From the Superior

Watershed Partnership

MARQUETTE — The Superior Watershed Partnership Land Conservancy recently completed the purchase and permanent protection of over 1,600 feet of Lake Huron shoreline, including 17 acres of old-growth northern forest, coastal wetlands and rare fen marshlands.

The SWP received a $400,000 grant through the Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program administered through the U.S. Forest Service. The SWP and project partners provided over $377,000 in related project match funds.

The SWP Lake Huron Community Forest property is located near DeTour Village in Chippewa County where coastal development pressures are at an all-time high. The parcel will preserve important coastal ecosystems and provide educational and recreational opportunities for area residents and tourists.

The Lake Huron coastline is a popular tourist destination area of the eastern Upper Peninsula and much of the shoreline has been developed as second-home vacation properties, limiting public access to the beach. Protecting this unique coastal forest and coastal wetland was a local and regional priority.

The property, which includes frontage on M-134, has ample parking for access to the proposed community forest trailhead. Planned improvements include low-impact hiking trails and interpretative nature signs throughout the property.

The Michigan Natural Features Inventory noted that 121 species of special concern, threatened or endangered species have been observed in Chippewa County, including species such as the piping plover.