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Subscriptions: Paid subscriptions are available for $15 for 6 issues. Subscriptions can be placed by phoning the SCN Communications Group at 248.360.6397 or mailing payment to P.O. Box 14, Union Lake, MI 48387-0014. Editorial: All editorial matter fully protected. All rights reserved. No portion, whole or part, may be reproduced without prior written permission. The name Oakland Lakefront is protected property. Advertising: Copy closing/space reservation deadline generally three weeks in advance of publication. Specific issue closing dates/editorial calendar available by phoning 248.360.6397.
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April 2011 • Volume 20 • Number 1
contents Mute swan song?
8
In addition to their undeniable beauty, mute swans have an aggressive and territorial nature that has prompted state DNR officials to change the way Michigan manages the mute swan population.
16 Less grog for skippers A bill that would lower the blood-alcohol level at which a person operating a boat is considered intoxicated has been introduced in the state House.
21
Snyder splits DNRE in two
Not even a full year after the state Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) was created, newlyelected Gov. Rick Snyder signed his first executive order, splitting the department into two agencies.
28 Walleye revival 31 Great shakes The DNR is preparing to return its fish hatchery production of walleye to past levels, after scaling back walleye production and stocking in recent years due to the emergence of viral hemorrhagic septicemia.
The APBA National Inboard Hydroplane Championships will be held in Michigan for the first time in 42 years as part of the 12th annual Quake on the Lake event being held on Pontiac Lake in Waterford and White Lake townships.
40
Controlling watercraft access
43
No more phosphorus for us
The Orchard Lake City Council has adopted a boat ordinance amendment to appease riparians on three lakes the city abuts, after months of deliberation.
A new Michigan statute prohibiting the use of fertilizers containing phosphorus on lakefront properties is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2012.
in every issue
:
35 Riparians prevail
The Michigan Supreme Court has reaffirmed a century of case law ensuring riparian rights for those who own property on the opposite side of a platted roadway running parallel to a lake shoreline.
45
Welcomed news in Asian carp battle
47
New wave of funding rolling in
The state has received good news in the fight against Asian carp, as new test results were negative for Bighead and silver carp DNA in Michigan waters.
The Milford Township Board of Trustees has officially set and certified a roll for the renewal of an SAD for the improvement and maintenance of Sears Lake.
17 – Snapshot: David Moilanen 39 – Snapshot: David Law 18 – Port of Call: Mohawk/Wormer Lakes 61 – Waterway Levels
index of advertisers April 2011 • Volume 20 • Number 1 21st Century Building Company . . . . . . . . 30 Aerial Graphics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Aggressive Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 American Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 American Soft Trim . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 Ann’s Canvas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Aquacide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Aqua Cleaner of Michigan . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Aqua-Weed Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Bay Point Golf Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Bev’s Canvas Covers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Bi-Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Blackbox Surf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 Boating Supply Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Colony Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32-33 Commerce Ace Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . .22 DSL Marine Transport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Diversified Docks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2 Dock Squad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Farm Bureau Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Freeway Sports Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Goddard Talmay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Instant Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 J & D Marine Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Lake Ponemah Marine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Livingston Concrete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22 Marine Automated Docks . . . . . . . . . . . . .24
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lakefront real estate Coldwell Banker/Weir Manuel . . . . . . . .56-57 Kendra McConnell Hurd . . . . . . . . . . .57 Karen Thomas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Keller Williams - Commerce . . . . . . . . .52-54 Steve/Janet Stockton . . . . . . . . . . .52-53 Max Broock - Birmingham . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Kathy Broock Ballard . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62
Max Broock - Bloomfield Hills . . . . . . . . . . .60 Jeff Barker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Morgan & Milzow Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Real Estate One - Milford . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 Cyndi Robinson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59 SKBK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55 Lee Embrey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
MUTE SWAN SO
W
ith ith their their long, long, regal regal necks necks and and white white plumage, plumage, mute mute swans swans are are the the epitome of grace and beauty on Michigan waterways. However, epitome of grace and beauty on Michigan waterways. However, the the birds’ birds’ beauty beauty cloaks cloaks an an aggressive aggressive and and territorial territorial nature nature that that Michigan Michigan Department Department of of Natural Natural Resources Resources (DNR) (DNR) experts experts say say poses poses aa threat threat to to native waterfowl and their ecological environment. That’s prompted native waterfowl and their ecological environment. That’s prompted changes changes in in the the way way the the state state manages manages the the mute mute swan swan population. population. The major change is a wildlife conservation order amendment The major change is a wildlife conservation order amendment prohibiting prohibiting the the release release of of mute mute swans swans back back into into the the wild wild after after being being removed removed from from the the environment. This measure was passed by the state’s Natural Resources Commission (NRC) in a 3-2 vote on Feb. 10 and took effect the following day.
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The mute swan is considered an exotic, invasive, non-native species in the United States, according to state and federal wildlife officials. A native to Europe and some parts of Asia, the species is believed to have been introduced to North America from the mid-1800s through the early 1900s for its ornamental value. According to Cornell University’s Lab of Ornithology, individual mute swans were imported to many areas of North America, including Chicago and New York, as adornments in city parks, zoos, large estates, and aviculture collections. And it’s believed that the release or escape of individual birds from these early captive flocks resulted in the current feral mute swan populations of today. However, since then, mute swans have been able to outcompete native waterfowl for breeding habitats and continue to reproduce at a high rate. According to DNR statistics, the population has risen from an estimated 5,400 in 2000 to an estimated 15,500 in 2010. And as a non-native species, the mute swan is not protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Therefore, the regulation of mute swans is the exclusive jurisdiction of the state. To regulate Michigan’s mute swan population, the DNR has been following the department’s current policies for mute swan management and control. However, as the population continues to grow exponentially, department staff felt they had to take even more aggressive measures, according to DNR waterfowl specialist Barbara Avers. “In the spring of 2010, the breeding population estimate was 15,500 swans,” she said. “The population has continued growing exponentially, and our recent control efforts were not enough to control the increasing population. We used to allow for the rehabilitation of mute swans. But when we were looking at the entire policy, we wondered why would there be rehab efforts on an invasive, non-native species that was so far above the population goal? Basically, the efforts to rehab them did not fit into (the DNR’s) long- and short-term goals.” According to Avers, population estimates were gleaned from the DNR’s spring breeding waterfowl survey, an aerial survey conducted every year by trained observers comprised of wildlife biologists and technicians. The short-term goals include bringing the population growth rate of mute swans to zero, in addition to bringing the mute swan population to zero in state game and wildlife areas, which Avers said are managed to provide for native wildlife species. As for long-term goals, the DNR hopes to bring the statewide mute swan population down to 2,000 by 2030. With such an ambitious goal, Avers realizes more drastic measures will have to be taken. “In order to reach our long-term goal, we are going to have to remove more swans from the population.” And by “remove,” Avers acknowledges the DNR means kill. This “removal” of swans from state land will be the DNR’s first priority. www.oaklandlakefront.com
In an attempt to have no mute swans there, Avers said the DNR will employ a combination of methods including nest destruction, oiling eggs, and even shooting mute swans. Other acceptable methods of killing include euthanasia with drugs or cervical dislocation. “These are pretty aggressive goals — short- and long-term. Moving (the swans) somewhere else doesn’t help.” Avers said there are three main reasons why the DNR is taking such an assertive stance against the mute swans. The first threat is the impact on the submerged aquatic vegetation that grows in lakes. “Basically, they eat a tremendous amount,” Avers said. “The bigger group of swans can destroy a whole bed of vegetation easily and then there are not the same resources left for the native waterfowl species.” She also mentioned that there are studies that suggest that the amount of submerged aquatic vegetation mute swans consume has had negative impacts on the overall aquatic ecosystem. The second threat is that mute swans can displace native waterfowl — including the native trumpeter swan, which the DNR has been trying to reintroduce — by competing for breeding habitat. Mute swans have a tendency to become “exceptionally aggressive” during breeding and rearing their cygnets. This territorial aggression poses a third threat when it is geared toward humans. Avers said the DNR has received numerous reports of mute swan aggression toward kayakers, people in canoes, and even people on shore. However, Avers said while there are “quite a few” of those reports made to local field offices every year, the DNR didn’t have a good way of tracking those reports. Tim Payne, the supervisor of the DNR’s southeastern management unit, said while the department gets many inquiries about swans, it only receives about a half a dozen calls a year where a swan has physically made aggressive contact with a human. “Not every swan is a problem,” he said. “We do try to separate out a call between a moderately aggressive swan protecting the area but not clearly attacking vs. a swan hitting somebody and creating an accident or health risk.” Avers added, “To my knowledge, nobody has been seriously injured, but (their aggression) poses the potential for that to happen. There have been reports of them trying to drown people’s dogs. There is just the potential for serious accidents to happen — if a small child were to be attacked it’d be very different than a full grown adult.” Payne said he is also sure there are more incidents of swans harassing people than are reported to the DNR: People just tend to give swans a wider berth rather than report such incidents. Another amendment in the new wildlife conservation order is that written permission no longer needs to be obtained by DNR employees and other designated personnel to kill swans or destroy their nests and eggs. OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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However, this only applies to mute swans on state lands, and verbal permission is still needed. “People still need approval for those activities,” Avers said. “They just can’t go out and shoot swans on state property. They need verbal permission.” She added that the DNR envisions this lack of written permission to only apply to specifically managed waterfowl areas. Avers further ensured that all personnel and volunteers would be trained to distinguish between the non-native mute swan and the native trumpeter and tundra swans. Those participating in the swans killings would also be trained to use discretion. “If there is, for example, people bird-watching right there, we won’t do the mute swan control in front of them,” Avers said. “We would approach them first and explain what we are doing and educate them on the purpose for all this. And we know there are a lot of people who find this offensive and like (the swans), and we have to be understanding that people feel that way as well.” However, this measure only applies to public lands, according to Avers. All nest, egg, and swan removal on private lands still requires written permission from the DNR. Nevertheless, some residents in Oakland County remain concerned and angered on behalf of the mute swans, especially now that they are no longer able to rehabilitate injured or sick individuals. Karen Stamper, a Walled Lake resident who has been attending recent NRC meetings and fighting on behalf of the mute swans, said she believes wildlife rehabilitators should be allowed to continue their efforts, considering the low number of swans rehabilitated each year, especially as most swan injuries are caused by people. “I think it’s pathetic (that) for the amount of swans that the rehabbers take in per year — all parties agreed 40 was the magic number — that they couldn’t allow them to continue their rehab efforts,” she said. Sharon Knoll Smith of Bloomfield Township also attended the Feb. 10 NRC meeting and said she agrees with Stamper. “I am really very upset at the decision,” she said. “These are man-made injuries that swans are suffering. Why won’t they let human beings try to repair the harm they have done to swans?” “Most swan injuries are human error ... fish lines, fish hooks, lead poisoning, hit by cars, boats and jet skis, power lines, etc.,” Stamper said. “Yes, we should have to help them. It’s our carelessness that’s made them sick or injured. The DNR will have more people complaining to them when these people call them and are told they can’t help them.” She added that rehabilitators are worried about the fate of injured or sick mute swans. “They want to go and fight this but are scared to because the DNR will probably come and take their animals or make it harder to get their license renewed,” she said. The Michigan Humane Society was the only rehabilitation organization that commented on the www.oaklandlakefront.com
