Week Ending Oct 7

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Sue,

You should have seen my kids this morning, they were so excited about the snow that they got their sleds out and tried sledding. They have been asking me when they will be able to ski (at Bohemia and Ripley).

I don't think the county will need to assess any "special millages" to cover the costs that you are concerned with (another Garyisim). There will be enough additional tax from the Ski Hill to cover that. They are taking care of their own sewer system, the residents had their chance when the grant application was denied. Now they (LLB residents) will have to stay with the septic systems that they have. I hope they are pumped regularly.

Susie, You don't like to ski, I don't like to berry pick, does that mean that your interests are more important? Do you think that by having the ski hill there you will not be able to berry pick? Don't you think the two can co-exist?

Your argument of the people that wind up in the ditch (good time rockers) is also another Garyisim. You could also say the same about the snowmobilers that wrap themselves around a tree or crash into a car while crossing the road.

In another 2 weeks the Lake Superior Pro Rally will be coming through. I wounder if Gary will try and stop this too?

Ted

Sue,
I still have yet to see the bones from Bohemia.

I didn't understand when you said "when the good time-rock and rollers fall into the gully"?

Nope, we don't get MTV up here in the harbor.

Exactly, where is Gary? Looks like he's been hiding lately. Anyone heard from him?

I recently saw a copy of a letter from Jane Pelto to Jim Heikella (spelling error, I'm not Finnish)
Under Donna Jaski's advice,she requested that the ZBA meeting not be held, or at least until after the vote. I hear that's what both sides want. Is this in violation of what Hood ordered? I heard Donna is also appealing his ruling on the injunction.

For all those business owners out there:
Vote YES in Nov. And MAKE some $$$

Hyvaa Huomenta everyone,
I am hoping that one of you can help me solve the mystery of the "missing relatives" case that i have been working on.I was contacted by a person in Norway (the country not the town)who is looking for his ancestors and living relatives.The Kentta/Gentha/Alanbe/Isaacsen/Isaacson/Guita/Kitta family did emigrate to the old town of Clifton in about 1880.They are listed on the 1884 census as Guita.That spelling is wrong of course.When the English speaking census takers heard the Scandnavian names, they spelled it as they heard it pronounced.Here is a list of the names that lived in Clifton,Isaac Guita, Greata Guita, Jacob Guita,,Brita,John peter,Erik, Salamon, Fredrick, and Michael.Next door on the census is Lars Eriksen who was Greata's brother.One son was left behind in Norway and went on to have a large family.They are now desperately looking for their relatives living here.Johan and Brita actually were both born in Finland but moved to Norway before emigrating to America with their children and relatives.If any of these names sound familiar to you , please email me and i can send you the family history along with the Email address of this family in Norway.
Thank You,
Alicia

It's snowing!!Lonnie must be happy.
There is evidence of a burial ground on the mountain. The bones were turned over by a construction worker. It is there and the real facts will come forward. Logically, why wouldn't there be one? People die.

Voting NO on Development will give control back to the County where all responsible people can put their heads together and make decisions that will encompass all the people, not just the needy and the greedy. All, Business, Land Company, County, Crosswinds and the people must work together to keep Keweenaw serene and natural. We all don't want to ski, fight traffic and make money at the expense of our neighbor. Some of us like berry picking, fishing, hunting and enjoying our pristene small wilderness. Mr. Glieberman is a rich man, he doesn't care about the community. He set up an Advisory Board to listen to our comments, but he does it his way, anyway. Make sense? It is just P.R. Rich is fine: running over people is not!

Too Much MTV! Learning to make $$$ is fine, but not at the expense of others. Your children might leave the area to broaden their horizons and that is a good thing. It's called growing up. Life isn't that simple. Sacrifices must be made everyday, but teach the kids we are all in this together.

Taxes: Yes, I know State Tax can't be raised over 3.05% a year , or whatever. I'm talking Special Assessments here for Septic Systems, millage for extra police control, money for the Road Commission, etc. I do know that if the hill goes Black Bear (Crosswinds) can be contracted to share the cost of road maintenance. That is how they do it in New Mexico, etc. Also, maybe they could be sharing in the cost of paying for the lawsuits filed when the "Good Time-Rock and Rollers" fall into the gulley. Gee, that's another business $$$. Are you paying attention, Art?

