Annual Report

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Michigan Land Use Institute
1997Annual Report

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Supporting Michigan's NaturalRiver Act.
Michigan has the nation's most exemplary program for
involving local citizens in controlling development along the
banks of designated natural rivers. However "property rights"
activists nearly succeeded in convincing State Sen. George A.
McManus Jr. to seriously weaken the Natural River Act. The
Senator declined to introduce such legislation in 1997 -- a
decision resulting from grass roots organizing by environmental organizations with support from the Institute.
Protecting the Minden Bog, a 9,000-acre virgin peat bog
in the Thumb region that is the oldest ecosystem of its kind in
the United States. The bog is under threat from a Texas-based
peat mining company, Michigan Peat, which is suing the
Department of Natural Resources for enforcing wetland protection laws.
The company claims that its property rights were violated, and is seeking $300 million of taxpayer money. Last June, saying it feared a court judgment, the Engler Administration approved a permit that would allow Michigan Peat to destroy a vast, saturated plain of sphagnum moss and rare plants in the Minden Bog. At the invitation of the Thumb Bioregional Alliance, the Institute is helping to develop a strategic plan, and is publicizing the issue in articles written for statewide newspapers and theGreat Lakes Bulletin.

Preventing Harm to Antrim County's
Cedar River.
Friends of the Cedar River sought help from the Institute to counter a proposal by Shanty Creek Resort to withdraw millions of gallons of water from a beautiful wild river. The resort wants to take the water to irrigate a new golf course and to make snow for new ski runs. It also wants to cut down acresm of trees for two golf holes, and to use the river as a water hazard.

Citizens representing ManisteeCounty's Filer Township,the Human Health andSafety Committee, Friends ofthe JordanRiver Watershed,and the Institute headed to
Lansing lastMarch to talk with lawmakers
about protecting public health and the
environment from haphazardoil and gas
development.

IMAGE imgs/AnRep18.gif

St.Clair County DrainCommissioner Fred
Fuller is aleader of the ThumbBioregional
Alliance, which is workingtokeep the Minden Bog off-limits topeat mining.

1997 GRANTS

We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to the followingorganizations
for supporting our work:
• From The Joyce Foundation, $80,150 to support the Michigan Energy Reform Coalition.
• From The C.S. Mott Foundation, $50,000 to fund communications in support of land use policy reform in
1997 and 1998.
• From The Frey Foundation, three grants totaling $37,000 -- to support theGreat Lakes Bulletin,to protect
the Cedar River, and to provide technical support for grass roots citizen groups.
• From The Deer Creek Foundation, $25,000 to counter the property rights movement in Michigan.
• From The Ruth Mott Fund, $20,000 for the Michigan Energy Reform Coalition.
• From The Borwell Charitable Foundation, $10,000 to produce an Internet web site.
• From The Clannad Foundation, two grants totaling $6,000, for general support and to assist grass roots
citizen groups.
• From The Alpern Family Foundation, $5,000 for theGreat Lakes Bulletin.
• From the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and New Designs for Growth, $425 for a public
forum on land use and transportation.



Michigan Land Use Institute 1997Annual Report (continued from previous page)

Supporting Michigan's NaturalRiver Act. Michigan has the nation's most exemplary program for involving local citizens in controlling development along the banks of designated natural rivers. However "property rights" activists nearly succeeded in convincing State Sen. George A. McManus Jr. to seriously weaken the Natural River Act. The Senator declined to introduce such legislation in 1997 -- a decision resulting from grass roots organizing by environmental organizations with support from the Institute. Protecting the Minden Bog, a 9,000-acre virgin peat bog in the Thumb region that is the oldest ecosystem of its kind in the United States. The bog is under threat from a Texas-based peat mining company, Michigan Peat, which is suing the Department of Natural Resources for enforcing wetland protection laws. The company claims that its property rights were violated, and is seeking $300 million of taxpayer money. Last June, saying it feared a court judgment, the Engler Administration approved a permit that would allow Michigan Peat to destroy a vast, saturated plain of sphagnum moss and rare plants in the Minden Bog. At the invitation of the Thumb Bioregional Alliance, the Institute is helping to develop a strategic plan, and is publicizing the issue in articles written for statewide newspapers and theGreat Lakes Bulletin. Preventing Harm to Antrim County's Cedar River. Friends of the Cedar River sought help from the Institute to counter a proposal by Shanty Creek Resort to withdraw millions of gallons of water from a beautiful wild river. The resort wants to take the water to irrigate a new golf course and to make snow for new ski runs. It also wants to cut down acresm of trees for two golf holes, and to use the river as a water hazard.
		Citizens representing ManisteeCounty's Filer Township,the Human Health andSafety Committee, Friends ofthe JordanRiver Watershed,and the Institute headed to Lansing lastMarch to talk with lawmakers about protecting public health and the environment from haphazardoil and gas development.

			St.Clair County DrainCommissioner Fred Fuller is aleader of the ThumbBioregional Alliance, which is workingtokeep the Minden Bog off-limits topeat mining.
	1997 GRANTS
We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to the followingorganizations for supporting our work: • From The Joyce Foundation, $80,150 to support the Michigan Energy Reform Coalition. • From The C.S. Mott Foundation, $50,000 to fund communications in support of land use policy reform in 1997 and 1998. • From The Frey Foundation, three grants totaling $37,000 -- to support theGreat Lakes Bulletin,to protect the Cedar River, and to provide technical support for grass roots citizen groups. • From The Deer Creek Foundation, $25,000 to counter the property rights movement in Michigan. • From The Ruth Mott Fund, $20,000 for the Michigan Energy Reform Coalition. • From The Borwell Charitable Foundation, $10,000 to produce an Internet web site. • From The Clannad Foundation, two grants totaling $6,000, for general support and to assist grass roots citizen groups. • From The Alpern Family Foundation, $5,000 for theGreat Lakes Bulletin. • From the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce and New Designs for Growth, $425 for a public forum on land use and transportation.