A pair of U.P. state legislators announed their opposition Wednesday to what they call a “downstate effort to dictate the future of land in the U.P.”
State representatives Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) and Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) are talking about a proposal to designate a chunk of the Ottawa National Forest as a federally-protected wilderness area. Upper Peninsula State Senator Ed McBroom (R-Norway) already voiced opposition earlier this week.
The U.P. lawmakers are opposed to Senate Concurrent Resolution 11, sponsored by Senator Sue Shink (D-Ann Arbor) urges Congress to designate the Ehlco Area, Trap Hills, Norwich Plains, and a 2,000-acre addition to the Sturgeon River Gorge Wilderness; a total of 51,000 new restricted-use acres, as wilderness.
Markkanen and Prestin say this would bring many prohibitions, including those on tree cutting and the use of vehicles, even bicycles, in that area.
“Once again, we find ourselves defending our U.P. way of life from people who don’t live here,” Prestin said in a statement on Wednesday. “This is part of an ongoing effort to use the power of the state and federal government to dictate how we live our lives – from healthcare access to energy usage and our livelihoods. We see this all too often. These prohibitions restrict responsible forest management practices and stops older people and people with disabilities from adequately enjoying the outdoors. This effort totally discards the responsible, resource-based economies that allow us to survive up here. The Upper Peninsula is our home, not a playground.”
Notable restrictions include:
- Cutting live trees
- Moving dead trees
- Removing anything from a cave
- Constructing or maintaining a road or trail
- Handing out fliers
- Using a loud-speaker
- Having a dog on a leash longer than six feet
- Possessing or using a motor vehicle or bike
- Using a helicopter to pick up or drop off any person or supplies
Furthermore, firearms could be prohibited at any time by executive order.
So, in response, Markkanen and Prestin introduced a pair of resolutions of their own.
House Resolution 153 and House Concurrent Resolution 7 urges Congress NOT to issue the Wilderness area declaration for the section of the Ottawa, and instead, ask Congress to declare the entire city of Ann Arbor a federally protected wilderness area.
“Why a Senator from Ann Arbor thinks she and the Biden Administration know how to manage our backyard better than we do is patently ridiculous,” Markkanen said. “If downstate Democrats want new wilderness areas in Michigan, I’m more than willing to help out by asking Congress to declare the entire city of Ann Arbor a federally protected wilderness area.”
The state of Michigan has a total of 16 federal Wilderness areas that cover nearly 300,000 acres. Wilderness areas are managed by four federal agencies – the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service or the Bureau of Land Management.
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