When trying to remove yourself from civilization, it’s helpful not to be under a power line.
That was part of the reasoning behind a deal facilitated between the National Park Service and Consumers Power, which needed property to expand a power station within Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
“We are doing what is called a land swap,” said Scott Tucker, superintendent at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. “We’ve been working on this for four years.”
The other reason for the swap is to provide adequate electricity into the future for the Glen Arbor community, which is served by Consumers Energy. The Lakeshore has deeded about one-half acre of park land that is needed to expand a power station located near the intersection of Crystal View Road and Dunns Farm Road. A call placed to the utility was not returned soon enough for inclusion in this story.
In exchange, Consumers Power deeded to the Lakeshore two easements once used for power lines totaling nearly 38 and 19 acres.
Crews will soon get to work removing wooden utility pools and lines that have remained in the rights-of-way long after the homes they served were demolished.
“The lines have been deactivated but the poles are still in place. Whether all the lines have come down, I don’t know. Some have probably been taken down by trees over the past few years,” Tucker said.
The easements formerly provided hookups to homes near North Bar Lake along privately owned East Pointe Drive, which no longer exists.
In an unrelated utility development, Tucker said the Lakeshore has entered into a trial with StarLink to provide internet service to park buildings that had gone unserved.
The plan is to test the satellite service for speed and reliability at locations such as Glen Haven. Should everything work out, the Internet provider will be asked to provide Internet at ranger stations on North and South Manitou islands.
The Leelanau County Board of Commissioners committed to an aggressive plan to provide fiber internet service to every underserved home in the county. However, the initiative has fallen behind schedule. Tucker said the Lakeshore will cooperate with work schedules to bury lines extended to inholders, but could wait no longer for service after StarLink became available.
“The (county) plan is to get broadband to residents living in the Lakeshore. We will take advantage (of the service) where we can when they can bring fiber to park facilities while getting to those residents,” Tucker said.