And, where is Gary?? When he's here, you holler, when he not here, you holler.. Thank you, Gary, for getting us off our duffs, opening our eyes, here, we thought our paid politicoes were taking care of us...Vote NO in November. Save your $$$

Since the software wouldn't let me upload anything over 100 kb(image 1 alone), I refer you to the Keweenaw Liberty Library link that Ted posted below so you can read what is allowed under the RS zoning ordinance.
It's not a particularly pretty sight...

Since the software didn't allow me to upload all 4 jpegs, I will upload them in sequence:

Thanks Ted(and Chuck):
Having reviewed both CD-EP and RS, it is now clear to me that a NO vote on the referendum ballot is the right one. Hunting lodges are allowed in CD-EP, thus, it seems to me, that cabins would also be allowed(with environmentally appropriate sewage design).
I seem to remember that someone(Orkilla?) posted that RS zoning is also applicable in Lac La Belle(sections 31 and 32)approximately to the Little Gratiot River. If the extraneous development that RS allows is needed to make the ski-hill commercially viable, I would prefer that it be on this section of highway than upon the hill itself.
Surely, some kind of creative compromise can be made here. Why does it have to be All or Nothing? If the ZBA allows ski-lift apparatus and "rustic" cabins in CD-EP, wouldn't that be a better solution than voting YES to allow the rezoning of the mountain itself to RS(which, however farfetched, would allow shopping centers among numerous other things).
I used my JPEG Wizard to trim down the Liberty Library's gif kilobytes(apologies to Chuck)--see below for what RS allows:

Like a bad meal, here I am coming back on everyone with you know what, wastewater treatment issues (all you can accomplish in terms of pollution fighting that you have no hope to accomplish with septic tank systems!).

Looking for true environmentalists (they put their money where their mouths are; the fakes put septic tanks in...).

Jeff,

Charles Buck has posted the current zoning ordinances and a LOT of additional information @:

http://www.crosswinds.net/~keweenaw/

I suggest you check it out. It really clarified a lot of issues for me.

Charles, Thank You!

Ted

Hey everyone,

Couldn't get here yesterday, I missed out on some good discussion it seems.

Ted, I see you are definetly putting this link to good use! Good, that's what I put it there for.

Here's another bone to chew on folks,

"A statute is a state law. Its applicability and impact on your case will depend on the statute's language. However, if a statute is violated, it is legally sufficient evidence of negligence on the part of the township."

Now the way I see it the OMA was clearly violated.
So another possible lawsuit?
I could be way off here, please correct me if I'm incorrect. Not that I'm saying I hope you get sued, but this should stand as an eye opener to you all that there are some major problems up there that could be more detrimental to you as a township than what the legal development that Crosswinds is trying to do.
If someone else could clear up for me please, I have read numerous times that they(Crosswinds)are illegally proceeding with development. How so pray tell?
Here's another one for you please, how is the Lodge Zoned? I mean they have just about everything that Crosswinds has said they are going to do. So are they zoned differently?
Shouldn't they be held as a example that the hill is low impact?
Who knows some answers, I may be a little behind, and none of these questions could be relevent, but then again, they could be very important too.

Just my thoughts,
LMT

PS:
If CD-EP allows sand and gravel extraction under it's definition of "low intensity" why wouldn't it allow various ski-lift apparatus? As for the cabins, are they all going to have sewage lines to the proposed lagoon or will there be some kind of indoor/outdoor facilities like parks, picnic areas and waysides?

Ted: OK, will try this one more time to make sure I'm getting it right. It would help to know what the RS zoning language read(specifically) before the "ski-resort" clause was added by the amendment. I remember Mr. Glieberman making the public statement that the request for a change to RS on the Mt. itself was so that they could build cabins up there. This clarification is understandable to me from a legal and business perspective, but I think it is also what ratcheted up the paranoia level of those who don't mind just a ski hill(without all kinds of extraneous development around it). Personally, I don't mind the building of cabins(or yurts) if they fit in with the local character of the Keweenaw. I think that would an asset to the area. 50 may be excessive however. Why not start with a smaller number and see if they get filled up first.
As to the liability issue in connection with the vagueness of the zoning language, as you know the case has been made by Mr. Kohs(on the advice of his attorney, I assume) in the DMG and at the Eagle Harbor site that the county will in no way be liable should the zoning amendment be overruled by the voting NO on the referendum. Is Mr. Grassechi's(sp?) liability argument a red herring or isn't it? I wish someone with legal credentials would clarify this. On the other end of things, if the ZBA rules that a ski-hill is indeed "low intensity"(like a golf course, or sand and gravel extraction), then a ski-resort will be allowable under CD-EP. In other words, the zoning amendment never needed to be passed in the first place. This would make the referendum vote a good exercise in local political participation but not decisive with respect to whether a ski-hill can be built on Mt. Bohemia or for that matter to the overall legality of the zoning itself(which in my opinion seems already more than vague enough to allow for a ski-hill--or, at the very least, a somewhat scaled back version of one).

