What will the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore do with the Alligator Hill trail west of downtown Glen Arbor, which was decimated in the Aug. 2 megastorm. Hundreds of trees fell during the windstorm, punching enormous holes in the canopy and rendering the popular hiking trail unrecognizable.
A mother of an infant was sitting in her tent at DH Day Campground, holding her baby, when the storm arrived Sunday afternoon. She suddenly realized that the tent wasn’t a safe place to be. So she and the baby moved into their vehicle. Within minutes a tree fell onto their tent. Had they still been there, it might have killed them. This story was told to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore chief interpreter Merrith Baughmann when National Park officials evacuated, and closed, the campground on Monday.
Over the past decade, there has been an increased incidence of bird deaths in Lake Michigan due to Type E avian botulism. Over 6,500 dead birds have been documented within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore alone. Scientists from the National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee have been conducting a collaborative research project to determine the causes of these botulism outbreaks — work that includes underwater research in Good Harbor Bay.
Many of Glen Arbor’s employers can’t find employees, and if things don’t change, some foresee the area’s economy drying up. Last year, three major Glen Arbor businesses — Cherry Republic (CR), Anderson’s IGA, and Leelanau Vacation Rentals (LVR) — were short an estimated total of 100 summer employees.
Glen Arbor was hit by a tornado on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 2. Winds of 93 miles per hour reported pummeled the town next to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at the height of the summer tourism season. As of Sunday night, the Glen Lake Fire Department was reporting that all roads into Glen Arbor, and around the Glen Lakes, are impassible. The Fire Department says clearing the trees and debris from the storm may take all night.
By F. Josephine Arrowood Sun contributor In these days and in this foodie haven of Northern Michigan, it seems that one can hardly turn around without tripping over another would-be farmer. In sharp contrast to this desire to “live off the land” (as the hippies used to say), the knowledge and experience to live with […]
As farmers, the Leelanau Conservancy is a pretty important organization in our lives. Our family raises alpaca and antique apples on the Leelanau Conservancy-owned DeYoung Farm at the base of the peninsula. It was during the the process of applying for land-use and working on this historic property, we discovered the many facets of an organization we’ve come to love and appreciate, not just for its land preservation efforts, but also for the resulting, positive influence the Conservancy’s efforts have on all aspects of life on the Leelanau.
From staff reports The Leelanau County Commission — reshaped by a watershed 2014 election that saw Democrats on the board nearly pull even with Republicans — is stepping up to solve the county’s affordable housing crunch. The board voted 4-2, in mid-June, to form a volunteer task force that will study the issue of affordable […]
It’s common knowledge that the public can walk along the Lake Michigan shoreline. You can walk it anywhere on public property. That means public road ends, or the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The question is: how far from the water’s edge can a person legally walk along private property? This is an important issue, since about 70 percent of Michigan’s “third coast” is privately owned. The answer is unclear, because neither courts in Michigan nor in other Great Lakes states have offered a clear and consistent answer.
Local law enforcement believe they may have stopped a massive and illegal rave party from taking place at North Bar Lake last Saturday night. Dozens of police cars were deployed to Empire by the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and sheriff’s departments from Grand Traverse and Benzie County.