|
Home
News
July 2004 News
Keweenaw Point Advisory Committee Minutes: May 4, 2004*
Below are the minutes of the May 4, 2004, KPAC meeting at the Allouez Community Center, Bumbletown Road,
in Allouez:
I. Attendees:
Friedricke Greuer -- UPEC
Warren Suchovsky -- MAT (Michigan Association of
Timbermen)
Martin Nelson -- DNR
Ron Yesney -- DNR
Jack Lehto -- MUCC (Michigan United Conservation Clubs)
Dick Powers -- Grant Township
Clarence Monette -- Keweenaw County Historical Society
Don Kauppi -- Keweenaw Tourism Council
Jim Junttila -- Outdoor Press-Calumet/Keweenaw Sportsmen's Club
Jeff Knoop -- The Nature Conservancy
Bill Deephouse -- Copper Country Chapter of Trout Unlimited
Charles Eshbach -- Michigan Nature Association
Dana Richter -- CC Audubon/MTU Forestry
Lori Hauswirth -- WUPPDR
Don B. Keith -- Keweenaw County
1. Review Public Comment Forms and Packet Information
Sue Acker -- She has worked in Forestry in the western U.S. She thinks too much talk of tourism. Study in Montana indicates that when communities adjoin large tracts of land people spend money there. She asked
the committee to go visit Ashland and Ely and to see vacationers spend lots of money. Motorized diminishes the experience. Having a unique experience is key. Snowmobiling is
o.k.; snowmobile trails do not have to lead to ATV trails; it is called seasonal exclusion. Gates are good for seasonal exclusion.
Chuck Brumleve -- LacLaBelle -- Plenty of places for motorized elsewhere. Chop it up with motorized would ruin it. Mixed trails don't work. Motorized only on interior roads.
No one else chose to address the Committee.
2. Field Trip Scheduling-
- Yesney will work to set something up for June 12.
- Committee decided to have a Field Trip and a regular Tuesday meeting during the month of June. Regular meeting will be here on June 1st.
- Eshbach will put together a slide show and will show it at the June 1 meeting.
- Public welcome to tag along on public tour for committee members.
Marty's Tour Stop Choices include:
- Mandan
- High Rock Bay
- Fish Cove?
- Mouth of Montreal?
3. Old Business
Don Kauppi -- Would like to install a new snowmobile route
-- Snowmobile trails through system have been there for 30 years. The desired routes are being used and Don would like to reopen a trail that hasn't been used for awhile. Don would have MDNR review his desired route for threatened and endangered species and if any were found he would reroute. He will pick highest and driest roads. Most motorized users who trespass are local. Thinks committee is responsible for maximizing access while minimizing impact.
Eshbach -- Asked where we would have trail heads, suggested some areas and thought limited access to unique sites was enough. Sees Keweenaw as a unique niche, different from Hiawatha or Ottawa.
4. Discuss Potential Campground Locations and Types of Facilities:
Possible tourist attractions were discussed, since campgrounds are best used at places where people frequent - 130 year old log jam on Montreal River - Fishing is good on Schlatter's Lake
Jobs that have to be done to make these areas accessible include making trail/roads on high and dry grounds.
Richter made comments with respect to the work of the committee:
- Would continue motorized recreation only on traditional motorized roads.
- Public comment has largely urged us to keep areas non-motorized.
- The first priority of this committee is to designate minimum impact zones.
- Base trails on loops, not dead ends.
- State encourages loops.
- This should provide accessibility without negative impacts.
- Thinks Snowmobile trails also end up being ATV trails.
Jim Rooks -- What level of sophistication is the trail plan suppose to have? If we're going to have trails,
the committee needs to be more specific. Marty Nelson then added that it is best for the committee to provide conceptual
recommendations and not to worry about the specifics. Nelson -- Best to have a concept of where you want to go and type of access you're trying to
provide; keep it at that.
Jeff Knoop added that we have 15 miles of roads that are already established and no established hiking
trails. Shouldn't we even the ratio?