DNR’s new wildlife conservation order. “Generally speaking, we believe there are other methods you can use to curb the population,” said MHS Spokesperson Kevin Hatman. “We feel destruction of eggs and nests has worked very well with Canada geese.” “We think this measure has gone too far,” he added. “If you need something to bring the population down, we much prefer (the DNR) to take a more holistic approach to allow us to actually continue to rehabilitate sick and injured swans.” Stamper said she also would like more evidence related to several of the DNR’s claims, including the damage mute swans cause to lakes’ submerged aquatic vegetation. She said she has repeatedly asked for the DNR’s studies regarding the damage done to lakes and submerged aquatic vegetation by mute swans. Avers admits that the DNR hasn’t conducted its own studies, but has relied on studies conducted in Maryland and around the Great Lakes area. However, Dr. James Danoff-Burg, an associate research scientist at Columbia University who specializes in non-native species and how they affect the ecology of their environment, said he doesn’t believe it’s a problem that the DNR has relied on information from studies conducted outside of Michigan. “Budgets for these departments are being slashed constantly,” he said. “There’s no need to reintroduce the wheel. If you know an organism changes an ecosystem, does it matter whether the information is 95 percent or 97 percent correct? No, because you know what they do and know what they eat. So you know they will have an impact.” Danoff-Burg agreed with Avers that if there are a lot of mute swans in an area they can fundamentally change an ecosystem, especially with regard to submerged aquatic vegetation. “Submerged aquatic vegetation is the essential basis of the food chain,” he said. “Small fish eat it, which are in turn eaten by big fish. If there’s no submerged aquatic vegetation in most fresh water lakes, there’s not going to be a lot of things there. More species of plants equals more of everything else including invertebrates, vertebrates, consumers and producers.” While those opposing the DNR’s new measure admit that mute swans can be aggressive, they say they believe it’s often the result of human provocation or harassment. They maintain that the swans are just protecting their homes and families. Stamper and others such as Clarkston resident Cecile Whapham also maintain that they have observed mute swans getting along with other native waterfowl, including Canada geese. However, Payne said the aggressive behavior varies from swan to swan. “Different swans have different temperaments,” he said. “Some have nested close to Canada Geese, while other swans are so aggressive other waterfowl will not get within 200 yards of them.” Danoff-Burg also attributes this ability to co-exist OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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peacefully to how well species have learned to stay away from mute swans. “A species may have already beaten the other species into submission,” he said. “You can believe that it most likely wasn’t always peaceful.” The population estimates are also perplexing to Stamper. She said she doesn’t believe they are entirely accurate because while mute swans don’t have any natural predators, their cygnets do. “Most cygnets do not make it,” she said. “They are killed by turtles, fish, raccoons and other predators.” Debby Glascock Gentry of White Lake Township and the Friends of the Ducks and Geese group said she agrees with Stamper. “Although swans can lay a lot of eggs, it doesn’t mean all eggs are viable and will hatch,” she said. “From my observations on a lot of different lakes and different swans, you only see (a pair) with only one or two babies that survive. Snapping turtles and raccoons get the other ones.” Others call into question how the mute swan population could have gotten so large. Patricia Rusnell of Commerce Township blames the DNR for its mismanagement efforts. “The DNR has been around since 1921 and if they’re so good at wildlife management, why is there a 13,500 surplus of mute swans?” she asked. “Where were they when these 13,000 were being produced? (The DNR) allowed them to reproduce to 13,500. They shouldn’t make the swans pay for the consequences.” Wolverine Lake Village Council President John Magee agrees. “It makes me a little sad that the situation came to this point,” he said. “More humane and more aggressive population control statewide much earlier could have been effective.” Two years ago, Wolverine Lake decided to take steps to reduce its swan population with the DNR’s approval, as there were a reasonable number of swans on the lake that were causing a problem. However, Magee said village officials didn’t want to eliminate swans. So instead, they followed the path of egg collection and nest destruction that has proven effective for Canada geese. According to Magee, the plan has seemed to work pretty effectively for reducing the swan/human conflicts the village had in the past. “What we did on our lake is to try to find a humane balance,” he said. “I think some of the swan advocates were upset with us, while some of the people who didn’t like swans didn’t think we went far enough. But in general I think the overall results have been positive.” Most of the mute swan advocates have no problem with controlling the population through the destruction of eggs and nests, provided it’s done humanely. It’s the inability to help a swan in need and the thought of swans being killed for just existing that bothers them. Magee too stated that he is saddened by the state’s decision to eliminate the rehabilitation of mute swans. www.oaklandlakefront.com
“We’ve had occasionally injured swans in the past, and we would call in a rehabber to take care of the swan. Now that can’t happen,” he said. Knoll Smith likens the DNR’s decision to “animal cruelty.” “I believe it is irresponsible of the DNR,” she said. “I believe that allowing injured swans to suffer before being euthanized is animal abuse and animal cruelty.” Another point of contention among swan advocates is whether the mute swan is truly a non-native species. Stamper and others call this into question because of a study that suggests a re-evaluation of a watercolor done by John White in 1585, which revealed earlier occupation by the mute swan on the Atlantic Coast. They also point to the 1964 discovery of a mute swan sternum bone in Ontario. The bone was found at a site dating back to almost 300 years ago. The study can be found at savethemuteswans.com. However, according to Danoff-Burg, the native or non-native status of a species is usually determined based on the historical record of the species in different areas. Normally, if a species predates the Industrial Revolution, it’s a good indication that it’s native. And while the bone found in Ontario does pre-date the 1800s, there have not been any other reports of similar bones found. Danoff-Burg said characterizing a species as native based on a piece of art “would make me nervous.” “You don’t know if the representation is accurate,” he said. “People could be off because of an inability to correctly render a species.” He said a better way to demonstrate whether a species is non-native is to have records of the original introduction date. According to most state DNRs — including those in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, New York, and Maryland — the mute swan was introduced in the mid-1800s from Eurasia. Universities such as Columbia and Cornell concur. However, others feel it doesn’t matter whether the species is native: Rehabilitators should still be able to take them in when birds are ill or injured. “To know (rehabilitators) can’t do that anymore is heartbreaking,” Glascock Gentry said. However, swan advocates aren’t going down without a fight. There has already been a Michigan petition drive started at change.org/petitions/stop-the-killing-of-muteswans. Currently, the petition has 1,283 signatures. Stamper and others have also been organizing meetings to try to fight the DNR’s measure. “We are trying very hard to get the public informed. We will just keep gathering our facts and do what we need to do to get the word out,” she said. To spread the word, Stamper has been putting up information on her Facebook page, as well on a website called Swans Voice. “People should actually look up things and do things to make their own decision,” she said. “People shouldn’t just take the so-called specialists word for it so that it’s easier to look away.” ❏ OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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PARITY ON BOARD Lawmaker floats bill to align boat operator BAC limit with drunk driving threshold By Angela Niemi
L
egislation that would lower the minimum blood-alcohol limit at which a person operating a watercraft is legally considered intoxicated has been introduced to the state House of Representatives. The current blood-alcohol content (BAC) limit for individuals operating a watercraft is set at 0.10 percent. House Bill (HB) 4072, introduced by state Rep. Matt Lori (R-Constantine), seeks to lower that threshold to 0.08 percent, which would make it equivalent to the drunk driving limit for operating an automobile. Blood-alcohol content is typically measured in grams per 100 milliliters of blood. Similar legislation has been proposed several times in previous legislative sessions. The bill was initially proposed in direct response to the death of a 7-year-old boy on Donnell Lake in Cass County. The child was tubing when he was run down by a personal watercraft. The driver of the personal watercraft was found to have a BAC of between 0.08 and 0.09 percent when tested by police. Because he was under the legal 0.10 percent limit, the personal watercraft operator pleaded guilty to negligent homicide — an offense punishable by up to two years in prison. If the law at the time resembled that which is currently in place for automobiles, the man would have a faced a felony for operating while intoxicated and causing death, which carries a penalty of 15 years in prison. In 2007, a similar legislative proposal received the support of the Michigan State Police, the 16
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Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan, the Michigan Sheriff’s Association, the Michigan Boating Industries Association, and the National Marine Manufacturers Association. Those opposing the bills included the Michigan Licensed Beverage Association and the American Civil Liberties Union. Lori decided to introduce the bill again in 2009. However, Lori’s chief of staff, Susan Martin, said that “with the focus during the previous leadership being on the budget and fiscal issues, policy matters took a back seat.” Therefore, Lori has reintroduced the proposed change. Although she said she still needs to thoroughly read the bill, state Rep. Eileen Kowall (R-White Lake) said she believes that a watercraft is “just as deadly as a car.” Therefore, the standards that apply to driving a road vehicle should be the same when piloting a watercraft. She added, “I’m concerned about safety on the water, as well as the roads.” State Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham) said he would like to see demonstrated evidence that drunk boating incidents have increased before legislators make the law harsher for everybody. “Before I sign on to anything, I want to make sure that the laws we have aren’t working in general,” he said. “If we are seeing lots of people getting hurt and killed, then maybe we should change the law to make it more strict. But if it’s just one bad incident, then we need to find what in the system failed rather than making stricter laws on everyone.” The bill has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it awaits a hearing. ❏ www.oaklandlakefront.com
avid Moilanen, a 36-year veteran employee with the Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority (HCMA), has worked his way up the organizational ladder to become the director of the HCMA after starting his career as a part-time golf course maintenance worker in 1974. Moilanen’s career path has been a winding one. After receiving his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan and spending a year in law school, Moilanen missed working outdoors. “After spending so much time in the law library, I decided that (what) I really enjoyed most (was) being outdoors,” he said. “I really just kind of decided that I wanted to learn about the environment and tell people about it. That’s why I went back to get a degree in natural resources (from Michigan).” Essentially a Renaissance man of the HCMA, Moilanen has worked for the Metroparks in a variety of capacities — golf course maintenance worker, nature interpreter, farm manager, public relations/information officer, chief of
interpretative services and public relations, deputy director, and now director — enjoying each and every position. By continuing to take classes through the years, Moilanen was able to become more of a generalist than a specialist, which he said has been helpful in successfully moving up the ranks. “To me, to be the head of an organization like this, you need to have a broad-based background and experience,” he explained. While Moilanen faces many challenges as director, such as keeping the HCMA financially stable and sustainable, he relishes the opportunity. He also hopes to bring in more trails and recreational activities for the people of southeast Michigan, such as the recently purchased Schmitt Lake property. “It’s a very beautiful, very high quality property there that we hope to open up to the public for walking and cross-country skiing.” — Angela Niemi — Oakland Lakefront photo/Amy K. Lockard
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n Jan. 4, 2011 — not even a full year since the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) had been established — newly-elected Gov. Rick Snyder signed his first executive order, demolishing the DNRE to create two separate departments: the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). With a few strokes of his pen, Snyder essentially reversed former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s efforts to combine the two departments after her predecessor, former Gov. John Engler, split Michigan’s DNR into two separate agencies back in the mid1990s. In 1995, Engler issued an executive order to eliminate the DNR; create a new DNR to handle parks, recreation, hunting and wildlife issues; and create a new DEQ to handle environmental regulation and enforcement issues. After 15 years as separate entities, Granholm succeeded in arranging a union of the two departments in an effort to cut costs and streamline state government. However, Snyder decided to create separately functioning departments to allow each to better focus on its core mission. “Michigan is blessed with an abundance of natural resources and we need to be a leader and innovator in protecting these resources,” Snyder said. “Recreational fishing, hunting and boating activities alone contribute more than $3 billion annually to our economy. Separating the DEQ and DNR means we can better address these key priorities.” With Snyder’s executive order, the months spent last year working to merge the two departments became irrelevant. Back when Granholm’s department consolidation executive order first took effect, officials felt it would take at least until late 2010 or even early 2011 for the two departments to completely transition into one cohesive unit. At the time, Mary Dettloff, a DNRE public information officer, said, “This is not
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something that’s going to take place overnight. It’s taken us years to separate (the DNR and DEQ), so I expect it will take a while for us to merge back together.” Brad Rasher, the transition manager appointed by Granholm to oversee the reconsolidation of the DNR and DEQ, also agreed with Dettloff’s assessment at the time. “The reason why the transfer will take longer is because when we pull the various programs and activities of the department together it will be through a re-engineering process, which will involve teams of employees, and that will take time,” he said. “It’s a deliberate process that’s very thoughtful and can’t be done overnight.” Granholm’s unified DNRE only remained in operation for a total of 420 days, which was hardly enough time for a complete transition from two departments into one. “The agencies spent most of the past year figuring out what coming back together meant,” said DEQ spokesperson Brad Wurfel. “There was a great deal of time spent planning the joining of the two agencies. We’ve only been officially together for 12 months.” However, as far as breakups go, this one seems to be virtually painless.
