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M-22 Challenge returns June 14

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Imagine 900 kayaks lying side by side in rows on the banks of Little Glen Lake near Glen Arbor. A few yards away, picture 900 bikes hanging in organized racks. Beyond the bikes looms the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore where 900 athletes, ranging from 14-71 years old and hailing from 15 states and countries as far away as Switzerland, will run up the famous “Dune Climb”. You are picturing the sixth annual M-22 Challenge, which features athletes competing in the “Most Beautiful Place in America”.

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Borrowing Sleeping Bear from our children

On Friday, May 30, dignitaries including U.S. Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Dan Benishek gathered at the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive #3 Dune Overlook to commemorate President Obama’s signing this spring of the Sleeping Bear Dunes Wilderness Act, which will preserve our National Lakeshore while guaranteeing public access to its roads, beaches and forests. Here are a few highlights from their speeches.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes to dedicate Wilderness legislation with dignitaries, music

All are invited to join Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in dedicating their newly designated Wilderness on Friday, May 30, at noon at the breathtaking #3 Dune Overlook on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive. A special program is planned which focuses all participants on the mission of preserving and protecting this special place now and into the future. The National Park Service is pleased to announce that Senator Carl Levin, Senator Debbie Stabenow and Congressman Dan Benishek will be among some of the special speakers at this event.

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National Park hosts June 4 open house for Kettles Trail Plan

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s Kettles Trail Plan and Environmental Assessment (EA) is now available for public review and comment. This document evaluates alternatives for developing a trail system (“Kettles Trail”) on federal lands in the Bow Lakes area of the National Lakeshore. A public open house on the project is scheduled for June 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center Auditorium in Empire.

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Empire to charge for beach parking in 2014

The Empire Village Council last night upheld its initiative to charge visitors who want to park at the town’s prized Lake Michigan beach this summer. Anyone parking at one of the beach’s 87 spots, who doesn’t live in Empire Village or Empire Township, will pay $1 per hour at one, centrally located machine that accepts credit cards.

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National Park Ranger Lachowski a local hero

U.S. Park Ranger Henry J. (Joe) Lachowski was presented with an award for valor by the Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewel in a ceremony on May 8 in Washington, D.C. The Valor Award honors employees of the Department of the Interior who risk their own lives while attempting to save the life of another.

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Adopt-A-Beach within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will host a kickoff meeting for Adopt-A-Beach volunteers on Saturday, May 31, at 1 p.m. in the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center on M-72 in Empire.

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Experience the night sky at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

As darkness falls on Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the glorious night sky becomes visible. You can enjoy special night sky experiences at the National Lakeshore this year through a series of monthly astronomy programs from now through October. Join Park Rangers and the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society (GTAS) for guided explorations of the night sky and even a few daytime events as well. The next Star Party is Friday, May 9, 9-11 p.m., at Platte River Point.

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Leelanau Conservancy features “The Future of our Forested Landscape”

The Leelanau Conservancy hosts a free speaker series event at the Suttons Bay School Auditorium on Saturday, May 3 from 3-5 p.m. titled “The Future of Our Forested Landscape” — part three of the Conservancy’s Leelanau: Looking Ahead Speaker Series.

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National Park hosts antique apple and pear tree pruning workshop

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore will host its annual pruning workshop on May 2 in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. The workshop will be held at the Thoreson Farmstead, which is located on Thoreson Road, four miles north of Glen Arbor on M-22. Just follow the signs.

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