Public Access Forum stimulates questions, reactions Participants in the recent Public Access Keweenaw forum mentioned The Estivants, a sanctuary of old-growth white pines just south of Copper Harbor, as an example of special places in the Keweenaw to be preserved for future generations. (Photo by Charles Eshbach) CALUMET ’Äì Keweenaw residents asked some hard questions of certain panel members during the Dec. 4 Public Access Keweenaw forum in the Calumet Theatre. The forum, which brought together the area’Äôs largest landowner and a diverse group of government and community representatives, was to be the beginning of a community-wide acceptance of the future of public access in the Keweenaw. Public Access Keweenaw is a broad coalition of groups and individuals working in a non-confrontational, cooperative manner to secure a permanent increase in the amount of public land in the Keweenaw. Mike Fitzgibbon Mike Fitzgibbon of Houghton asked Jim Ekdahl, Department of Natural Resources Upper Peninsula field deputy in Marquette, to explain more clearly why last year’Äôs failed land swap (with Champion International, now International Paper/Lake Superior Land Co.) was not considered in the public interest. Said Ekdahl, "That particular (proposed) land swap wasn’Äôt in the interest of the state (because of the imbalance of values) ’Ķ I think it will be difficult ’Ķ to find a large body of state land that people are willing to sacrifice in that proposition, so it may well be that what we’Äôre realistically looking at (for the future) is ’Äì if this land becomes available ’Äì some combination of land that might be available to swap, some funding from trust funds ’Äì some combination of values that might make this proposition of interest to International Paper." Art Abramson, Lake States region manager for International Paper’Äôs forest resources, added that International Paper is still digesting its purchase of Champion International, which is the third acquisition it has made in as many years. "The assumption that there is some imminent large-scale land transaction that’Äôs about to take place is really just that ’Äì an assumption," Abramson said. "And it’Äôs based on no information that has been provided by the company, nor any information that I’Äôve heard about or anticipate of that nature ’Ķ Any legitimate proposal that the State of Michigan, The Nature Conservancy or other organization wants to bring to the company in an atmosphere of collaborative dialogue ’Äì we’Äôre certainly willing to consider that. We’Äôre willing to sit down and talk about it ’Ķ But please don’Äôt assume that all of a sudden because IP bought this land that it’Äôs now for sale." Jackie Huntoon In response to the Ekdahl’Äôs presentation on the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, Jackie Huntoon, Michigan Tech professor of geology, noted her own past proposal for assistance from that fund was not accepted, although she had worked with DNR staff on the proposal. "At that time (about seven years ago) we were told by the DNR people who helped us that in general the State of Michigan didn’Äôt want to put a lot of money into acquiring land in the UP because we have such a small population, and so politically for them it was a lot better to acquire land downstate," Huntoon said. She asked for information on the amount of money available in that Trust Fund, the number of proposals submitted, what percentage of these are from downstate vs. the percentage from the UP and what percentage of the UP proposals are funded. Admitting he wouldn’Äôt be able to give numbers off the top of his head, Ekdahl said the competition for Trust Fund dollars is intense and many projects don’Äôt get funded. The scoring process for proposals is rigorous, he added, and the percentage that gets funded depends on the amount of money available and the quality of proposals in a given year. He noted the decision may pose a question of whether to secure a greater land mass in a remote area or fund a recreational project for people in urban areas. Ekdahl said members of the Trust Fund Commission have an active interest in the UP. "I wouldn’Äôt discourage anybody from submitting a worthwhile proposal," he said. Huntoon, noting that her proposals to the United States Department of Energy owed their success to lobbying in Congress, directed her next question to Matt Johnson, aide to U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, and Ann Jousma-Miller, legislative assistant to State Sen. Don Koivisto: "How do we get you guys to send a representative to lobby for us ’Ķ Is that something that’Äôs appropriate for our representatives to do?" Said Johnson, "Definitely, keep us in the loop, write us letters, email us, give us a call and let us know what’Äôs going on." Jousma-Miller nodded in agreement, and Huntoon said she was encouraged by the reply. Another question dealt with the kinds of precautions loggers take before cutting into animal habitat. Abramson said the company provides its foresters with field training provided by experts such as Whitewater Associates, who help them identify rare and endangered species. A manual identifying endangered plant species and their likely habitat is also available to foresters. He noted the manual is available from botanist Steve Chadde. Ekdahl noted the DNR has a group that deals with threatened and endangered species and tries to work with corporate and private landowners to make sure these species are protected on both public and private lands. Osceola Township property owner Pat Toczydlowski reported two incidents of broken promises from loggers working for Champion International (now IP). In one case, Toczydlowski had asked loggers not to cut a stand of 200-year-old hemlock trees, belonging to the company but bordering on her property, where she and her children had observed owls nesting. The loggers had given their word not to cut the trees but then did so when the family was out of town. In a second incident, her husband Dave, who does groundwater research, had requested, along with his supervisor, that logging not be done in a watershed where they were working. Again, the logger had promised not to cut trees in the area but went back on the promise. "I’Äôm just curious. It all looks good on paper; but, in my experience, there hasn’Äôt really been the follow-through; and I hope you’Äôre going to be better about sticking to your word," Toczydlowski said to Abramson. Although Abramson told