D
ettloff has said the transition from one department back to two has been “seamless” — a sentiment echoed by Wurfel. In fact, although Snyder’s order didn’t officially take effect until March 13, Dettloff said the departments have been essentially operating as separate agencies since Snyder signed his executive order during his first week in office. There will also be no need for a transition manager this time, as the two departments will basically go back to where they were prior to the merger in 2010. All divisions previously operating under the DNR in December 2009 will remain under the DNR, while the same will apply to the divisions that were under the DEQ. “(The transition) has gone fairly smoothly,”
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Wurfel said. “Most of what was joined previously was at the administrative level. Operationally, the field staff continued to do what they did before (the merger) for the most part.” And in an effort to save money, the two departments will continue to share custody of the joined administrative functions — such as the accounting, procurement, and human resources departments. “These would be the hardest ones for us to pull apart again,” Dettloff said. “So we will leave it as a shared thing and save money.”
A
dded Wurfel, “We found ways to coordinate services mostly on the administrative side to get some cost savings.” Physically splitting up the two departments was fairly easy, as well, according to Dettloff. “We only had to move a total of eight DNR employees out of Constitution Hall (where the DEQ staff remained) into the Mason Building just across the street,” she said. Employees from each department have also seemed to take the separation in stride and are supportive of the maneuver. “Operating independently is something I think folks are more accustomed to than operating as a single entity,” said Wurfel, who added that operating independently has been “welcomed” by most of the DEQ people he has talked to about the separation. While Dettloff mentioned that it has been a “little stressful” being “put together and now taken apart,” she said the overall reaction of the DNR staff seems to be positive. “The governor strongly feels that each agency has an important responsibility which each should be focusing on rather than being spread so thin,” she said. “And the DNR seems to be supportive of that.” Dettloff also stated that splitting the DNRE won’t necessitate adding extra personnel. “Between the two agencies, we lost 312 people to early retirement, and we only plan on hiring about one new employee for every two that retired, which is about 150 employees that will be split between the two departments,” she said. “And on the DNR
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side, Director (Rodney) Stokes has said he wants to fill positions in the field first rather than in Lansing because the budget is very dependent on restricted funds and user fees. We can’t spend any more money than we take in.” About 4 percent of the DNR’s budget currently comes from the state’s General Fund. In an effort to bring a more streamlined business management model to state government, Snyder has implemented group executives to oversee the executive departments within their respective groups. The agency and department directors will report to their respective group executive, who will then report directly to the governor. The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, DNR, and DEQ all fall under the Quality of Life group, which is headed up by executive Dan Wyant, who also serves as the new DEQ director. “All (agencies) within the group have kind of similar missions — all focus on natural resource-type of issues within different capacities that are all sort of connected. We’re trying to see where we have commonalities so we can try to leverage them into more efficient operations and savings,” Wurfel said. Some ways the Quality of Life Division is looking to save money is by sharing some services, such as law enforcement staff, as well as web design and support.
A
nother way they are looking to cut costs is by having group training sessions as opposed to each department having their own schedules and contracts. “A lot of these sorts of things are things that customers — the general public — don’t see,” Wurfel said. “But a huge part of government operation is administrative, so we are trying to review our administrations to find ways to create savings and find efficiency.” Reporting to Wyant is Stokes, the new DNR director, while Keith Creagh is the new director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
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“Dan, Keith and Rodney bring exceptional private and public sector experience to this new management model which will allow departments to function better and take successful practices from the private sector and put them to work in government,” Snyder stated in the public announcement on his website after announcing his choices in November. Snyder appointed both the new DEQ director and the new DNR director. When Engler initially split the DNR back in 1995, he had the authority to appoint the DEQ director, while the Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) retained the right to appoint the DNR director.
H
owever, when Granholm merged the two departments, she made the single DNRE director a gubernatorial appointment, a move which angered some environmental groups even though they applauded the merger. At the time, Michigan United Conservation Clubs (MUCC) and more than 90 other environmental groups sent a joint letter to Granholm, asking her to reconsider turning the NRC’s DNR director appointment authority into a political appointment by the state’s governor. Granholm’s decision to make the DNRE director a gubernatorial appointee even spawned a piece of legislation from the state Senate seeking to block Granholm’s department consolidation plan. Although the state’s upper chamber passed the bill 22-15, the bill ultimately failed to be enacted. While Granholm made some concessions — such as the new DNRE director had to consult with the NRC on policy matters, and one commissioner had to be a joint appointee to both the Commission on Agriculture and the NRC — she retained the right to appoint the DNRE director. The MUCC was not satisfied. “While (the MUCC) views the DNR/DEQ merger as a tremendous opportunity to improve natural resources management, making the director of the new DNRE a political appointment is a huge step backward,” a release from MUCC stated at the
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time. “Instead of having a bipartisan body in charge of appointing who oversees the management of our resources, this change will unfortunately place a political party in control, placing Michigan’s natural resources at the whim of election cycles. As such, MUCC will continue to work with the conservation coalition and state lawmakers in pursuing alternative remedies that take politics out of natural resources management.” Yet, environmental groups seem to be much more easy going a year later, when Snyder not only decide to split the DNRE but also decided to retain the right to appoint both department directors. Dettloff has said the DNR has not received any complaints so far. “Gov. Snyder wanted to retain appointment authority as (the directors) are members of his cabinet and therefore ultimately accountable to him,” she said. Instead of concerning themselves with who appoints the directors, the state’s environmental groups now seem to be more concerned that important work gets done. “Clean Water Action believes Gov.-elect Snyder should do what he needs to do. Our hope is that regardless of the structure the job gets done,” said Michigan Director of Clean Water Action Cyndi Roper at the time of Snyder’s department division announcement. “We hope there are competent people in place to protect the lakes, rivers, and streams, as well as the air and people of Michigan from pollution.”
