This Journal file photo shows the destruction along Lakeshore Boulevard in Marquette following a storm in November. The Marquette County Board of Commissioners, at its regular Tuesday meeting, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Great Lakes shoreline be declared a disaster area. (Journal file photo)

MARQUETTE — The Marquette County Board of Commissioners, at its regular Tuesday meeting, unanimously adopted a resolution requesting the Great Lakes shoreline be declared a disaster area.

Commissioner Bill Nordeen was absent from the meeting.

The resolution requests the “governor of the state of Michigan along with the state Legislature declare the shoreline of the Great Lakes in the state of Michigan a disaster area, and that the governor and state Legislature seek assistance from Congress and the president of the United States of America for this devastating situation which has an impact statewide.”

Board Chairman Gerald Corkin said that after seeing the damage done to Lakeshore Boulevard in Marquette over the last several months, he felt the issue had to be addressed.

“What it boils down to is there’s been hundreds of millions (of dollars) — probably into the billions — of infrastructure that’s been destroyed around the Great Lakes in local communities. And take the city of Marquette over the last decade: I don’t know exactly what the figure is, but it’s probably in the seven figures trying to make repairs over there (at Lakeshore Boulevard), keep the road going and now they have to move it and it’s going to cost them up to, they say $7 million, for the relocation of the road,” Corkin said.

The state has put together a roughly $40 million budget to assist with shoreline damage throughout the state, he said, but requesting help from the federal government is necessary, as more help than what the state can provide is needed, Corkin added.

The resolution notes that Lake Superior water levels have caused severe damage to public infrastructure in the city and had detrimental environmental impacts at industrial legacy sites along the lakeshore.

“When the local effort is not enough to deal with something, then we need to get some aid from the feds or the state. Well, it’s reached that point in many communities in the state,” Corkin said.

Ultimately the conditions of the Great Lakes shorelines “directly affect business and tourism in Marquette County and the state of Michigan by limiting access to beaches, boat landings and parks along the shorelines, and loss and damaged property directly affects the local, county and state tax base,” the resolution reads.

The resolution will be sent to all of the 83 counties in Michigan as well as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, state Sen. Ed McBroom, state Rep. Beau LaFave, U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, state Rep. Sara Cambensy and U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.

With a continued rise in Great Lakes water levels predicted, the resolution is expected to be well received, Corkin added.

“All 83 counties in Michigan are going to need as much help as they can get so we (have) got to get everybody on board with us,” Commissioner Johnny DePetro said.

During the meeting the board also approved a letter stating its opposition to Senate Bill 431, which if passed, “would remove a local government’s zoning authority and oversight capability, pre-empting township regulations for sand and gravel mining operations, regardless of where it is located or the impact to nearby residents,” board documents state.

The letter, which is addressed to McBroom, states the county’s belief that local government must maintain its limited authority regarding mining operations and is best suited to balance the needs of residents with the impacts of those operations.

“For these reasons we urge you to help ensure that SB431 does not become law,” the letter reads.

Thyra Karlstrom, Marquette County planning manager, reviewed the bill and said in correspondence with the board that from a planning perspective, the bill would further remove local control of natural resource extraction land use.

“Community planning and zoning is administered at the local level, a government level best suited to determine the needs and desires of the community,” Karlstrom stated. “Essentially, mining for sand and gravel would be permitted anywhere — next door to your house, for example. It is shocking that local units could not regulate a use that has such a large impact to the land.”

Trinity Carey can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.