Susie,
To add to Ted's comment:
THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF BURIAL GROUND ON MT BOHEMIA. Shame on you, you should know since you live there,I assume.... You can't dig more than 2 feet without hitting solid rock.

Question:
What good is voting NO on proposal B going to do for you? If you know your facts, the ski hill IS opening in Dec. CDEP DOES allow ski hills (You wait and see). And if your NO vote goes through, that's just going to place that Lodge and all 50 of those little cabins right along your beautiful roadside in Lac La Belle rather than up on the Mountain hidden in the trees.

To answer your question,
Yes, all of us college students are learing $$$. We learn how to run a business and make a living in the Keweenaw, so we can raise our kids here, and they can enjoy the extreme skiing of Mt. Bohemia. :-)

Jim,

I was quoting Susie's earlier post, you will have to ask her what she ment, I don't know either.

Ted

Ted, Clarify what you meant by," nothing compared to the real development that is comming."

Sandy, heck yes i see an impact here,$$$$$. the best and biggest problem we could have is an unavailability of beds. I'm sure that if the need arises , they will be accomidated for. I'm also quit sure that if we ever could be so lucky as to have a workforce shortage,many seaasonal workers on unemployment would give up they're checks for a competative wage which buisiness owners would surly be able to offer with the increased traffic.
As, for infastructure costs associated with a ski hill. I do not see the sheriffs dept. having to buy skis to patrol the hill. They do however have and maintain a snowmobile for trail patroles. Thats not even counting the man hours paid for retreiving all the unfortunates who manage to wrap themselves around a tree every year. I'll also bet that 50,000 skiers do not release nowhere near the hydrocarbons into our atmosphere that sleds do. Nor could the generaters and skilifts running set hours cause as much noise and light pollution as sledders running around into the wee hours of the mourning. It must be obvious by now that i don't care for our winter friends the snowmobilers, but I put up with them. Why, because I know that they contribute to our economy.

Susie, Susie, Susie...

If the vote is YES then Judge Hood will not have to rule on anything, The county will not be liable for vague zoning, and development will be done in a responsible manner.

Mt. Bohemia IS owned by IP/LSLC. No one else, it is PRIVATE PROPERTY.

You are again incorrect about FACTS:

There was NO evidence of burial grounds on Mt. Bohemia.

You said "What does the ski hill do for you? Nothing..This is a sure thing..The Ski Hill is nothing compared to the real Development that is coming. $60,000,000 in taxes will not come from a mere Ski-Hill."

The $60,000,000.00 figure is NOT tax revenue, it is an estimation of the $$$$ that will be brought into the Keweenaw (both Houghton and Keweenaw County) over the next 5 years.

Right now any boost to the economy here would help.

Your concern about raised taxes is also a "Garyisim" (an idea that Gary has implanted to get his way). Homestead property tax rates are capped and can only be increased by a small percentage annualy.

My recommendation to you is to get your FACTS straight and not to rely on "Garyisims"

Ted

Guess what you're saying is--voting YES is clarifying zoning to make it less vague Hmmm!! So, Judge Hood can rule "Gotcha, cart blanche!! Make sense to even you, Ted?? One must not be thinking clearly. It's as simple as this--ZONING will be a guideline as to what can be developed and where (Residential or Commercial) and what can be saved. All greed and power aside, only wise and giving people can do that. We have land that must be saved and you must realize this. This land is not yours, mine or theirs, it is forever, we have no right to destroy it. The Ski-Hill development has already dynamited through burial grounds, through cultures of years ago. This is our heritage, where are you Tech students? Are you learning nothing but $$$ in school? I say shame on you.

What does the ski hill do for you? Nothing..This is a sure thing..The Ski Hill is nothing compared to the real Development that is coming. $60,000,000 in taxes will not come from a mere Ski-Hill. And, you people that want the ski-hill for the economy, greed, fun, be prepared to pay for it. Your taxes will go up in special assessments and you will not be able to live here, you won't be able to afford it. So where shall we go?? Back to the cities I guess. Be prepared for traffic congestion, law suits new languages, crime and may I repeat myself, higher taxes.. So, Keweenaw, Please, Please, Please vote NO in November. Control you pocketbook.

