BAY MILLS - The U.S. Forest Service has dropped plans to develop and enhance shoreline and the environment along Lakeshore Drive. In the last throes of a lengthy process, the Forest Service staff simply ran up against time and appeals and made a decision to stop the project, officially known as Whitefish Bay Scenic Byway.
Two years ago the USFS resurrected the plan that had its origin in the late '80s. The plan used the scenic drive from Monocle Lake west along Lake Superior to a boundary just short of M-123 - about 23 miles, as the backbone. Within that area the forest staff proposed ideas to develop more camping, more access to shoreline, more development, and in some cases protection of, the shoreline, and various projects such as signage and woodland thinning as aesthetic enhancements to the area.
In its final form the Byway Project called for about $1.5 million in capital spending. That figure diminished a bit as projects within the project dropped. One was the scenic overlook above Spectacle Lake.
The project included and was anchored in public participation, and ultimately it was the public that caused the staff to re-think their decision.
In early meetings residents and landowners along the By-way were asked opinions and ideas. Many comments included a strong urging to leave the wilderness nature and isolation of the area alone. Ideas also included better traffic manipulation, better beach enhancement and additions such as bike paths and hiking trails.
Martie Schramm, the deputy district ranger for the Eastern District of the Hiawatha Forest ramrodded the project. Ultimately she made the decision to stop.
From the beginning the project included special public participation. Schramm entered an agreement with Michigan State University to bring in a landscape architecture class, which held two public sessions and then created options for the project. Some concepts found their way into the final proposal.
In time the Hiawatha staff created three options and did an Environmental Assessment as required. That environmental assessment drew comment, again as required by federal law, and out of those comments came four appeals.
Before the project could continue the staff worked with the groups appealing certain aspects of the environmental work. The Bay Mills Tribe, while consulted on the project, did not appeal the EA. At a critical deadline the project still had one appeal going forward and the staff agreed the extra time and resources couldn't be deployed to finish the appeal. The project was shelved.
Schramm likes to believe the project will re-surface.
"We're going to beef up the environmental work in time and we'd like to turn it around as quickly as we can," she said. "There was lots of good work done on this project. If and when we can find the time and money to bring it back, we will."
But for now the project is not part of the forest's capital investment program, which means that any parts of the project would have to be funded out of regular operating budgets, which is unlikely. When and if the project comes off the shelf it will have to be re-submitted to both the USFS Regional Office, and begin its journey past the public again.