M
UCC Executive Director Erin McDonough said she is excited to work with Wyant, Creagh, and Stokes. “We are interested in working with (the new directors) and the new Quality of Life Division,” she said. “We are excited about the opportunity to move some of our programs forward and willing to work with these people. We encourage them to move towards more outcome-based planning — to strategically use the dollars received from hunting, fishing and trapping licenses to a more efficient and effective use for the health and quality of the environment.” ❏
OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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walleye DNR now ramping up state hatchery production, stocking of popular sport fish to pre-VHS levels By Angela Niemi
T
he state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is preparing to return its fish hatchery production of walleye to past levels, after scaling back walleye production and stocking in recent years. After a deadly fish virus entered the Great Lakes Basin in 2006, the DNR greatly cut back on most of its walleye rearing activities. Normally stocking between 3 million and 4 million spring fingerling walleye annually, the DNR has stocked a little under 4 million walleye in state waters during the past four years. Walleye stocking by the DNR has been prevalent since the 1970s, when recreational fishing for walleye gained popularity. “It’s important to maintain many fisheries in areas where natural reproduction is unable to sustain it with fish that anglers want,” said DNR Fish Production Manager Gary Whelan. Walleye inhabit the Great Lakes, inland lakes, and rivers. Typically, walleye are not stocked in waters where natural reproduction is strong. Many Oakland County lakes and anglers have benefited from the DNR’s walleye stocking. In the spring of 2006, fish were dying in large quantities in Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and the St. Lawrence River. The culprit responsible for these deaths was a fish pathogen known as Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia (VHS). VHS can be transferred through water via
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fish urine and reproductive fluids. The virus can survive in the water for at least two weeks. It first starts by infecting gill tissue and then proceeds to the internal organs and blood vessels, which in turn become weakened and result in hemorrhaging of the internal organs, muscles, and skin. Fish can also become infected with the virus by eating other infected fish. Extreme water temperatures, starvation, and spawning can lower fish immune responses, making infected fish susceptible to becoming diseased and more prone to die. The introduction of VHS to the Great Lakes Basin drastically altered the DNR’s production and stocking of walleye in Michigan. “In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have cut our walleye fry production,” said former DNR Director Rebecca Humphries in a press release. “But the specter of bringing VHS into our hatchery system or transferring VHS to new waters was just too risky. The ecosystem is constantly changing and our management practices must change with it.” Although it’s not known exactly how the non-native pathogen entered the Great Lakes Basin, the most likely vector of introduction was via ballast water exchange. However, it could have been introduced by the movement of live fish and baitfish, as well as the natural migration of fish. Since 2006, the DNR has been monitoring state waters for any sign of VHS. Only two inland lakes have turned up VHS-infected www.oaklandlakefront.com
fish: Budd Lake in Clare County in 2007, and Baseline Lake in Washtenaw County in 2009. However, with the advent of a preventative technique, DNR officials feel confident enough to return to normal walleye fry production and plan to take approximately 50 million eggs this spring to produce walleye fry for pond-rearing and direct stocking. “We are pleased that an effective treatment for walleye eggs against VHS has been found and we’re ramping up our production accordingly,” Humphries said. Although there is no way to treat fish already infected with the virus, fish eggs can be disinfected by using iodophore compounds. Research strongly suggests that the virus doesn’t penetrate walleye eggs and isn’t passed on to fish progeny. “Free iodine kills the virus. It’s a topical disinfectant for the eggs,” Whelan said. De-clumping agents such as Fuller’s earth or
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tannic acid are also added to the compound to prevent fish eggs from suffocating. Although this disinfectant technique will allow hatcheries to prevent fingerlings from becoming infected, VHS still remains a threat. “It’s still there,” Whelan said. “It could potentially pop up as a pathogen and kill fish at any given time given the right conditions. This will be a pathogen we will be managing around for a long time.” Whelan said there are multiple things people can do to ensure that they aren’t vectors for the disease, such as not moving live fish from one body of water to another, draining boats of water before moving from one waterway to another, and buying certified VHS-free bait. “We are excited to get the walleye production back to where it was and to improve and enhance the fisheries in the state for our anglers,” Whelan said. ❏
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Great shakes 2011 Quake on the Lake will feature national hydroplane championships By Tim Dmoch
T
he American Power Boat Association’s (APBA) National Inboard Hydroplane Championships will be held in Michigan for the first time in 42 years as part of this summer’s 12th annual Quake on the Lake event, slated for July 16-17 on Pontiac Lake. According to an announcement released by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson’s office, members of the APBA recently held their national meeting in Dearborn, where they decided to return the hydroplane championships to Michigan. The last time the National Inboard Hydroplane Championships were held in Michigan was at Ford Lake near Ypsilanti in 1969. “Quake on the Lake is among Oakland County’s best quality of life events,” Patterson stated in the announcement. “To host the National Inboard Hydroplane Championships validates what a great event Quake on the Lake is.” Like in past years, the 2011 version of Quake on the Lake will be held at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Waterford and White Lake townships. The Pontiac Lake racecourse is recognized as the fastest 1-mile course in North America — 17 world speed records have been broken in 10 classes of inboard hydroplane races held during past Quake on the Lake events. THE RIGHT DIRECT MAIL BOOK™
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The speed of the Pontiac Lake course can be attributed to the environment surrounding the lake. The natural shorelines and abundance of trees help to naturally protect the water from winds. This, in turn, provides a smooth course for competitors. This year’s hydroplane racing will feature classes that will run from 90 mph to those that approach 175 mph in the straight-aways. The Eastern Divisional Championships were held at Pontiac Lake in 2009 and over 100 race teams attended from across continent. In addition to the boat races, there will be plenty of family entertainment for all ages at the 2011 Quake on the Lake, including musical
entertainment from national and local acts. As always, all net proceeds of the event will go to support a good cause — The Rainbow Connection, a 501(c)(3) charity founded by Patterson that grants wishes to Michigan children with terminal or life-threatening illnesses, as well as support for other community grass-roots initiatives. In the past, proceeds collected from Quake on the Lake have funded trips to Hawaii for children, as well as visits to Disney World. They’ve even been used to buy a pony for a little girl to use for therapy. For more information on the 2011 Quake on the Lake event, go to QuakeOnTheLake.org. â??
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pair of lower court rulings were overturned late last year by the Michigan Supreme Court, thereby affirming a century of Michigan case law that has ensured riparian rights for those who own property on the opposite side of a platted roadway running parallel to a lake shoreline. Following the Supreme Court’s Dec. 29 ruling, those property owners continue to have the right to install docks, moor boats, swim and otherwise use the water situated across the street from their lots. The court’s 4-3 decision in the 2000 Baum Family Trust vs. Babel case is being celebrated by riparian rights advocates such as the Michigan Lake and Stream Associations (MLSA), even if thousands of Michigan riparians whose rights were threatened were oblivious to just how close they were to losing those rights. “The fact is, even given the six-month to one-year run-up to the Supreme Court deciding to hear the case, and the period of months after it decided to hear it and then release a decision, it seemed that a lot of riparians, with the exception of a few, didn’t know what was going on,” said Scott Brown, executive director of the MLSA. “I don’t think many realized their rights were jeopardized. They either didn’t know this was going on or figured it didn’t relate to them.” According to the MLSA, Michigan courts have historically concluded that where a public road runs parallel to a lake and there is no significant intervening property between the road right-of-way and a shoreline, the “first-tier” properties across the street are riparian properties. Both the Charlevoix County Circuit Court and Michigan Court of Appeals reversed such findings in a case involving a dispute on Lake Charlevoix. Accordingly, owners of first-tier lots could no longer have exclusive rights to dockage, boat mooring and other riparian activities from the land across the street from their property. The plaintiffs in the case — the Baum Family Trust; Joseph Beaudoin; Sandra Beaudoin; the Adele Megdall Revocable Trust; the Paul Nowak and Joan Nowak Trust; Marilyn Ormsbee; Mark Schwartz; Wendy Schwartz; and Thomas Thomason — are owners of lots fronting Lake Charlevoix but separated from the water by Beach Drive, a plat-dedicated road for public use 36
APRIL 2011
running parallel and immediately adjacent to the lake. According to court documents, the plaintiffs, over the years, used the lakefront property in front of their lots and built docks extending into the lake in order to moor boats and other water-related equipment. The plaintiffs reportedly obtained permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain their docks in front of their properties. The owners of other properties in the plat not fronting the water also began using the waterfront area across the street from the plaintiffs’ homes. The plaintiffs argued that the back lot owners’ use of the water violated their riparian rights. According to court documents, some of the back lot owners were unable to obtain permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and, as a result, allegedly threatened to sue the plaintiffs for permission to maintain seasonal docks on the lakefront strips. The plaintiffs filed a four-count suit against the back lot owners, as well as the Charlevoix County Road Commission (CCRC) and Charlevoix Township. The complaint included claims of trespassing and nuisance, and sought injunctive and equitable relief. In September 2007, the road commission counterclaimed, alleging the plaintiffs trespassed on the lakefront side of Beach Drive by maintaining encroachments on the drive, including docks, fencing, landscaping, rocks and rock walls, septic drain fields and a flag pole, among other intrusions. The individually-named back lot owners also counterclaimed, stating a claim of adverse possession and seeking a declaration that they have easements to the lakefront either by acquiescence or by prescription. Additional back lot owners were allowed to intervene and also counterclaimed, also alleging easements. The plaintiffs moved for a partial summary disposition against the road commission alone, alleging there is no issue of material fact regarding which party is entitled to riparian rights. ccording to court documents, the plaintiffs argued that their lots were riparian because their lots were separated from the water by a roadway contiguous to the water. In their view, the road commission had a right to use Beach Drive as a roadway only. The road commission argued that the plaintiffs didn’t have riparian rights because the public
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holds Beach Drive “in fee” pursuant to the statutory dedication under the applicable plat act, which means the plaintiffs’ lands aren’t riparian. Back lot defendants argued that the plaintiffs didn’t have riparian rights because the plat for the neighborhood didn’t indicate the first-tier properties abut the lake. The township adopted the road commission’s and back lot owners’ arguments. In addition, the township argued that it could be defeased of Beach Drive only pursuant to the Land Division Act. he circuit court denied the plaintiffs’ motion and ruled that they didn’t have any riparian rights because they don’t hold fee title to the waterfront land in front of their respective lots. As a result, the plaintiffs appealed the circuit court decision to the state Court of Appeals. Court of Appeals Judges Karen Fort Hood, Mark Cavanagh and Kirsten Frank Kelly’s opinion in the case stated, “After reviewing the language of the statutory dedication in this matter, we have concluded that the plattor did not intend to vest any riparian rights in plaintiffs’ properties ... In the instant matter, because the language of the statutory dedication indicates an intent to grant to the public an unlimited use in fee of the alleys and roadways, we conclude that plaintiffs have no riparian rights by way of the dedication.” For the Michigan Supreme Court, the central questions of the case were what is the nature of the property interest conveyed by the state’s plat act, and how does this property interest affect riparian rights. “The rules of property governing dedications of land to the public are distinct, yet deeply rooted in the Anglo-American legal tradition,” the Supreme Court’s majority opinion in the case states. “These rules have developed to accommodate the coexisting rights of the dedicator of land, his or her grantees, and the public. In balancing these rights, the use to which the dedication was made has always been at the fore. The fee is held ‘in trust to and for the uses and purposes therein designated, and for no other use or purpose whatever.’ “Accordingly, we first observe that the language used in the dedication of the plat is significant, indeed controlling, because no rights vest in the grantee beyond those that are ‘therein designed,’ and the land shall be used for ‘no other use or purpose whatever.’ Furthermore, we observe that, under this statute, a