Sandy,

I agree with what you said about the sledders not being able to spend money at the trailside places. No one seems to care..

I disagree with them having no rooms. I think the sledders will reserve them as far in advance as possible. They should have rooms already reserved, if not then that is something they have to contend with. Sometimes these same sledders may have stayed at the same place for several years in a row..

If I were running a hotel/motel I would give first choice to they repeat customers...

Jeff,

At the risk of sounding repetitive, here goes:

Currently Mt. Bohemia is zoned both CD-EP (upper part of the hill) and RS (base of hill). In April the County Zoning Board passed a resolution that would make ALL of Mt. Bohemia RS. In this resolution there was also specific language that amends (clarifies) the RS zoning, stating that a Ski Resort is an acceptable use.

The referendum that was "created" by Gary and Ms. Black would overturn the County Zoning Board's decision of re-zoning AND (not or) the language change.

Here is the problem:

If the referendum "passes" and the Zoning Board's decision to make all of Mt. Bohemia RS and incorporate the language change is overturned, then the zoning becomes more vague.

THE MORE VAGUE THE ZONING LANGUAGE, THE GREATER THE LIABILITY FOR THE COUNTY. (Orkilla, I think that even you can agree with this)

Since the base of the hill is already zoned RS there is no problem with building a day lodge or yurts there. The upper part of the hill is zoned CD-EP and the Zoning Board of Appeals will have to decide if putting a lift line in will be considered "low impact" or "such as" (very vague terms) a gravel pit or golf course.

I hope this is the answer you were looking for.

Ted

Ted:
Could you please clarify (in concrete detail) as to why a NO vote on the November Referendum will make the zoning language more vague than it already is? It is my impression that Judge Hood hinted that the CD-EP zoning language is vague enough to allow for a ski hill and cabins(or are they yurts?), thus saying that if the hot potato returns to his lap that could well be his decision on the matter.
Paul:
Would you care to clarify your point? With regard to the County Prosecutor delaying the ZBA meeting, is this rumor or fact? It seems to me that if Judge Hood wanted the ZBA to meet and decide on whether a ski hill and cabins are allowable under CD-EP, his power to set a date on that meeting would trump the County Prosecutor's to delay it(if he indeed hasn't already done so). If he hasn't set a date that will precede November 7th, then it's possible he may just want to hear what the people of the county have to say about it before the ZBA makes a final decision.
G'Day!

EDITOR'S NOTE: One of the answers to this post was moved to the RANTINGS section, deemed by the MC (Moderator Committee) to be inflamatory, more approriately a RANTING than a RESPONSIBLE OPINION.

Yabba Dabba Doo, I posted on the ranting site a while ago cause I could! Now that I'm here hello fellow Americans. Also any aussi's that might be tuned in.
LMT thanks for your offer, but was too busy and not smart enough to get where I wanted to get.

Realist you were right about Gary lining his pockets with the advertizing thing on his site. KEEP THE DOUGH LOCAL

Sandy what do you think of Gary now? I think this whole mess is Garys fault and also I think Donna is talking to his atty. which if that is the case the poop will hit the fan. I think the people of this county should get together and make our county atty. a little more responsible for her wasteing our tax dollars that we don't have!!
LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOWWWWWWW

A thought crossed my mind the other day, and I wonder if it has relevance? There are 4 'money weeks' for winter tourism here; Christmas week, President's week-end, Martin Luther King week-end and spring break. During those times there is not a bed for rent in Houghton or Keweenaw Counties because of snowmobilers, who have this welcome habit of travelling all day, stopping and spreading green cheer all along the way. Those same times will undoubtedly be favored by skiers. If half the available beds are occupied by skiers, that means half the normal daytime traffic will be on Mt. Bohemia, not in trailside businesses, eating, drinking, tipping, fueling, buying oil, parts, cold weather gear and souveniers. The mid-day business is a pretty healthy share of the take for a trailside business, so does anyone sense an impact here?

