LANSING – State Representative Terry Brown (D-Pigeon) today urged the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work more cooperatively and quickly with property owners along the Lake Huron shoreline to allow them to groom and maintain their beaches.
"Many lakeshore property owners are eager to groom their beaches to maintain access to the water, and they should be allowed to do that especially when it does not harm the environment," Brown said. "Long-term problems with low lake levels, the growth of phragmites and the prevalence of muck have limited residents' ability to enjoy their property and recreational opportunities. In addition, these ungroomed areas can become traps for pollutants and breeding grounds for pests. The Army Corps of Engineers must be more flexible in allowing residents to keep their property neat, safe and clean."
The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality has developed expedited and more reasonable standards for beach maintenance that protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat while allowing property owners to address nuisance conditions, eliminate threats to their health, and preserve their enjoyment of the lakes. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has remained inflexible, allowing property owners to groom their beaches only within narrower parameters than the DEQ and has been slow to respond to local concerns.
Brown sponsored a resolution approved today by the Michigan House of Representatives that urges the Corps to exercise more discretion and cooperation in allowing lakefront property owners to reasonably groom and maintain their beaches in a timely manner. The resolution will be sent to the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, the Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.
"While we work solve the causes of these threats to our lakes, we must make sure that lakeshore property owners are not saddled with undue burdens," said Brown, who has sponsored legislation to limit the amount of phosphorus in lawn fertilizer, which will help fight the muck problem plaguing Saginaw Bay. "It is only right that responsible owners be allowed to take care of, and enjoy, their property."