Alison and David Swan
November 12, 2001
Blue Rhino Books
131 Mason Street
Saugatuck, MI 49453
Dear Alison and David.
The Lake Michigan Federation shares your concerns about recent proposals to
construct. water intake and treatment facilities within Saugatuck Dunes State
Park. Reportedly, there are plans to build one or more plants near the entrance
of the state park. In particular; one proposal entails a very large easement
that would effectively split the park in half and would result in the
construction of a pump house at the beach. There are also plans for future
expansion of these facilities.
The Federation has concerns about these proposals and their potential to cause
serious ecological impacts to the dunes. We are also concerned about
unanticipated impacts from the new water infrastructure, such as the spurring
of sprawl type development in the region, which is primarily rural. The
Federation questions the need for the facilities and has concerns about reported
pollution of drinking water aquifers and the lack of plans to restore them
before diverting Lake Michigan water for drinking water sources. Ultimately, we
are concerned that there has not been sufficient planning and coordination
within the region relative to water demand and supply that would support the
need for the proposals.
Saugatuck Dunes State Park, hundreds of acres of dunes and forest and a vast stretch of
undeveloped public beach, is unique in the southern lower peninsula of
Michigan. It is valued and used during all seasons, by area residents and
visitors, wildflowers lovers, and artists, photographers, researchers,
educators, and those wanting to hike, ski, and snowshoe. The dunes park has 14
miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails. Its 300-acre natural area
contains three endangered plant species and comprises about one mile of diverse
Lake Michigan shoreline that is host to open dunes, interdunal wetlands, and
forested dunes. The natural area is also a flyway for migrating birds in the
spring and fall.
Michigan citizens have a
special responsibility for protecting its unique, irreplaceable coastal dunes.
The dunes on Lake Michigan's eastern coast, including those in Saugatuck Dunes
State Park, are the largest assemblage of freshwater dunes in the world. Their
uniqueness comes from the important plant and wildlife species that live in
them, their closeness to freshwater, and their diverse settings - beaches,
foredunes, interdunal wetlands and mature forests. The dunes help to maintain
the region's tourism economy and provide an exceptional quality of life for
permanent residents. Once destroyed, they cannot be re-created.
In 1999, the Federation released a report on sand dune mining in Michigan that
concluded that many of our valuable freshwater dunes are not being protected
under the Sand Dune Management and Protection Act of 1976. Though the focus of
the report was on mining, it also pointed out that the dune ecosystems are
irreplaceable and there are viable sources of inland sand that can be used by
the foundries that support continued mining of the dunes and currently use dune
sand in their casting processes. Based upon this information, the Federation
has recommended a phase-out of mining in the dunes.
Increasing development in the dunes is also straining the
ecological integrity of the coastal dune system. In light of the serious
stresses on the Lake Michigan's coastal dune system, the Federation urges that
Michigan citizens uphold the strongest level of protection
for those dunes already encompassed in state or federal parks.
Before any further decisions are made, we recommend that
information on the potential ecological impacts to Saugatuck Dunes State Park
be made available to the public for review and comment. We also recommend the
initiation of regional discussions about water use, demand and supply in order
to plan responsibly for current and future water needs of the area's
communities. Water conservation, in particular, should be a part of these
discussions as Great Lakes diversion threats from other states and countries
continue. Great Lakes communities, such as Holland, must use water wisely, in
order to reasonably curb requests from other states or countries that have an
interest in obtaining water from the Great Lakes. Likewise, we urge the cleanup
of local polluted water supplies and prevention of contamination of additional
water resources. Water is increasingly being recognized as a valuable commodity
that should not be either wasted or polluted and disregarded.
Please contact the Lake Michigan Federation at
michigan@lakemichigan.org
or 616-850-0745 with any questions that we might assist with. And thank you for
your work in protecting one of Michigan's most treasured natural assets -- Lake
Michigan sand dunes.
Sincerely yours,
Tanya Cabala
Michigan Director