Nearly 70 people gathered at the Leland Township Library on Saturday for an informative meeting called “Heritage Trail Perspectives” that focused on “Segment 9” from Bohemian Road to Good Harbor.
During the meeting, Krista Phillips, MDOT project manager of ‘“Segment 9” said construction has been pushed from this fall to the spring of 2025.
“We were hoping to have that design completed by the end of the summer and start construction in the fall. But there’s been several delays,” Phillips added. “There’s a lot of things that need to be in place before we can even start construction. One of those things is all of the environmental clearances and updating the environmental analysis and getting through all the review processes, all the permits.”
Phillips said they are still at a point where they are looking for initial environmental clearance and that’s been delayed for several months. Tart Trails is the fundraising partner for the Heritage Trail and they are still trying to gather the rest of the fund for the nearly $15 million project, which cost more than the entire previous sections of the Heritage Trail combined.
Phillips was one of several invited to be a part of a panel to get information out on what’s the latest going on with the Segment 9 project along with Doug Mansfield, Jim Olson, and Kira Davis.
Olson is an environmental lawyer and founder of FLOW (For Love of Water) and spoke about National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements and environmental consideration. Davis is a senior program manager of National Parks Conservation Association. Mansfield of Mansfield Land Use Consultants talked about engineering design analysis of recreational opportunities in the Good Harbor region.
The initial environmental survey and design concepts for the route was back in 2009 and the trail is not considering any alternative routes at this moment.
“We’re doing everything we can to minimize the impact,” Phillips said.
Public hearings and more meetings are expected in the coming months.
Saturday’s meeting facilitator, Doug Verellen, said the meeting went beyond expectations.
“In those kinds of settings it’s hard to tell. The panel of experts were great and we had Kira Davis, affiliated with the national park and got a couple different vantage points and Doug Mansfield on the private side,” Verellen said. “Phillips is trying to see this project through. She is great and totally objective.”
Mansfield and Olson recommended a new environment assessment be done by the park. 2009 was the last time it was done.
“The meeting went from two to three hours and the level of interest was high and engagement was good. This was not subjective and a fact based meeting,” Verellen said.
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).