Suchovsky added that we should use established trails and make recommendations for usage.
Jack Lehto -- Some areas will never be accessible per motorized vehicles.
Jim Rooks asked: Where is the International Paper representative? Rooks felt that without an International
Paper representative the committee could not make recommendations on roads or access. Knoop added that we have the easements we need already. Marty Nelson -- International Paper has granted some easements. A list of easements is in the front, tonight's packet, please look it over. Primary access to the point is from north Mandan loop through Copper Harbor, that is taken care of in terms of easements and that is all the committee needs to concern themselves with. Deephouse added that there are no real problems on easements.
Dick Powers suggested that the committee could base access on areas that are already heavily visited.
Eshbach asked: Where do we hub these trails from? Also, mentioned primitive campgrounds as a possibility at
Schlatter's Lake. Eshbach thinks Keystone Bay would make a good day use area.
Deephouse asked: What will we do at High Rock Bay? He believes that at the very least toilets are needed.
Kauppi asked: What is a primitive campsite? Answer -- a level area for tent pad and post that says you are here. Nelson suggested that the road and stream crossings be improved and that some toilets be installed. He was asked: Do they have to be ADA specific? Yes, but let MDNR worry about that.
Next the committee discussed motor homes and generally agreed that they wouldn't work in the area.
Hauswirth believes accessible campgrounds would be at Keystone and Schlatter's Lake.
Suchovsky asked: What is the market for primitive or non-primitive campgrounds?
Next, Phyllis from Isle Royale stated:
- What is the common vision of the land by the committee?
- The committee should work toward defining the niche for the Keweenaw. Must do something different and unique for the Keweenaw. She suggested limiting development.
Eschbach stated that our Vision is to enhance what we have and not change it.
Hauswirth then stated that she feels frustration. The committee needs to start overlapping ideas and putting them on paper. We need to each make compromises so that the committee can move forward! Nelson will bring a projector with overlay transparencies and GPS data to next meeting.
Leland from Fort Wilkins was asked about campgrounds. He stated that Fort Wilkins is only full during July and August.
Nelson suggested that the committee make the recommendations for the campsites despite pending budget cuts. Think beyond what can be done immediately.
Jim Rooks-- Unofficial campgrounds already exist. Committee should familiarize themselves with where people are already frequenting. Yesney added that this would be accomplished with tour next month.
5. Review Additional Prioritized Charges:
Hauswirth recommended that a committee be developed to study access sites,
campsites and day-use areas. Committee members: Kauppi, Deephouse, Junttila, Eshbach will work on this.
Junttila: Need to map areas actually out on a transparency. Nelson will be doing this for next meeting.
Hauswirth mentioned a need for a timber management person. Nelson mentioned timber management isn't an immediate need, but something the committee should make some general and brief recommendations toward. Suchovsky added that we could mainly recommend vegetation management, e.g., plan how vegetation will mainly regenerate in the area and how and where it will be harvested. Suchovsky will work at this.
Yesney suggested a need to hear from subcommittee, at an upcoming meeting, on where campgrounds should be located. The committee has all other info from other subcommittees.
Richter displayed a professional botanical survey conducted by Steve Chadde in the year 2000. He passed out maps showing sections of the Keweenaw Tip that have high, moderate, and low conservation value based on rare plants and habitat. Most of the area has high conservation value. The survey was done for the Michigan Natural Heritage Grants Program.
Offer still stands from Neil Harri to take committee members up in his plane. He'd do a fly over the area for any committee members.
Deephouse stated that Manitou Island is part of the land: Will it be part of the final recommendation? Manitou was discussed briefly.
6. Adjourn at 8:40 p.m.
Next Meeting will be June 1 at 6:30 pm here at the Allouez Township Community
Center. Field Trip is on June 12.
 |
|
Editor's notes:
*These minutes of the May 4, 2004, KPAC Meeting were originally posted on the Keweenaw
Liberty Library (under Land Use Planning and Zoning). We are
posting them here at the request of the DNR. We regret this delay in
posting.
|
|
|
|
