By Webmaster on Thursday, December 9, 2004 - 07:41 am:
STATE FUND APPROVES $560,000 COPPER HARBOR LAND PURCHASE
COPPER HARBOR, MI - Trustees for the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund have placed on their final recommendation list of projects a $560,000 grant application to purchase Copper Harbor's Hunter's Point at their December 8th meeting in Lansing. The Trust Fund's decision caps a two-year effort by Grant Township, which includes the Upper Peninsula villages of Copper Harbor and Lac LaBelle, to purchase a picturesque section of Copper Harbor's Lake Superior shoreline in order to protect it from development. "Christmas has come early to Copper Harbor this year," said Richard Powers, Grant Township Supervisor. "This is very exciting news, and on behalf of the residents of Copper Harbor I would like to thank the trustees for their support."
Hunter's Point is a narrow finger of land that protects Copper Harbor from the storms of Lake Superior. The Point has long been a destination of visitors to Copper Harbor-Michigan's most northern village with just 80 year-round residents-and it is noted for its pristine forests and spectacular scenery. Hunter's Point has been threatened by the development of a subdivision that would restrict access to this popular hiking spot. The purchase includes 9.4 acres and 4,800 feet of shoreline on Lake Superior and the interior shores of Copper Harbor.
The trustee's decision is the first step in acquiring the Hunter's Point property. The Michigan Legislature must pass enabling legislation before the purchase can be completed, which could be as soon as mid-2005. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grant requires a local match, and Grant Township needed to raise $195,000 to qualify for the grant. In July of 2003, Grant Township, with the support of the Copper Harbor Improvement Association, began their drive to raise the $195,000 and increase public awareness of the threat to public access to Hunter's Point. By the end of November 2004, nearly $185,000 had been raised including over 960 donations from individuals, trusts, and businesses in 33 states. Over 7,000 petition signatures have been collected and hundreds of letters and emails have been received supporting the purchase.
Grant Township officials hope to raise the last $10,000 in matching funds during the next few months. Donations may be made to the "Hunter's Point Project", PO Box 76, Copper Harbor, MI 49918.
Fundraising efforts have included garage sales, a lemonade stand, a community dinner and sporting events. This summer a 15-year-old Copper Harbor resident, Jenn Stigers, staged a 5-day, 120-hour, sit-in using a large chair in front of her parents' Copper Harbor restaurant and raised over $7,000. Anonymous donors have donated $70,000 and the Izaak Walton League Endowment Fund donated $10,000.
Grant Township Supervisor Richard Powers described the response to the request for public support as "overwhelming." "We have more than 300,000 visitors to the Copper Harbor area each year. Many families have been coming back for years and have developed a strong attachment to the area. Without their support we would not be able to complete the purchase of Hunter's Point," he said. The land purchase was supported by editorials in the LANSING STATE JOURNAL and THE DETROIT FREE PRESS. The FREE PRESS described the effort by Grant Township to purchase Hunter's Point as "premier Michigan do-it-yourselfism, with generations yet to come as the ultimate beneficiaries."
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