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October 11, 2021
By Jon King / [email protected]
Plans to reclaim two plots of land in Genoa Township for use as a seed orchard will be the subject of a public meeting at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources this week.
The 50-acre and 77-acre plots are located close to Brighton Road and Cunningham Lake Road, near the MNR Tree Improvement Center. Both were listed as surplus and intended for auction.
According to the MNR, the steps to be taken before the land can be used for a seed orchard include completing an ongoing timber sale, bypassing the land through a mining lease, then planting and maintenance of trees on the property.
It was the portion of the mining lease that created consternation among neighboring residents. MDNR silviculturist Jason Hartman says the land needs to be leveled before it can be used as a seed orchard and the mining lease is one way to achieve this. “The main question is ‘Where is the happy medium?’ In order to make the project practical to do, you need to give the company enough time to do it, but we also want to balance that with the impacts on the community. Exactly where it lands right now, we’re not sure. “
However, for residents like Tom Horgan, the idea that a gravel mine will be installed in their neighborhood for an indefinite number of years is not something they can accept. “The big concern is the impact on the overall environment. We have moved to the canton of Genoa, we have moved to the Brighton area, we love the quiet area, we love a bustling city center. We know that. it evolves, but it doesn’t have to evolve negatively. “
Horgan is just an inhabitant of the area who formed a group called Stop the gravel pit oppose the plan. They have held several meetings, including one last week focused on how best to present their concerns when the DNR holds a public information meeting tomorrow, Tuesday October 12 at Brighton High School from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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