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dedication is not presumed to be broad, requiring express words in the dedication to limit its scope. Rather, in all its versions, the statute has taken the opposite approach. The scope of the dedication is strictly limited to the words expressly conveyed, i.e., the purposes ‘therein designated’ and ‘no other use or purpose whatever.’ Finally, we note that the property interest conveyed by the statute is also limited in duration. Because the fee may be used for the purposes therein designated and for no other use or purpose whatever, duration is coterminous with continued use for the designated purpose.” “I try to distill (the case and the Supreme Court’s majority decision) for lay people like this: In situations where there is a platted public road which parallels the lakefront, if the original plat shows no intervening land between the water and the platted road, the firsttier lot owners are riparian,” said attorney Clifford Bloom of Law Weathers in Grand Rapids, who specializes in riparian law. The Supreme Court’s majority essentially held that the road commission has an easement for Beach Drive but doesn’t own the land, which therefore can only be used for road purposes, according to Bloom. “There’s a hundred years of Supreme Court and Court of Appeals decisions that said all this,” he said. “The big mystery is why the Court of Appeals disregarded that and ruled the other way and never tried to interpret that. It didn’t explain why it was overturning or overruling those decisions. All these other court decisions over the years, they never mentioned those.” loom said a series of state statutes governing plats and land division have shared some common language over the past century, including the term “fee,” an old English common law concept that generally means land ownership. However, while those laws used the term fee to describe a dedication of land — in this case to a road commission to create and maintain a roadway within a platted development — those statutes “didn’t just stop there,” he said. “They say something like the local authority gets a fee, but the land can only be used for the purpose for which it was dedicated,” Bloom said. “There was other limitation language.” “We actually were very concerned that the Supreme Court decision could have gone against (first-tier
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property owners),” MLSA’s Brown said. “Given the unpredictability of some of the court’s decisions, it was in the realm of possibility they could have ruled against riparians. Given the personalities involved on the Supreme Court, it could have easily gone against us.” f the Supreme Court had upheld the lower court rulings, county road commissions could have removed any first-tier property owners’ docks placed off plat-dedicated road rights-of-way along Michigan’s inland lake shorelines. But that’s not all. Under such a court ruling, the road commissions could have also installed their own docks where the first-tier property owners had placed their docks, and charged boat owners for dock slips. This would have essentially authorized road commissions to operate marinas where first-tier property owners had enjoyed exclusive riparian rights. While authority to erect docks and operate a marina where first-tier property owners previously exercised their riparian rights may have presented a tempting prospect for today’s cash-strapped road commissions, liability issues and the cost of maintaining a marina probably made such an opportunity impractical, according to state road officials. Road Commission for Oakland County officials, who had closely watched the Baum case, say the agency
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never had any real interest in taking advantage of such an opportunity. The loss of riparian property rights for first-tier lot owners wasn’t all that was at stake in the case. Had the Supreme Court upheld the previous court decisions, the value of first-tier properties would have plummeted since they would no longer be considered riparian properties. Property assessments would have to be adjusted to reflect that the lots were no longer lakefront lots, and that would cause a drastic decline in tax revenues collected by municipalities and other taxing authorities. LSA’s Brown said the association would like to see state lawmakers enact legislation to codify the Supreme Court’s Baum case ruling and the previous decisions handed down over the past century so that this kind of legal battle doesn’t have to be fought over and over again. “In terms of riparian access in that particular situation, where you have an interceding public thoroughfare on the inland lakes, we get many calls each year about these battles, and the local law enforcement and State Police won’t get involved,” Brown said. “The police refuse to step in because the law is so vague. That’s a big problem. It’s an ongoing battle and courts continue to revisit the same issues that have been decided over and over again.” ❏
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david law
hen a vacancy on the Commerce Township Board of Trustees recently cropped up, the remaining board members tapped a familiar face to fill the void. David Law — a former state representative, assistant county prosecutor, and chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party — got the nod and will remain a board member until next November. “There’s good people on the township board,” said the West Bloomfield native who has lived on Commerce’s Long Lake for seven years. “Financially, Commerce is in a lot better shape than most communities. I’m really looking forward to serving, and looking to continue to serve.” Currently working as an assistant attorney general in the Michigan Attorney General’s Office Children and Youth Services Division, Law just wrapped up a two-year stint as leader of the county GOP, a role that ended on Jan. 1. Before that while serving in Lansing as a state lawmaker, he received conservation awards for his efforts to protect the environment. “I’m really looking forward to working in that kind of
snapshot
capacity while serving on the township board — protecting the lakes and waterways,” he said. When your job entails prosecuting those who prey on children, you need something to erase the disturbing images and scenarios inherent in child abuse, neglect, and sexual assault cases. Law said living on Long Lake definitely helps in that regard. “It’s calming,” he said. “After a long day of work, I can come home and relax in that kind of setting. That’s a big thing for me, and I enjoy living there for that reason. I have my days, obviously; but it feels good at end of the day to know you helped a child in a situation like that. It’s very gratifying. “I’ve lived on lakes pretty much my whole life,” he added. “Long Lake has a lot of great people living on it. The views of the sunrises and sunsets are tremendous. It’s an all-sports lake, and has everything you could want.” — Tim Dmoch – Oakland Lakefront photo/Amy K. Lockard
WATERCRA REGULATIONS
AFT
New rules on mooring, number, ownership of boats on Orchard Lake By Leslie Shepard fter months of deliberation on a boat ordinance amendment that would appease residents on the trio of lakes that the city abuts, the Orchard Lake City Council adopted an ordinance amendment at its Dec. 20, 2010 meeting. Initially, council members wanted the ordinance to address three key issues: Limiting the number of boats a riparian property owner may moor; the number of boats permitted at outlots or other properties with divided ownership; and prohibiting boats docked at lakefront properties that are not owned by the property owner. After gleaning input from residents, the city’s governing body withdrew certain provisions and redlined regulating the number of boats a property owner could dock. “It eliminates the number of boats that can be moored at individual lakefront properties, but it does require any boat moored to be registered by the property owner,” said City Clerk Janet Overholt-Green. Boats must be registered in the city; otherwise, the property owner faces a municipal civil infraction. “We would seek relief to correct the problem, but we’re not looking for fines — just compliance,” Overholt-Green said. The old ordinance stated that a property owner could not dock more than two boats on his or her property. If the city council did not pass an amendment, the former ordinance would have remained in place and was considered much more restrictive even though it hadn’t been enforced in years. According to Overholt-Green, the old ordinance was not enforced since at the time of adoption, personal watercrafts were not prevalent. However, their popularity has since grown and the old ordinance would have put too many residents in violation. As for divided ownership, the new ordinance retains the rights currently in place. “These rights are not protected, but can’t be expanded,” Overholt-Green said. The ordinance amendment became effective Jan. 10. ❏
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Phosphorus ban Prohibition on lawn fertilizers made with phosphates takes effect next year By Angela Niemi
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egislation that would effectively ban the application of lawn fertilizers that contain phosphates to residential grasses has cleared both chambers of the state Legislature and will take effect on Jan. 1, 2012. House Bill (HB) 5368 passed the state Senate 32-1 and the state House 63-37 in December. The bill prohibits the application of phosphatecontaining fertilizer to residential lawns. Phosphorus is one of the elements essential to all living organisms and is quite often a limiting factor in many environments, since the amount of phosphorus available dictates the growth rate of many organisms that live in that environment. While necessary for growth, phosphates can pose a problem to the environment when an excess amount is present. One of the biggest problems is the rapid growth of algal blooms in an aquatic environment with elevated levels of phosphorus. “They take the oxygen out of the water, which then decreases the amount of dissolved oxygen available for fish and other animals,” said Diane Ebert-May, a professor of plant biology at Michigan State University. “Algae can grow very quick and can compete for a lot of different THE RIGHT DIRECT MAIL BOOK™
things. The decreased dissolved oxygen really causes fish and other invertebrates to struggle.” Excess phosphates thus have the potential to set off a chain of events that could drastically affect and alter an ecological system. Runoff containing fertilizers can result in excess levels of phosphates and other nutrients in lakes and streams. “Excess phosphorus continues to harm our lakes and inland waterways, and threaten important industries like tourism and fishing which are vital to our economy and our way of life here in the Thumb,” said state Rep. Terry Brown (D-Pigeon), the bill’s sponsor. “This law will protect our precious natural resources and the tens of thousands of jobs across Michigan that rely on clean, healthy waters. I’m pleased that the House and Senate were able to pass this law and protect our waters for generations to come.” Although the law prohibits the use of phosphorus fertilizers on residential lawns, the law allows for some exceptions. Fertilizers containing phosphorus can be used to help establish a new lawn or when soil tests prove that there is not enough phosphorus present in the soil to support a healthy lawn. ❏
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A fish out of water Good news: No Bighead, silver carp DNA found in state By Angela Niemi
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he state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently received good news in the fight against Asian carp, as new test results were negative for environmental DNA (eDNA) from either Bighead or silver carp in waters located in southwest Michigan. eDNA is a genetics tool developed by researchers at Notre Dame and the Nature Conservancy which detects the presence or absence of species-specific DNA in an aquatic environment, such as the cells shed by Asian carp through their feces, urine, mucus, and gills. Between Sept. 15 and Oct. 5 last year, researchers from Notre Dame and the Nature Conservancy collected 74 water samples from the Galien River, in addition to 122 samples from the St. Joseph and Paw Paw rivers. All samples were negative for Asian carp DNA. “This is great news for Michigan, but by no means should we relax our stance on Asian carp and the threat they pose to the Great Lakes Basin,” said Office of the Great Lakes Director Patricia Birkholz in a press release. “An ecological separation of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes remains imperative to our goal of keeping this invasive species out of Michigan waters.” Concerns over a possible Asian carp invasion of Lake Michigan grew last June when the first live
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Asian carp, a Bighead carp, was caught beyond electric barriers in Lake Calumet, just 6 miles from Lake Michigan. Asian carp, first imported to control algae in fish farms along the Mississippi River, escaped during a flood event in the 1990s. Since then, the carp have moved quickly up the Mississippi River and into the Illinois River, the Des Plaines River, the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, and the Calumet-Sag Channel. Asian carp can weigh up to 100 pounds, grow to a length of more than 4 feet, and, on average, eat up to 20 percent of their body weight in food a day. They are also extremely prolific. As such, Asian carp pose a major economic concern as they would outcompete other Great Lakes fish species. Michigan’s fishing industry is estimated to bring in about $7 billion each year. “Just because we have good news doesn’t mean we should relax our position at all,” said DNR Spokesperson Mary Dettloff. In an effort to maintain constant vigilance in the fight against an Asian carp invasion, the team at Notre Dame will continue to collect and analyze over 400 water samples from Michigan waters in 2011. Samples will be taken from the Grand, Raisin, Belle, Black and Pere Marquette rivers to monitor for the presence of Asian carp DNA. ❏ OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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Sears Lake special assessment district
200 residences paying for lake improvement and maintenance By Michael Shelton
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he Milford Township Board of Trustees has officially set and certified the roll for the renewal of a special assessment district (SAD) for the improvement and maintenance of Sears Lake, a private lake in the township. A public hearing was held before the roll was set at $234.75 for on-lake residences and $55.67 for off-lake residences. Township Treasurer Cynthia Dagenhardt said the Sears Lake SAD is comprised of 108 off-lake residences and 73 lakefront residences and that the lake’s previous SAD was set to expire after Dec. 31, 2010. The SAD will assess costs of no more than $25,000 annually for 10 years to be split among the residences for aquatic weed eradication and control on the lake, along with maintenance and www.oaklandlakefront.com
improvement. The expired SAD was originally established in the area surrounding Sears Lake in 1999 for eradication of aquatic plants and weeds. SADs are a common method of paying for community projects, such as installing lake level augmentation wells or extending a water main, for example. The vast majority of SADs are established under Public Act 188 of 1954, which states the process is begun when a governing body is presented with a petition requesting the SAD and containing the signatures of land owners representing at least 51 percent of the area within a proposed SAD. Once a SAD is approved, the owners of property within the district pay a proportional assessment to cover the cost of a project. â?? OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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ABOUT US • ABOUT US • ABOUT US Since 1959, our only focus has been Oakland County SPINAL COLUMN NEWSWEEKLY
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Weekly newspaper reaching 50,000 homes in the lakes area, with four editions serving Commerce, Walled Lake, Wolverine Lake, Wixom, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake, Waterford, Milford, Highland and White Lake. Considered the leading source of news and advertising information in west Oakland County.