her after the forum that he would check into the matter, Toczydlowski said later, "I think that SFI thing (Sustained Forestry Initiative) is nothing but a fancy PR campaign." Jim Rooks Copper Harbor resident and naturalist Jim Rooks, who conducts eco-tours in the Keweenaw, said he could relate to Toczydlowski’Äôs complaint. "That’Äôs how we had to fight to save the Estivant Pines," he said. It’Äôs the loggers pressuring the company foresters to let them cut certain areas." However, Rooks noted overall he liked Abramson’Äôs openness and his description of the company’Äôs tenets for operation. "He pointed out the company’Äôs willingness to listen and negotiate," Rooks said. "I thought the company’Äôs position was very tenable. I don’Äôt think anyone made the point that there have been so many owners of the company land that it makes residents suspicious of any new owner’Äôs intent." Joe Kaplan of Houghton compared the loss of the old hemlock trees to the disappearance of millions of acres of virgin white pine and noted the need to save white pine trees for the future. "White pine is not sustainable," Kaplan said. "You only have one chance at those trees, and it takes five generations to get them back. I just think we have to start thinking about forests in a broader sense." Tony DeFalco, Lake Superior project organizer for the National Wildlife Federation Tony DeFalco, Lake Superior project organizer for the National Wildlife Federation reminded the panel members and the audience that under the 1991 Lake Superior Bi-National Program, the United States and Canada, as well as state governments around Lake Superior, agreed to protect special areas around the lake, including what is called the "Keweenaw megasite." Since Bete Grise South is one of those special places, DeFalco said he wondered if IP would continue Lake Superior Land Company’Äôs challenge of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’Äôs denial of their request for a permit to build a road to access a proposed development at that site, even though the DEQ has denied the permit several times. "I’Äôve been working on Bete Grise South for nearly two years," De Falco said, "and we’Äôve seen recalcitrance on the part of the company for the protection of that land." Abramson said IP is following the administrative procedures set up by the DEQ in the company’Äôs appeal of the decision. "Our attorneys and UP Engineers are handling the details of that for us," he said. "We feel that we provided evidence that there would not be harm to the environment. The DEQ made an interpretation. We’Äôre simply challenging the interpretation ’Ķ It’Äôs simply asking for administrative review of the decision. The process is provided with the law to allow for challenge of their interpretation of the data. This is not unusual." DeFalco said later Abramson told him after the forum that IP does not have a policy to behave as they are at Bete Grise with respect to their other properties. Questions and discussions continued after the forum during the reception in the Calumet Theatre ballroom. Comments generally were positive, with some reservations: Hancock resident Steve Albee, a member of the Public Access Keweenaw coalition: "I thought we had a terrific turnout in spite of the weather." Eagle Harbor resident Paul Freshwater: "It was nice to see all those people on the same stage ’Ķ I think all of them were candid, and it’Äôs a lot easier for us to understand where everybody is coming from when they’Äôre candid like that." Ken Korhorn, Grant Township supervisor Newly elected Grant Township Supervisor Ken Korhorn: "I was pleased at the turnout ’Ķthe quality of the presentations and the candor with which they were expressed. I have to agree with Mr. Kauppi that compromise will be needed." Houghton resident Bob Brown, a member of the Keweenaw Land Trust: "I think (the forum) was reasonably good on the surface. I think that when we go a little deeper it’Äôs not so good; for example, the shoreline is all zoned resort-residential. Nobody mentioned the zoning." Barbara Manninen Hancock resident Barbara Manninen: "I feel like I’Äôm one of the rare species of the Keweenaw that’Äôs being endangered ’Ķ I think that land ’Äì something that magnificent and beautiful ’Äì should be beyond profit. It’Äôs too sacred to be bought and sold." Chassell resident Jim Alain: "I think it’Äôs a much more productive way (than bickering and fighting) to accomplish this. I have maintained for years that if people want these treasures accessible to the public, they should be making efforts to get them under public ownership." John Griffith, North Woods Conservancy president North Woods Conservancy President John Griffith: "I thought it was great ’Ķ informative. It might have dispelled some rumors. It gave a reason to hope that something possibly might be done with regard to public ownership." IP’Äôs Art Abramson: "I think it gave us an opportunity to share where IP is at, which is very early in a merger process ’Ķ to help people understand that we haven’Äôt made any decisions to change what we’Äôve been doing here to manage our lands." Greg Kudray, Public Access Keweenaw member and co-organizer of the forum: "Very successful. When we had an initial meeting with IP, they said they would welcome an organization that could represent a united front of government agencies, organizations and individuals." Editor’Äôs note: On Friday Kudray reported: "We had several dozen people interested in being active with the organization, and we will shortly be contacting them for their suggestions and ask them to comment on a few ideas for action that we have already identified." Christa Walck, Keweenaw Land Trust president and Common Ground Core Group chair Christa Walck, chair of the Core Group for Common Ground and President of the Keweenaw Land Trust: "I’Äôm pleased at the turnout here tonight, and I think it represents enormous interest in retaining public access. And this points out why we need land use planning, because locally enacted plans are the only thing that ultimately protect what we value." Editor’Äôs note: Watch for a story soon on the Common Ground Initiative’Äôs Community Planning Workshop held on Dec. 5 in Houghton. Common Ground plans to have a similar workshop in Keweenaw County in January. Keweenaw Today welcomes readers' comments on public access and on the forum. Click here for the commentary board and let us know what you think. -Michele Anderson December 8, 2000