An informational meeting called “Heritage Trail Perspectives” will take place on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Leland Library.
The focus of the meeting will be 'Segment 9' considerations for the estimated $14 million dollar trail from Bohemian Road to Good Harbor.
The meeting will feature speakers including Jim Olson, an environmental lawyer and founder of FLOW ( For Love of Water). Olson will be speaking on NEPA requirements and Environmental considerations. Kira Davis, a Great Lakes Senior Program manager and member of National Parks Conservation Association, will be speaking on the mission of National Parks to preserve natural features for public enjoyment. Doug Mansfield of Mansfield Land Use Consultants will be talking about engineering design analysis of recreational opportunities in the Good Harbor Region. MDOT Project Manager Krista Philips will be previewing the preliminary Segment 9 design aspect. The meeting is being facilitated by Leelanau County resident Doug Verellen.
“We got an expert panelist that will answer questions. We invite audience participation in this town hall (type) forum,” Verellen said. “This open, informational meeting will discuss the details, logistics, and perspectives for the Heritage Trail ‘Segment 9’ initiative.”
The informational meeting will go into detail regarding the independent Borealis Tree Survey, which claimed 7,300 trees will be cut down; and the Mansfield Engineering report that claims construction of a two-story high retaining walls would be necessary to carve through the Little Traverse Lake region’s dune ecosystem.
Segment 9 construction is scheduled to begin this fall as of this writing. TART Trails was one of the main fundraising partners for this project.
This nearly 5-mile section has brought plenty of controversy and debate over the past several months, even though the project has been planned for nearly 15 years.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (SBDNL) has been eying this project since the beginning of the Heritage Trail in the early 2000s, and did a study that found “no significant impact” to the environment for the multiuse, non-motorized trail back in 2009.
Pathways to Sleeping Bear will also host several events this summer, to share information about the Pathway to Good Harbor (Segment 9) – the northernmost segment of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail. Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Trailside Open Houses: Thursday, June 27 10 a.m. to noon; Saturday, July 20 noon to 2 p.m.; Thursday, August 1, 10 a.m. to noon; Thursday, September 5 10 a.m. to noon.
All meetings are located at the intersection of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail and Glen Haven Road. The Pathway to Good Harbor, or segment 9, of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail, will extend north from Bohemian Road (Co. Rd. 669) to Good Harbor Trail (Co. Rd. 651).