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OAKLAND HOMES A full-color real estate magazine serving the area of Commerce, Waterford, White Lake, Milford, Highland, Clarkston, Independence, Oxford, Orion and north to the county border. Produced each month, Oakland Homes is distributed at high foot-traffic locations throughout the west and north Oakland areas. Priced right for the Realtor® seeking full-color presentation of client listings.
WEST OAKLAND DIRECTORY The most successful directory of essential information for both newcomers and current residents, the West Oakland Directory reaches 50,000 homes, plus high foot-traffic locations at the start of each year. Produced in magazine format, all full-color, on high quality stock, the West Oakland Directory is now in its 29th year of publication.
MONTHLYADVERTISER A high-quality, full-color, direct-mail advertising magazine, produced in three editions each month to serve the western lakes area of Oakland County. Combined the three editions reach 73,600 homes. All ads appearing in the MonthlyAdvertiser also appear on the publication’s website.
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OAKLAND LAKEFRONT Full-color, oversize-format magazine direct mailed county-wide to 17,000 lakefront homes seven times a year. Oakland Lakefront caters directly, both on the advertising and editorial front, to the special interests and concerns of the homeowners who share a common bond based on the lifestyle that accompanies lakefront living.
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OAKLAND LAKEFRONT DEADLINES: 248.360.SELL (7355) 248.360.NEWS (6397) Mailing Address: P.O. BOX 14 UNION LAKE, MI 48387-0014 Offices at: 7196 COOLEY LAKE ROAD WATERFORD, MI 48327-4113 spinalcolumnonline.com oaklandlakefront.com monthlyadvertiser.com
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We Sell Docks & Lifts
3506 Silver Lake Rd., Fenton, MI • 810-750-8443 Sales@Lakeponemahmarina.com
www.oaklandlakefront.com
lakefront real estate
Janet
Steve
Direct:
2900 Union Lake Rd., Suite 210 Commerce, MI 48382
Direct:
248-755-7600
248-755-7500
janet@TheStocktonTeam.com
steve@TheStocktonTeam.com
248-366-7200 Zillow - Preferred Agent
The Stockton’s are the Lakes Area’s #1 Team! DL AR CH R O
E AK
ALL-SPORTS ORCHARD LAKE FRONT - 1.73 TREED ACRE •Custom built sprawling ranch with full finished walkout •5 bedroom, 4.5 bath with over 5,500 living sq. ft. •3 car, decks, pavers, porches, 142 ft. shoreline, dock BEAUTIFUL @ $1,495,000 #210039130 • 1-800-396-5204 X223 . WP DT OR F TER WA
ALL-SPORTS CASS LAKEFRONT - 53 FT. SANDY SHORE •4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, fin. walkout, 3,100+ sq. ft. total •Granite, stainless appliances, hardwoods, new baths •Huge master + deck, bar/kitchenette, deck, patio, 3 car GREAT HOUSE @ $499,900 #210042706 • 1-800-396-5204 X216 . WP ET AK L ITE WH
125 FT. MAIN LAKEFRONT - ALL-SPORTS LAKE NEVA •2,820 sq. ft., 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 3 fireplaces •Beautifully remodeled throughout and full of extras •2nd floor laundry, multiple decks, seawall and dock MUST SEE @ $349,900 #210121972 • 1-800-396-5204 X205
P. TW RD O F TER WA
CUSTOM BUILT - ALL-SPORTS MACEDAY LAKEFRONT! •4 bedroom, 4 bath, all brick + finished walkout •Boasting 5,200+ sq. ft. of pure luxury living sq. ft. •1st and 2nd floor masters, huge volume rooms + 3 car A MUST SEE @ $774,900 #211017553 • 1-800-396-5204 X296 . WP DT OR F TER WA
ALL-SPORTS WOODHULL/LAKE OAKLAND LAKEFRONT •Dramatic and open with 4 bedroom, 2 full/2 half baths •3,500 sq. ft. of living space with finished walkout •3 decks, bonus room, courtyard garage and dock A MUST SEE @ $374,900 #210074962 • 1-800-396-5204 X247 . WP ET AK L ITE WH
GORGEOUS ALL-SPORTS NEVA/BRENDEL WATERFRONT •Spacious 3,700+ sq. ft., 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath •Custom fireplace, granite kitchen •2-story great room, jet tub, patio, deck HURRY @ $309,900 #210102601 • 1-800-396-5204 X232
. WP DT IEL F OM BLO W.
2005 BUILT MAIN LAKEFRONT - GREEN LAKE •3 story Dutch colonial 3,230 sq. ft. + finished walkout •Custom quality 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath + lots of extras •Florida room, 2nd floor covered porch, 2 story garage A MUST SEE @ $549,900 #210128747 • 1-800-396-5204 X222 EL RIN LVE O W
E AK
ALL-SPORTS WOLVERINE LAKEFRONT RANCH •1,843 sq. ft. + 1,300 sq. ft. in finished walkout • 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 fireplaces, 2 kitchens •Master suite, jet tub bath, deck, dock, sandy beach BARGAIN @ $349,900 #210143327 • 1-800-396-5204 X288 P. TW RD FO R TE WA
GORGEOUS HOME ON ALL-SPORTS PLEASANT LAKE •1,704 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, deck, gazebo •Great room with fireplace, granite kitchen •Master with bath, walkout basement, 2 car garage HURRY @ $299,900 #210140024 • 1-800-396-5204 X262
www.TheStocktonTeam.com
Janet
Steve
Direct:
2900 Union Lake Rd., Suite 210 Commerce, MI 48382
Direct:
248-755-7600
248-755-7500
janet@TheStocktonTeam.com
steve@TheStocktonTeam.com
248-366-7200 Zillow - Preferred Agent
The Stockton’s are the Lakes Area’s #1 Team! . WP DT IEL F OM BLO W.
MILLION DOLLAR VIEWS - ALL-SPORTS UNION LAKEFRONT •Open, spacious 4 bedroom, 2 bath + incredible views •Huge cathedral master + fireplace and private deck •4 car garage + huge storage, deck, dock and more!!! BEST BUY @ $529,900 1-800-396-5204 X211 . WP ET RC E MM CO
PANORAMIC ALL-SPORTS LONG LAKEFRONT VIEWS •Updated 2,120 sq. ft. 2 story, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath •Hardwoods, stone fireplace, stainless steel appliances •Huge master - jet tub, 2 decks, 2 car., dock, more HURRY - WON’T LAST! @ $274,900 #211002164 • 1-800-396-5204 X274 . WP DT OR F TER WA
GERUNDEGUT BAY - ALL-SPORTS CASS LAKEFRONT •Beautifully remodeled ranch home, stonefront fireplace •Dining room, Corian counter kitchen with appliances •Wood laminate floor, ceramic tile, crown molding, deck HURRY @ $219,900 #211027050 • 1-800-396-5204 X280
P. TW CE R E MM CO
INCREDIBLE SUNSETS - ALL-SPORTS COMMERCE LAKEFRONT •Opportunity knocks - 2 incredible future building sites •3 bedroom ranch summer retreat with enclosed porch •Island living + trees, circular drive and sandy shoreline A MUST SEE @ $399,900 1-800-396-5204 X285 . WP DT OR F TER WA
CHARMING HOME ON ALL-SPORTS WATKINS LAKE •1,170 sq. ft., 3 bedroom, deep treed lot, fireplace •Newer kitchen and bath with ceramic floor •Basement, 2 car garage, huge storage loft HURRY @ $259,900 #210128982 • 1-800-396-5204 X251 . WP DT OR F TER WA
ALL-SPORTS WILLIAMS LAKE - WIDE CANALFRONT •Gorgeously remodeled 3 bedroom tri-level •Granite kitchen/nook, great and family rooms •Master - bath access + deck, patio, dock and shed A BEST BUY @ $149,900 #210044168 • 1-800-396-5204 X236
L ITE WH
. WP ET AK
70 FT. LAKEFRONT WHITE LAKE •3 bedroom, 3 bath ranch + finished lower level walkout •Lake views, brick fireplace, 2 enclosed porches •2 car garage, paver walks and stairs, tired decking, dock A BEST BUY @ $274,900 #211007248 • 1-800-396-5204 X268
L ITE WH
. WP ET AK
1+ ACRE - 110 FT. MAIN LAKEFRONT ALL-SPORTS OXBOW LK. •Awesome views - original a log cabin + newer addition •2/3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1,450 sq. ft. (needs some fin. work) •4 car attached garage, huge deck, enclosed porch, dock A MUST SEE @ $249,900 #21101608 • 1-800-396-5204 X227 . WP DT AN L H HIG
WHITE LAKE WATERFRONT RANCH WITH WALKOUT •1,661 living sq. ft., 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, great room •Snack-bar kitchen, family room with fireplace •Enclosed carport, shed, deck, patio, dock, beach UNBELIEVABLE @ $149,900 #211026322 • 1-800-396-5204 X260
www.TheStocktonTeam.com
SAVE UP TO 70% ON SOLAR TODAY! • Full Service Electrical Contractor • Solar Panel Systems – Save up to 70% • Automatic Backup Generator Systems – Sales, Service, Installation, Maintenance
GOT MUCK? HOW ABOUT WEEDS? Before
After
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Using our Aquacleaner Suction Machines we remove Invasive & Overrun Aquatic vegetation by their Rooting System, as well as Remove The MUCK
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Services of $150 or More
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800-964-7070 248-623-4900
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REPAIRING • REMODELING • REENERGIZING • SALES SERVICE • INSTALLATION • WARRANTY • MAINTENANCE
Anne’s Canvas
For all your canvas needs
J D
For All Boats MAKE YOUR APPOINTMENT TODAY!
