Conserving natural resources, the needs of developing small businesses, and retaining the "family-oriented" character of communities topped the list of concerns for 16 residents of Mackinac County's western townships at a meeting in Engadine Tuesday, September 12. They met to offer the initial round of public input concerning Mackinac County's first master plan and spoke with members of the Mackinac County Planning Commission, Mackinac County's Michigan State University Extension office, and Wade Trim of Gaylord, a private consulting firm.

Using public input and elements of township master plans, the three entities will design a comprehensive master plan detailing how county residents view their communities and surrounding landscapes. This plan amounts to a guidance document detailing how areas of the county should be developed. In part, it is intended to help the county and townships coordinate land use and zoning.

Protecting the county's cherished Lake Michigan shoreline from excessive development was discussed in general terms, and residents also discussed the disappearance of large areas of farmland, said Michelle Walk, Extension director and chairperson of the Mackinac County Planning Commission.

As farmers have retired, some have split their farmland into residential lots or subdivisions, as is happening throughout the state, and this has caused public concern that western Mackinac County could lose the potential to redevelop sizable farms, Ms. Walk said.

Another issue discussed is the selling of large tracts of land formerly held by lumber companies, a phenomenon occurring throughout the Upper Peninsula. As lumber companies sell off acreage, which is mostly held under the Commercial Forest Act, the public loses access to the land for hunting, fishing, and other recreation.

There are 37,467 acres of Mackinac County land enrolled in the Commercial Forest Act, (CFA), said Department of Natural Resources forester Richard Stevenson, who approves harvesting plans for commercial forests. CFA gives landowners tax breaks while forest trees grow to a harvestable size, and, in turn, requires public access.

A third issue, the maintenance of roads in relation to the environment, is a development concern throughout the county, Ms. Walk added. For example, the draining of excess water from US-2 and maintaining the road in general was discussed at the Engadine meeting.

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) must consider nearby fragile ecosystems when maintaining or developing US-2, which runs through the county.

Dune landscapes, rare, threatened and endangered plants, and wetlands are environmental concerns that can contrast with development projects, but the pristine nature of the area is generally considered a benefit for recreation and tourism, Ms. Walk said.

Caring for sensitive areas "affects development across the board," said John Batchelder, transportation service center manager for MDOT.

To mitigate environmental damage, MDOT works with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on issues as small as the development of ditches and driveways and as large as the construction of buildings, and some areas simply can't be disturbed, he said. Even creating a new driveway requires MDOT or builders to consult a list of protected species and to address wetland concerns.

Often, wetland issues have to be worked out with the DEQ, such as when MDOT built a new wetland to replace land damaged when passing lanes and rest areas were constructed near Naubinway, Mr. Batchelder said. To compensate, MDOTcreated a new wetland 200 feet away from the road.

Environmental mediation is a county-wide concern reflected in how projects are dealt with near other main roadways, such as US- 2, M-117, I-75, and M-123, he added

Regarding the master plan, Mr. Batchelder said the project is "a really good thing. Lots of good issues concerning the county are being covered."

Part of the benefit of having a county-wide master plan, Ms. Walk said, is to look across townships to determine which land areas people want to preserve, and to help townships preserve them.

Residents in Engadine also discussed the potential for new, small businesses to be operated out of homes in Garfield Township. Given the rural nature of western Mackinac County communities, Ms. Walk said, home businesses are considered a good practice. A significant obstacle, however, is the lack of high speed Internet service.

Garfield Township Clerk Linda Bennett said that efforts by Lighthouse.net to secure funding have failed, and the only prospect in the works for Garfield is a plan by AT&T to provide high speed Internet service in Engadine, which would extend in a three mile radius from the company's facility. This would help Engadine, but it would leave out the majority of the township's residents. Portage Township Clerk Marcia McDonald has expressed similar concern regarding high speed Internet service in and around Curtis.

Ms. Walk emphasized that the county's master plan does not supersede township master plans, nor will it be enforced upon townships who don't want it.

There are three townships in western Mackinac County with no master plans in place, she added, including Hudson, Newton, and Hendricks.

Hendricks Township, in particular, would have little use for a development plan, Ms. Walk said. Approximately 75 percent of the area is state-owned forest, said Cheryl Ozanich of the Department of Natural Resources office in Naubinway.

Fifty-three percent of Mackinac County is composed of state and national forests, Ms. Walk added.

How the Mackinac County Master Plan turns out "depends on what people value," said Ms. Walk, who also helped coordinate public input meetings in St. Ignace Wednesday, September 13, and in Clark Township Thursday, September 14.

The next step is to create a "vision" for Mackinac County that includes the wishes of all municipalities and residents. Opportunities for public input will be ongoing, and information regarding the master plan will be posted to the county Web site at http://www.mackinaccounty.net.

Residents unable to attend the public meetings are encouraged to offer comments regarding the project by contacting Ms. Walk at (906) 643-7307 or Fran Brink of Wade Trim at (989) 733-2221. Information is preferred by the end of September, but comments will also be accepted afterward.