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News from the Keweenaw Peninsula November 6, 2001 Text © 2001 Michele Anderson and photos © 2001 John Griffith

North Woods Conservancy buys Seven Mile Point

CALUMET -- The North Woods Conservancy (NWC) has purchased Seven Mile Point (SMP) from International Paper/Lake Superior Land Company and plans to allow limited public access to the acreage. The ecologically sensitive parcel, located on the north shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Allouez Township, contains 32 acres and 1,506 feet of Lake Superior shoreline, including sand, cobble and 1.1 billion year-old bedrock beach. The Michigan Natural Features Inventory calls Seven Mile Point one of the gems of the Keweenaw.

This is a view of Seven Mile Point from Lot 24, a 32-acre parcel with 1,506 feet of Lake Superior shoreline, which the North Woods Conservancy has purchased from International Paper/Lake Superior Land Co. (Photo by John Griffith)

The purchase, totaling $365,000, was made with locally raised and borrowed funds, a $100,000 grant from the Lake Superior Basin Trust and a two-year loan from The Conservation Fund of Arlington, Virginia.

"We have to contribute only 10 percent of the purchase price locally," said John Griffith, NWC President. "The other 90 percent will come from grants. We need about $16,000 more by December 31 to raise our 10 percent. That's only 160 hundred-dollar donors."

Walt Arnold, IP/LSLC director of marketing and sales confirmed the sale of the parcel, formerly Lot 24, was finalized on Thursday, Nov. 1.

"IP was able to receive its appraised value for the property as well as satisfy the unanimous recommendations of the existing Seven Mile Point landowners to have this property purchased by the Northwoods Conservancy," Arnold said. "Northwoods Conservancy expressed an interest in purchasing the property and followed through with that promise by working with the existing neighbors and closing on the sale last week."

Arnold noted IP was willing to sell the acreage to the conservancy because the sale met the company’s needs of obtaining the appraised value and satisfying both the Seven Mile Point clients and NWC.

"IP assisted the Conservancy by allowing them the extra time necessary to obtain financing and by being flexible in structuring the selling of the property. Lot 24 is a good example of a win-win situation for all of the parties and is our preferred method of dealing with these types of unique properties," Arnold added.

Seven Mile Point will be open to the public next spring for recreational activities such as swimming, picnicking, fishing and agate picking, Griffith added. Preserve hours will be posted on the NWC Web site.

"SMP is a fairly small parcel of land surrounded by and accessed across private property," Griffith noted. "We ask that the public respect the property lines and the hours of operation."

A view of the Lake Superior shoreline from Seven Mile Point, looking south along the coast. (Photo by John Griffith)

Griffith said, while details have yet to be set, the plan is to open the area to the public from Memorial Day to Labor Day, plus special guided trips in the winter, early spring and fall. The number of visitors would be limited to protect the area’s sensitive ecosystem. There will be a gate across the access road when Seven Mile Point is closed, he added.

Susan Robinson, of Hancock, author and illustrator of the booklet, Is this an Agate? An Illustrated Guide to Lake Superior's Beach Stones: Michigan, leads a guided hike at Seven Mile Point in early October. John Griffith said NWC plans to sponsor similar guided trips of the area in winter, early spring and fall.

"The alternative to limited public access would be private ownership and no access," Griffith said.

Allouez Township Supervisor Bill Luokkanen expressed a view held by many local residents who have enjoyed recreation at Seven Mile Point in the past.

"If it can stay open to the public, I’m for it," Luokkanen said.

At the Oct. 6, 2001, NWC meeting, Mike Kroenke, NWC board member, who owns property at Seven Mile Point, said he and the other property owners were in favor of the conservancy's purchase of the parcel, even if it meant some public access through use of their private road at certain times.

"We're going to work closely with the Seven Mile Point property owners to develop a management plan for Seven Mile Point," Kroenke said at that time.

He noted NWC would ask for input from the property owners to help decide how much public access would be allowed, as well as what type and what intensity. A management committee might be made up of two NWC board members -- Jane Griffith and himself; two other property owners from the area -- Art Kent and Brad King -- and Gordon Roberts, at-large member and Keweenaw County commissioner.

Jane Griffith said at the meeting that NWC was looking for a volunteer to coordinate volunteers at the property, to attend meetings and to be on duty to be sure people don't stray onto private property.

John Griffith said this week that sign-ups for volunteers would soon be posted on the NWC Web site.

On September 15, 2001, NWC sponsored a beach cleanup at Seven Mile Point in conjunction with The Michigan Coastal Cleanup effort, led by the Lake Michigan Federation and sponsored by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. (MDEQ). It was part of a world-wide beach cleanup effort led by the Ocean Conservancy.

Cleanup volunteers Gina Nicholas, at left; her son, Nick Wilson; and Kate Griffith, daughter of John and Jane Griffith, clean up the beach at Seven Mile Point on September 15 as part of the Michigan Coastal Cleanup effort. (Photo by John Griffith)

"It was fun," said Kroenke. "I think it's a great community project."

John Griffith reported that nine volunteers participated at Seven Mile Point and collected nine bags of trash weighing 90 pounds.

The Griffiths' children, Evan and Kate, said they collected lots of tires, bottles and cigarette butts.

Kate Griffith records types of debris collected at Seven Mile Point during the September 15 cleanup. (Photo by John Griffith)

Eleven volunteers, mostly from Copper Country Trout Unlimited, did a cleanup the same day at the Mouth of the Gratiot River, soon to be purchased by Keweenaw County. They collected 20 bags of trash weighing 150 pounds.

Said John Griffith, "We hope to sign people up over the next year for as many portions of the entire Keweenaw Peninsula shoreline as possible, as well as all lakes, rivers and streams."

The North Woods Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Michigan corporation founded in 1992, with an all-volunteer board and staff and about 150 members. Although the NWC is tax-exempt, the organization pays property taxes. The NWC is dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of natural areas for the benefit of native biological diversity, education, and public enjoyment.

Tax-deductible contributions ($25 and over includes annual membership) can be sent to NWC, PO Box 124, Calumet, MI 49913. For images of SMP and more information about the conservancy, please visit the North Woods Conservancy Web site or call John Griffith at (906) 337-0782.

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