To the editor:
At the recent Cleveland Township board meeting there was discussion about Segment 9 of the Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail -— the proposed route through wetlands, rare dune/ swale areas, and forested dunes where 7,300 trees will be cut and retaining walls built to hold back dunes, in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Thanks to Supervisor Tim Stein and township trustees for listening to constituents and agreeing to reconsider your support of the Segment 9 proposed route.
After the meeting the public was invited to comment. All speakers thanked the board for reconsidering their position and voiced support of an alternative route down Bohemian Road to Lake Michigan.
One speaker stood out — a visitor from Los Angeles, of all places. He’s been to our area before and loves it, especially bike riding.
He movingly described the thrill of biking the Heritage Trail to Bohemian Road, continuing to Lake Michigan with the deep blue of Good Harbor Bay ahead. To him it was the big payoff — that unexpected vista of beach, lake and sky. Laying his bike down without worrying about locking it up (not possible in L.A.), he joyfully embraced the Sleeping Bear experience.
Thank you, Cleveland Township, for listening. We hope the National Park Service does likewise. If they do, they will realize that ending the Heritage Trail by using Bohemian Road to reach Good Harbor Bay creates a spectacular recreational experience for park visitors and that preserved trees, wetlands and dunes are key to that experience.
Marilyn Miller, Sleeping Bear Naturally
Glen Arbor Clayton, California
