In preparation for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers channel dredging project at the Les Cheneaux Islands, slated to begin July 1, which will tie up the Cedarville boat launch ramp for the remainder of the summer, the Clark Township board proposed that six of 14 alternative public access sites be explored to accommodate boat traffic. This issue comes to the forefront as two 150-foot barges and a 40-foot pushboat tug are expected to make exclusive use of the launch ramp as an off-loading site. The ramp's parking lot will be used for staging of trucks and related equipment during the life of the project. Since the space will need to be kept open for these vessels, there will be no other boat traffic.

“We'll have a major need this summer,” said township supervisor Gerald Hill. “The Cedarville boat launch will be closed all day to accommodate the barges involved in the dredging project.”

Six possible public access sites will be included in a feasibility study, including those at Lakeside Landing, Hill Island Road, Islington Road's A Avenue N., Musky Bay, Island View Road, and Hessel Beach. These are sites designated on property maps as public access, but, since some have not been used frequently, details of where property lines begin and end are still uncertain.

An access site at Musky Bay is currently being used and is blacktopped for this purpose, and boaters have been using Lakeside Landing, as well. The board wants to make sure the township doesn't overstep boundaries at the proposed sites, or that nearby property owners don't prohibit the public from using land allotted for public use.

“We need to establish property lines so we're not infringing upon private property at these sites,” Mr. Hill said. “We're trying to get as much information as possible.”

Despite these sites being open to public access, property owners may have grown accustomed to things being the way they are, said Clark Township Clerk Mike Miller. In the case of Hill Island Road, the township found limestone boulders placed in the middle of the road, obstructions that they said don't need to be there.

“If people are used to having no activity at these sites and suddenly there is activity there, this project could be met with some resistance,” Mr. Miller said. “If it's public lands, then the public certainly has a right to use them.”

Still, the township would like to offer some assurance to property owners near these locations.

“Generally, it appears that the people with property adjoining these sites are worried about nuisance concerns,” Mr. Hill said. “We'll be monitoring these areas if we decide to develop them. We'd like to make sure there was nobody parking overnight or parking on the drivable portion of the site.”

The township will first search for property descriptions and land titles.

“We need to find out what's really available out there, as well as the cost to develop the sites,” Mr. Hill said. “We thought these six sites would be a good place to get started. We're not looking to spend a lot of money on them. In some cases, it may be that just a few trees need to be cut.”

Mr. Hill, who has been involved in local politics since the 1960s, said increased public access to the water has always been a township wish, although developing these public access sites can be a hot-button issue. He and treasurer Katie Carpenter will meet with the Mackinac County Road Commission to get that agency's input on these sites Monday, May 10.