citizens calls for a moratorium on the application process until a Public Hearing can be held and all concerns and questions adequately addressed.