In By 9 am Out By 5 pm Booking for April
5217 Dixie Hwy., Waterford
248-623-3443
Certified Marine Tech
APRIL 2011
4001 Haggerty Rd., West Bloomfield, MI 48323
Easter Brunch
April 24th
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC – Seating at 12:00 Noon – Reservations Only
Pontoon Boat Re-deck & Carpet
Dine with us in our beautiful new banquet room!
Call for reservations
Adults $24.95 Children 3-8 yrs. 1/2 price + 18% service charge & tax
248•360•0600
“LOW RATES”
Don’t Miss the Boat!
• Pontoon Hauling • Mobile Service • Engine Repairs • Detailing • Boat Transportation
May issue ad deadline April 19th.
248-895-7155 Licensed & Insured
Professionals Handle All Insurance Claims 44
Bay Pointe Golf Club
Marine Service
- Specializing In -
CUSTOM BOAT COVERS
Oak Management
&
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LAKEFRONT a special lifestyle. a special direct-mail magazine.
248.360.7355 / 248.360.6397 www.oaklandlakefront.com
LEE EMBREY 248-283-8151 E-MAIL: LEMBREY@ SKBK.COM
348 E. MAPLE • BIRMINGHAM, MI 48009 248-283-8151 WWW.SKBK.COM
CHECK OUT LEE’S WEBSITE AT WWW.LEEEMBREY.COM OR WWW.LAKEANGELUS.COM
PRISTINE AND PRIVATE LAKE ANGELUS YOU’LL THINK YOU’RE IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN. Crystal clear, spring fed, 470+ acre private Lake Angelus. Water Skiing and sailing. No jet skis. 15 minutes north of Birmingham/Royal Oak/Southfield. Call me for your personal tour.
VIEW ALL LAKE ANGELUS LISTINGS AT WWW.LAKEANGELUS.COM 3421 OLD BALDWIN ROAD LAKE ANGELUS
2200 LAKE ANGELUS SHORE
Fabulous sunsets from this beautiful 3+ acre Lake Angelus Estate 4 bedroom 4.5 bath, 4.5 car garage, 7,000 sq. ft., 1st floor master, 151 ft. lake frontage, paved road + 3 bedroom, 2 bath guest house. $1,499,900
Modern sophistication 5 bedroom, 5 bath custom contemporary tudor on 110 ft. sandy frontage on Lake Angelus. 7,000 sq. ft. 3 car heated garage. Fabulous views. Seller financing - Drastic reduction. $1,999,900
2378 LAKE ANGELUS LANE
299 GRAY WOODS LAKE ANGELUS Fabulous newer construction (‘04). Views, views, views with 10,000+ sq. ft.! 5 bedrooms, 5.1 bath, 4+ car garage, 2+ acres with 105 ft. lake frontage, finished walkout. Granite, marble, hardwoods. $1,795,000
Fabulous lake views. 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2,000 sq. ft. ranch with 1,600 sq. ft. in finished lower level. Deck, paver patio, 2 car garage, stone seawall. $894,000
SO
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2120 LAKE ANGELUS SHORE
742 LAKE ANGELUS SHORES
Live the lifestyle of your dreams on highly coveted; truly spectacular Lake Angelus. With every amenity imaginable. Views worthy of a postcard. This lovely Cape Cod is ready. $1,850,000
Fabulous lakefront lot. 2,500 sq. ft. 1860s farmhouse with 3-4 bedrooms, 1 full and 2 half baths. Beautiful south shore location with 4.06 acres and 124 ft. of lake frontage. $950,000
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2405 LAKE ANGELUS ROAD
995 LAKE ANGELUS ROAD
Horses, horses, horses - 6.25 acres. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 3.5 car garage, horse barn, pole barn, tack room, corrals, walkout lower level, 3,200 sq. ft. $1,199,900
Vacant 5.37 acre parcel with 168 ft. of lake frontage on north side of Lake Angelus. Plans for 8,000+ sq. ft. home available. $999,900
CUSTOM LAKEFRONT AND RESIDENTIAL 3785 INDIAN TRAIL ORCHARD LAKE Beautifully updated lakefront with fabulous sunset views. 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 4+ car garage over 4,300 sq. ft. with 1.3 acres.
$1,399,900
www.oaklandlakefront.com
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2852 SATURN LAKE VOORHEIS
6739 ROYAL HARBOR
Beautiful colonial 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath, 2 car garage. Updated over 2,000 sq. ft. + additional 1,800 sq. ft. in finished lower level.
This is an entire subdivsion: 2,500 sq. ft. home, 3 brms., 2.5 bath on Van Norman Lake, +7 add’l. lakefront lots.
$299,900
$480,000 for all
OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
55
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7904 Flagstaff ~ West Bloomfield
• 3 bedrooms Luxury master suite on lake side with walk-in closet and huge bath
COME SAIL AWAY!!! Fall in love with lake living in this beautifully renovated home. Completely redone in 2006. Gorgeous Andersen windows frame simply stunning views of all-sports Union Lake. Gleaming hardwood on main level plus master suite. Granite with glass tile backsplash in kitchen. Main floor laundry and utilities (all new HVAC, plumbing, electrical, roof 2006). Gorgeous great room with wonderful views opens to “trex-type” deck. Great yard for entertaining ~ sandy bottom at shore is very shallow for kids to play. Skylights enhance the staircase & upper landing. Two bedrooms on street side share spacious family bath with ceramic tile, large tub and two sinks with Corian counters. Master suite on lake side features large walk-in closet and luxury bath with ceramic floor, granite counters, over-size jetted tub and extraordinary shower! Call for price and terms.
• 2 full and 1 half bath • Re-built 2006 • 2,134 sq. ft. • Lakefront All-sports Union Lake Peninsula setting with expansive lake views and no view of neighbors 75 feet of frontage • Walled Lake Schools • All appliances included • Extra deep garage with tons of storage • MLS#211021625
Karen Thomas ~ Associate Broker CERTIFIED RESIDENTIAL SPECIALIST
248-505-3066
www.KTsellsHomes.com 56
APRIL 2011
2600 Union Lake Road Suite 150, Commerce MI 48382
www.oaklandlakefront.com
25 South Main St. Clarkston, MI
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COMMANDING COMPOUND 9,500 sensational sq. ft. nestled at the heart of 3.3 luxuriant acres and overlooking illustrious Lake Angelus. Grand motor court marked with porte cochere and 6 car garage. $2,995,000 38-GRA
NG MI CO
ON SO
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APRIL 2011
Take a Virtual Tour Online:
S LU GE AN
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CROWN JEWEL Panoramic vistas of elite Lake Angelus illuminate this palatial 7,700 sq. ft. estate accented with cherry, granite, limestone and Traverine. Constructed to precision. $2,250,000 23-LAK LE SA
PERFECTLY POSH All-sports Lake Orion modernization with 4 bedrooms, 3.1 baths, top-notch gourmet kitchen, pillared great room, finished walkout out lead to peninsula setting with sandy beach. $520,000 85-ISL
LE SA
SOUTH BEACH STYLE 2,900 fashionable sq. ft. with 3-4 bedrooms, 3 baths, scrumptious kitchen with hearth, firelit loft, cathedral living room and dining with a wall of windows. $449,000 34-LEX
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BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL Sizzling 2,400 sq. ft. colonial with 3 bedrooms, 2.1 baths, extensive Brazilian cherry hardwoods, granite kitchen, extended moldings and a 3-car garage. $275,000 11-SCE
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EXTRAORDINARY ESTATE 1.6 timbered acres embrace 10,000 luxurious sq. ft. with 6 bedrooms, 5.2 baths, 4 fireplaces, and 4+ car garage. Sparkling in-ground pool overlooks all-sports Walters Lake. $1,300,000 50-FOR G IN ND PE
H AC TE VA T BE I PR OR P L-S L A
THE WHOLE YARDS Classic contemporary with towering ceiling heights, sleek custom cabinetry, floating staircases, skylights, glass block and lucite spindles throughout its 3,600 sq. ft. $425,000 35-LEX
625-1010
www.mmrealtors.com
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SURF & SAND Dreamy Lake Oakland contemporary with 5 bedrooms, 4.1 baths, cathedral great room, kitchen with hearth, formal dining room, finished walkout and a heated 3-car garage. $597,777 35-LAK G IN ND PE
(248)
KE LA
SPLENDOR ON THE LAKE Whimsical ranch restoration with hardwood and ceramic canvases, three-season porch, stylish fixtures and built-ins galore. $249,900 62-WER
Kenice Schooley
Ron Serafini
Cheryl Karrick
Kenice.com
“Former NHL Player”
cakarrick@yahoo.com
www.oaklandlakefront.com
CYNDI ROBINSON 20 Years of Successful Experience!
(248) 431-4571 cell www.cyndirobinson.com realestateone.com/crobinson
560 N. Milford Rd. Milford
TOP AGENT, REAL ESTATE ONE - MILFORD OFFICE FOR 15 YEARS IN A ROW! LAKEFRONT AND ACREAGE SPECIALIST!
LIVE ON THE LAKE IN 2011!
