BAY MILLS - Not shelved in the Whitefish Scenic Byway project is a proposed boat launch on Pendills Bay. That's because the boat launch project was ultimately separated from the project.
For several years fishermen, through both the Chippewa-Ottawa Resources Authority and the Bay Mills Tribe, have planned a boat launch somewhere between Whitefish Point and the Back Bay in Brimley.
At one point in the development of the Scenic Byway Project, the U.S. Forest Service included the boat launch at or near The Narrows, west of the Pendills Fish Hatchery.
Marty Schramm, project coordinator, explained that as the project developed, forest staff met several times with tribal leaders to discuss both a final place for the launch site, which would be on forest land and therefore subject to Hiawatha involvement, and the design.
Schramm explained that between time constraints at both the forest and the tribe, they couldn't reach a decision on the design and size before work began on the environmental assessment. According to Schramm, since it couldn't be part of the environmental work, the USFS put the boat launch project aside, and finished their work on the rest of the project. The final figure of $1.5 million for the Scenic Byway project does not include figures for the launch.
The site for the proposed launch, which would be used by tribal commercial fishermen, would still likely be near The Narrows, but the USFS and tribe have yet to settle on details.