I believe that the ski hill will be a good thing for the KEWEENAW COUNTY AREA.
Perhaps when the dust has settled and when the quiet winter days and nights at Mt.Bohemia are replaced with the hum of ski lifts will the Business owners and lucky few residents that are employed at the SKI RESORT sit back and smile instead of worry about the lack of business or jobs.
My guess is that the majority of people will welcome the new business to the keweenaw with open arms and welcome the additional winter traffic to all the Eateries, Hotels, Motels,
Taverns.
Good Luck to The ski Hill

All these changes on all these site are making it hard to keep up with whats going on in the Keweenaw. It looks like the place hasn't been the same since I left.

I hope people can work together on some of these issues because I dont think I would like to return to that zoo.

Dan

Lisa,

Thanks for the link, I agree completly:

"Zoning is the partitioning of a township by ordinance into sections reserved for different purposes, such as residential, business or manufacturing. A constitutional claim can arise if a township zoning ordinance is written too vaguely or does not clearly define permissible or impermissible uses of land within a zoning classification. Liability also attaches when a zoning ordinanceis overbroad and proscribes constitutionally protected or otherwise lawful land use."

The referendum, if passed, will make the zoning vague, thus opening the County to a greater liability than if the language gets added that specifies that a Ski Resort is a permitted use under RS.

To clarify the Zoning and make it less vague the Residents of Keweenaw County MUST vote YES. This will also pave the way for the responsible development, something that many mistakenly think that a no vote will do.

My whole point was that this is another one of Gary's "grand" ideas that is now backfiring on him, and worse yet the County.

Maybe Gary is getting his shoes re-soled, he is going to need them.

Ted

I understand that Michele's article on the recent land-use meeting will be up sometime soon. For those of you concerned about IP dividing Keweenaw up into another feudal "keep-out" domain of private parcels, I think you'll find her story encouraging. It's all up to you, folks. The participating residents of Keweenaw County. There is still time to take more local control over where it's all headed. Write to the DNR, to the Nature Conservancy or the NorthWoods Conservancy, to rich relatives with a philanthropic streak or pool savings between you and buy what you can for posterity if that's what pleases you. Time is running out for those who neglect to act on preserving what makes the Keweenaw Peninsula so unique and special. Forge the best possible compromise between development and conservation and make it stick by creating a comprehensive land use plan that all can live with, township by township until the county and the politics which drive it are wise, strong, far-seeing and whole. Good luck and Godspeed!

Hey everyone,

Ted, if you are concerned about township liability I urge you and anyone else to go to this site.
www.mta-townships.org/mtnmay97.htm
This is something I believe could be informative for you.
Let me know what you think.

I also believe you have hit it on the head as far as Mr. Kohs is concerned. Has anyone heard or seen him lately?

Lisa

Ken,

It appears that Gary Kohs and Pasty.com had some sort of falling out. Maybe he wasn't paying his bills?

KT was moved and so was the Mendonta Lighthouse site (or it was at least off-line for a couple of weeks).

So much for Gary saying that KT would be local.

So much for Gary "helping" the local schools with KT.

So much for Gary "saving" the Keweenaw with a $500,00 investment.

All he did was get a lot of people in the Keweenaw riled up for his own personal reasons and then pulled the plug and went on his merry way.

It was Gary's Attorney (Ms. Black) that wrote the referendum in such a way that it will expose the county to liability if it passes. Had it been written in such a way that the re-zoning (CD-EP to RS) and the language that states "a Ski Resort is an acceptable use for RS" were seperate issues, then the County would have been better protected.

I hope all the residents of Keweenaw County will see this before the vote and VOTE YES on proposal B when the time comes.

Ted

Hey everyone,

Well I see it didn't take long for everyone to come back and start posting! Hooray!

Question? Ok, Just say all the land on the point is sold to private owners, and they build houses, or open businesses, will they have to pay for sewer to be run out there electric? and all the other fun stuff? That's alot of money, do you suppose they will get any help with this cost?

Or is this property being left unsurveyed to be sold in large tracts? If so who has the money to buy? Not most private citizens. So that would leave big business? Big troubles heading your way it seems.

Also, so the order by Judge Hood has been signed?
Correct? So am I right to assume that the meeting will be held in the required twenty days?
And I would also like an answer to Ken P's question, awful quiet on the Koh's front.
What's up?
Lisa

Ted,

While Susie may be technically incorrect about what the tax subsidy buys, in practice LSL has historically allowed people unrestricted access. And I've not seen any signs saying "Hunting Allowed but NOT Berry Picking". Wonder if berry pickers could claim a continuing right under "adverse possession" ?