FOUR STAR CUSTOM DESIGNED Captures panoramic lakeviews, yet on quieter part of bay to White Lake. Built in ‘94 with attention to details. 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, Pella casement windows. Paver walks. 2-story entry with bridge. Spiral stairs, 2 side fireplace, granite kitchen, maple cabinets, heated drive. White Lake. $334,900 MLS#211028656 (3604L)
BEAUTIFUL SPOT ON WHITE LAKE Wonderful landscaping with 1,000 sq. ft. of paver patio and outdoor kitchen. Firepit and sandy beach. Tile floors in kitchen, dining and great room. Open with 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, radiant heat in floor, heated garage. Lots of parking. Lakeside master with jetted tub. 2-story entry. $489,000 MLS#211028652 (3252L)
WELCOME TO LAKEFRONT CHARM Updated home on main White Lake! Sandy beach, seawall, lakeside deck and dock. Open with ceramic entry, newer kitchen, birch cabinets, Corian counters updated, upper bath. Wall of windows for panoramic views! Oversized heated garage, workshop. 4 bedrooms, 2 face lake! 2 baths. $279,000 MLS#211026836 (3991W)
BEAUTIFUL LAKEFRONT WITH SANDY BEACH Three bedroom, 3 bath, 2,351 sq. ft. home with huge deck, 2 patios and 2 sheds. Located on Charlick Lake with a screened in pool. Huge 29’ x 25’ garage with workshop. Many updates include: newer furnace, windows, kitchen and paver walk. Newly paved driveway. Possible lease to own. One year warranty. $228,900 MLS#210125945 (3902L3)
AWESOME DUCK LAKE RANCH Four bedrooms, 3 baths, huge expanded great room with cathedral ceilings. Finished walkout with second kitchen, bar, full bath and fourth bed or den. New stamped patio. Updated cabinets. Huge lower level family/rec room, sandy beach. A great place for lake living. Minutes to Milford. $347,850 MLS#211001292 (1786M3)
ALL-SPORTS WHITE LAKE HOME Main lake frontage with 100 ft. seawall. Quiet cul-desac street. Lot faces part of a nature preserve. Many updates. Open with lots of storage areas. Four bedrooms, 2 baths, 2+ car attached and separate boat garage/shed or workshop. All season room lakeside. Decking, large lot size. Nearby home sold for $500k. Call today! $329,000. MLS#210122488 (3522R3)
HEAD FOR THE HILLS! Highland Hills that is! Chalet style home has many quality upgrades! Large 1/2 acre site and lake views. Wide natural wood trim and 6 panel doors. A lot of newer Andersen’s. Three bedrooms, 2.1 baths, finished lower level with second wood burning fireplace. Paver walk and patio. $199,000 MLS#210118857 (3902T)
SOUTH BAY SHORES ALL-SPORTS DUCK LAKE Private all-sports 270 acre lake with no public access. Large lot and area of all newer homes. Three bedrooms, 2.1 baths, loft is possible for 4th bedroom. Walkout for added sq. ft. when finished. Finished 3+car. Sandy beach. On bay with the best main lake views! Over 3,100 sq. ft. Huron Valley schools. Minutes to Milford. $559,000 MLS#210110813 (2916V3)
ALL SPORTS WHITE LAKE LOT Dream home lake site on all-sports White Lake. On one of Oakland County’s largest lakes. Buildable lot ready for your plan or sellers. All leg work done. Plans, permits and engineering approved septic. Seller has removed older home, had perks, surveys and drawings for plot plan. $124,500. MLS#210121301 (3016W3)
20 Years Solid Successful Experience in the Milford, Highland, Commerce, White Lake & Lakes Area.
PUT YOUR HOME ON MY SOLD LIST! 363 Avanti Lane, Highland 3191 Beaumont Dr., Highland Twp. 7040 Biscayne Ave., White Lake Twp. 925 Byron Dr., Milford Village 2191 Canterwood, Highland Twp. 1268 Craven Dr., Highland Twp. 2601 Gemini Dr., Orion Twp. 3415 Lido, Highland 4715 Mallards Landing, Highland Twp.
www.oaklandlakefront.com
2010 SOLDS!
1185 Manderly Dr., Milford Twp. 4455 McKeachie Rd., White Lake Twp. 958 Panorama Dr., Milford Village 3334 Ramada Dr., Highland Twp. 999 Stone Barn, Highland 6405 Stonewood Dr., White Lake Twp. 5980 Turnberry Dr., Commerce Twp. 170, 180 & 190 Water Street Ct. Milford Village
496 Bogie Lake Road, White Lake 601 Fenton Commons, Fenton 4645 Lakegrove, White Lake 2639 Moonglow, Hartland 1701 Ridge Road, White Lake 313 Riverwood, Milford 8222 Sequoia, White Lake 2140 Sunnybrook, Commerce 875 Whisperwood, Fenton
OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
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All sports Orchard Lake Private dock 1+ acre wooded lot Backs nature trail Blue stone front walk & porch 6,900 square feet Renovated in 2006 5 bedrooms 3 full & 2 half baths Granite kitchen designed by Kitchen Studio, Sub-Zero, Miele, Kitchen-Aid & Thermadore stainless appliances Granite wet bar, fridge wine cooler, ice maker Oak paneled library Birch hardwood floors Lakefront master suite Marble master bath Lakefront veranda Two-story exercise solarium Endless Current pool 5 Car heated garage 2nd floor laundry 1,200 sq. ft. bonus room
3777 Indian Trail 80 ft. Frontage All-Sports Orchard Lake
$1,225,000
Jeff Barker has sold a home a week for the past 10 years 4120 Telegraph Rd. Bloomfield Hills, MI
248.425.6000
www.jeffbarkerhomes.com
Following are the waterway level readings for lakes and rivers across Oakland County, as compiled by personnel in Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner John P. McCulloch’s office. Legal levels are denoted by elevation in feet from sea level. Current (one month prior to press time) levels are denoted both in elevation from sea level and as plus or minus the legal level in hundredths feet. Prior year elevation from sea level is provided as a comparison. River depths are measured from the river bottom, at the point of measurement.
LAKE
LEGAL LEVEL
PRIOR YEAR
3.18.11
+ OR -
Angelus
950.00
950.24
+.24
950.13
Bevins
909.90
911.21
+1.31
911.03
NOTES & REMARKS
Big
1016.70
1017.66
+.96
1017.72
Winter Lvl: 1016.70
Bunny Run
965.45
966.23
+.78
965.60
Winter Lvl: 965.45
Bush Lake
913.60
913.43
–.17
913.87
Cass
927.87
928.98
+1.11
928.90
Cedar Island
933.50
934.05
+.55
933.86
Cemetery-Dollar
Winter Lvl: 927.87
968.00
968.80
+.80
968.53
Clinton River
2.10
3.82
+1.72
3.68
Commerce
906.30
907.36
+1.06
907.30
Crystal
917.00
917.40
+.40
917.10
7) Winter Lvl: 917.00
Dawson Mill Pond
927.25
927.65
+.40
927.48
6) Winter Lvl: 927.25
Duck
1016.13
1016.54
+.41
1016.35
Fox
929.50
930.52
+1.02
930.42
Huron River
1.08
1.74
+.66
1.80
Indianwood
992.12
992.89
+.77
992.82
Lakeville
951.80
952.04
+.24
952.10
Long (Commerce Twp.)
932.50
932.59
+.09
932.68
Loon
948.80
949.70
+.90
949.77
2), 3)
Louise-Huff
961.77
961.92
+.15
961.84
8)
Middle & Lower Straits
930.40
930.51
+.11
930.31
Mohawk
948.80
949.92
+1.12
949.82
Oakland-Woodhull
957.00
957.68
+.68
957.72
Orchard
930.20
930.47
+.27
930.20
Oxbow
942.00
942.72
+.72
942.88
Oxford-Multi
1017.48
1017.92
+.44
1017.48
Pontiac
962.83
963.80
+.25
963.01
Schoolhouse
948.80
949.83
+1.03
949.78
Scott
951.00
949.29
–1.71
950.30
Sylvan-Otter
927.25
927.92
+.67
928.10
Tipsico
1015.25
1,015.25
Legal
1015.24
Union
926.66
926.74
+.08
927.00 931.40
2)
5) Winter Lvl: 992.12
2), 3)
1) 2), 3) 6) Winter Lvl: 927.25
Upper Straits
930.80
931.15
+.35
Van Norman
966.20
966.62
+.42
967.20
2), 4)
Walled & Shawood
933.02
933.02
+.92
933.20
Winter Lvl: 932.10
Watkins
949.50
949.60
+.10
949.75
Waumegah
1049.40
1049.37
–.03
1049.98
White
1018.60
1019.00
+.40
1019.35
Williams
964.92
965.12
+.20
965.38
NOTES: 1) Oxford-Multi includes: Cedar, Clear, Long, Squaw, Mickelson & Tan Lakes. 2) Waterford-Multi (WML) includes: Cemetery (Middle), Dollar, Greens, Maceday, Lotus, Lester, Van Norman, Williams, Mohawk, Wormer, Schoolhouse, Silver, Upper Silver and Loon Lakes. 3) The Loon Lake control structure also controls Mohawk, Wormer, Schoolhouse, Silver and Upper Silver Lakes. 4) The Van Norman control structure also controls Greens, Maceday, Lotus and Lester Lakes. 5) Lake Angelus, Huron River and Clinton River levels not under the jurisdiction of this office. 6) The Dawson Mill Pond and Sylvan-Otter Lakes are controlled by the Price Dam. 7) Crystal Lake is controlled by the Walter Moore Dam. 8) Lake Louise and Huff Lake are controlled by the Ruth Johnson Dam.
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Bloomfield Hills Lakefront
Orchard Lake Lakefront
Orchard Lake Lakefront Buildable Site
On an almost one acre setting with panoramic views of water. Newer construction designed for entertaining. Finished walkout lower level with bar and recreation room. Bloomfield Hills schools. $1,279,000
Soft contemporary on over one acre of manicured grounds. This walkout setting is ideal for today’s living or a perfect spot to build your dream house. $1,200,000
One of Oakland County’s most scenic resort style locations. Water and sewer at road. Sandy beachfront. West Bloomfield schools. $979,000
Oakland County Private Lakefront
Cass Lake Lakefront Setting
Private Lake Angelus
Peninsula setting with sunrise views and sandy beach. Soft contemporary with open floor plan. Exquisite landscaping. Private! $798,000
With sunset and sunrise views with sandy beach. City of Orchard Lake. West Bloomfield schools. Surrounded by multi-million dollar homes. On private peninsula setting. $749,999
South shore lakefront. Updated ranch with finished walkout lower level leads to patios and fire pit. Casual lakefront living and sandy bottom ideal for swimming. $699,000
! D L SO
All-Sports Pine Lake Lakefront home with walkout lower level. Southwest facing. Long deep lot. Ideal recreational opportunity or build your dream home. A great destination location. $549,000
K A T H Y BROOCK BALLARD
City of Orchard Lake Buildable Walkout Site Almost 2 acres including Orchard Lake lakefront deeded outlot. Sunset views and sandy beach. Ideal for boating and recreational use. $525,000
248.318.4504 KATHY@MAXBROOCKHOMES.COM MAX BROOCK REALTORS 275 S. Old Woodward Ave. Birmingham, MI 48009
All-Sports Union Lake
Fabulous Opportunity
Sunset views and sandy beach with exceptional waterfront environment. Great room with fireplace. Finished lower level with full bath. $475,000
Move on to all-sports Union Lake. Sunset views, sandy beach and fabulous waterfront setting. Great cottage alternative. $349,000
KATHYBROOCK..COM
www.oaklandlakefront.com
OAKLAND LAKEFRONT
63
F 50 TLR
FULL SERVICE PARTS & ACCESSORIES
Fiberglass Shop • Service Department • Indoor & Outdoor Storage
HOURS: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Flint
•
EXIT ❂ 84 Fenton US 23 M-59
(810) 629-2291
3241 Thompson Rd. • Fenton, MI 48430 (Exit 84 on US-23) 64
APRIL 2011
• •
Pontiac
I-96
Ann Arbor
Detroit
*Plus freight & tax, after rebates
website: www.freeway-sports.com www.oaklandlakefront.com