TABLE OF CONTENTS HOME -
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 4 GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND POLICIES APPENDICES
CHAPTER 2 EXISTING CONDITIONS CHAPTER 5 FUTURE FOREST RESOURCE AREAS LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER 3 PRIORITIZATION OF WOODLAND AREAS CHAPTER 6 PLAN ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION LIST OF TABLES

APPENDICES

Appendix A - Citizen Comments Appendix D - Recommended Street Trees, Ithaca, NY
Appendix B - Brief Summary of "Conservation Design for Subdivision,
A Practical Guide to Creating Open Space Networks" by Randall Arendt		 Appendix E - Problem Prone Plants Selecting Ornamental Plants
- MSU Extension Service
Appendix C - Native Plants from Michigan Association of Conservation Districts Appendix F - Selecting Ornamental Plants - 1987 MSU Extension Service
Appendix A

Citizen Comments (written or faxed)

Problems to address
 
 

  • The crush of population around West High School and in general west from Traverse City.
  • Desire for isolated residences.
  • The Land Division Act.
  • The low value of farmland for farming vs the value as development property.
  • Reconciling individual's rights to manage property vs. incremental deterioration of environment.
  • Mixed appreciation of value of woodlots, meadows, orchards and viewsheds among residents.


Areas to Protect
 

  • Viewsheds
              Secor Rd.-north side-old farmsteads, orchards
                        -south side-large meadow, open land
               East Long Lake Rd.-Herkner farm-rolling meadow, hayfield
               Herkner Rd.-woodlot, meadows, cornfields
               North Long Lake Rd.-Twin Lakes and Coffield Lake
               Skiver Rd.-view across Skiver Lake, tamaracks, wetlands
              Cedar Lake area-mature hardwood stands, large open meadows
  • "Tunnel of Trees" on West Long Lake Rd. between Fisher and South Long Lake Rd.
  • Stone Wall along North Long Lake between Deerpath South and Skiver
  • Girl Scout Camp-Fern Lake-beautiful wilderness lake
  • Armour Estate-elegant log building & old growth forest
  • Timbers Trail-mature stands of woods
  • Follansbee property
  • South Long Lake Rd.-woodlot at south end of Township


Additional Comments
 

  • I have a concern about the existing trees that are within the road right-of*way. Some of these are large old beautiful maples, oaks or other deciduous types. As they come down (for what ever reason) there are safety people that don’t want them replaced (Or may take them down before they get old). My concern is that eventually we will lose all of these trees that line our roads. They provide shade, scenic roadways to view, etc. Maybe one way would be to designate these roads as "Scenic Roads" thereby leaving the trees, or permitting replanting trees within the right-of way.
  • It would seem that we should consider some type of promotion program that would encourage property owners to maintain; enlarge or start local woodlots. These might be only a few acres (like my 5 acres), but I feel they are a real asset to the Township, as they are scattered about the area. More and more land developments are removing these, and in our planning for the new zoning of whatever it will be called, the encouragement should be to start, maintain or enlarge these small lots.
  • I don't know if there is any danger of some time down the line losing the large tree lots that the DNR, or other State Agencies have; but maybe we should try to entertain some type of information to those agencies that we want to have first refusal (or whatever) before they sell them, or trade properties. You know what I mean? The State is now "trading" properties with developers. This is one way we could lose our trees for someone who trades for property say along a freeway route.
  • The same thing, as above, could happen to lands such as: Girl Scout camp, Boy Scouts near Cedar Lake, Twin Lakes area. What would keep these people from selling to developers when the $$ are offered?
  • Behind my property (Herkner Rd.) is a hill that could be called a "view".  It is private property, and I don't know how we can preserve such properties, unless it is placed in some sort of trust, donated, or purchased.  Even if the Township gets the property, how can it be developed as a "view site" for the public to use?
  • Can we include way to make our GIS information available to developers such as soils, topography, forests or woodlots, views to preserve, etc, so that they can use it to plan their own developments?