On another subject: why is Keweenaw Today no longer 'powered by pasty central'? According to Register.com the site now appears to be hosted by Earthlink out of Atlanta, Georgia. What happened to Gary Kohs and his support for Keweenaw?

Thanks, Diane! There was one other name I forgot to add, suggested by I can't remember who to give him credit. Apparently this is an issue our Attorney General is interested in, so a letter to Jennifer Granholm (sp?) may also be helpful.

Just a note regarding Sandy's October 3 post about contacting DNR officials to support the State purchase of IP holdings in Keweenaw County. They can also be reached at the following e-mail addresses:

K.L. Cool, Director
burnhaml@state.mi.us

James Ekdahl, U.P. Field Deputy
ekdahlj@state.mi.us

George Burgoyne, Deputy Director
burgoyne@state.mi.us

Susie,

You need to read the wording of CFR more carefully. The property owner need only to allow hunting and fishing on CFR land, not berry picking, nature hiking, bird watching, etc.

The property owner can also verify/request that the hunter/fisherperson has a valid licence for that sport.

Also, nowhere does it state that access needs to be anything more than foot traffic. To berm an access road is well within the landowner's right.

For the good of the Keweenaw, Please vote YES!

Ted

Whose land is it anyway? Maybe we have to be reminded that the so-called land belonging to Lake Superior Land Company is being subsidized by you the taxpayer. L.S.L.C. pays $l.l0 per acre tax and you, the taxpayer, pay $l.20. This $l.20 allowed, and I say allowed, you to have access to the land for hunting, fishing, berry picking, etc. And the Land Company logged and mined and made money. Now, when the resources are spent, they have bermed and gated it and sell it at top-dollar because it is their "private land" and shut-up. And, you continue to pay $l.20.

It just continues...Calumet and Hecla, LSLC controlled our eonomy from Day l, kept out good business that might have competed with their low wages and controlled your pocketbook. Is it any different today? Can you speak up or are you still controlled?? Wake up, and vote NO on Proposal B in November. Do not believe Crosswinds spin on greater economy and 60 million tax revenue. It is SPIN and your taxes will go up. We need Zoning to keep out irresponsible development. Again, Vote NO. Thank you.

I agree with Jon and Ken. If the phone survey indicated positive support for the hill then why spend all that money on an ad campaign. I too am glad this format is back. Thanks much to the staff at pasty.com To the outside, the colors have peaked, it is a great year for the color tours. Get on out in your cars and check it out as after this week there won't be much left to see.

Ken,

I agree that he (Lonnie) must be hiding something.

Why else would he put more money in to something that he says is a sure thing?

Yesterday's Mining Gazette article about Crosswind's phone survey contained a glaring logical contradiction: Lonnie Glibmiester stated that they expected the ski hill zoning to win in Novemeber, and their phone survey confirmed it ("nothing that we've seen so far makes us feel any differently"). Then the article reports that Crosswinds is mounting an extensive ad campaign to convince voters to pass the zoning.

If the results of the phone survey indicated a win, why would there be a need to throw more money away to sway the voters? Is there something the Glibmiester discovered in his survey that he's not telling us???

Glad to see this format back!!! Makes interesting reading after a hectic day at work. Plus get to keep up with all the progress going on in the Keweenaw and the many different views and opinions of these changes.

Now that we have a public forum for issues, there is something all of us can and should do really soon. IP's plans for Keweenaw County land sales will irrevocably change its character forever. Send letters to the DNR stating public support for the DNR efforts to reach an agreement with IP on purchase of as much Keweenaw County land as possible. The addresses are:

Mr. K. L. Cool, Director
Dept. of Natural Resources
PO Box 30028
Lansing, MI 48909

Mr. Jim Ekdahl
DNR, U.P. Field Deputy
Marquette Operations Service Center
1990 US Hwy. 41S
Marquette, MI 49855

I know they understand HOW we feel, and WHY, but we've got to let them know how MANY of us feel this way. Ask all your friends, relatives and neighbors, from anywhere in the state, to get behind this. If we move quickly there is a chance to save at least some land from going into private hands.

As Bob Rippa noted at the P & Z meeting last week, 'No Trespassing' signs are already going up. Hunting camps are being bought, or leases not renewed. And people that post those hated relics from flatland don't like people picking berries, hunting, snowmobiling or in any way enjoying THEIR land! Let's help the DNR help us!