DNR Leadership accepts essential points of
Friends of Pickerel Lake (FPL) Position.

Our last Pickerel Lake update brought the news of the DNR Director's order to prohibit the launching of gas-powered motorboats from the lake access site. The DNR leadership confirmed, in the end, that they accept most of the other points that we have all been fighting for.

EVERYONE who wrote a letter, sent an e-mail, signed a petition, went to the public meeting in Pinckney, made a donation, provided information, offered their technical expertise, skill, and advice, lobbied their local officials, offered moral support, spread the word among friends and neighbors, and helped in countless other ways deserves enormous credit for turning the DNR juggernaut around on this issue. This would NEVER have happened without all supporters staying actively engaged and determined to stick with a vision of Pickerel Lake as a place for quiet, non-motorized recreation at one of the few remaining pristine lakes in our little corner of Michigan.

New plan highlights:

• Beach and access alley will remain sandy - No concrete or gravel will be laid at the shoreline or down the sandy alley leading from the parking area to the shore.
• No vehicular access to shore - Large boulders will be placed at the top of the sandy alley to ensure that no vehicles are able to drive down to the shore. Boats must be carry-down only.
• Gravel parking area - The DNR has agreed to stabilize the parking area with gravel, rather than concrete or asphalt. Many of us would have preferred the surface to remain sandy, but the DNR remained firm on the issue of hardening the surface to prevent further deterioration due to motorized traffic. Large boulders will also be placed around the perimeter of the parking area to prevent vehicular encroachment of the sandy bank surrounding the parking area. The boulders, along with erosion mats and native plantings, will help to prevent erosion and thus protect the surrounding woods.
• Adequate parking spaces - This was a very tough issue and the core group fought on this to the end. The DNR's original plan was to drastically limit parking to 8 spaces -- including four double-length spaces for vehicles pulling trailers, in line with their plan for a concrete boat ramp. After prolonged insistence that this was a bottom-line issue for us, they began saying they might consider 12 spaces, and now they have agreed to 21 spaces. One parking space will be designated for handicap use. The design team also initially planned to put concrete separators between each space to prevent over-parking, but after some pushing they agreed to drop that element of their new plan.
• Access road - The road from Hankerd to the parking area will be graded.

Some unexpected changes:

• Boardwalk - The new plan includes a boardwalk leading from the parking area to the shoreline for handicap access to the beach. The boardwalk will stay fairly close to the eastern edge of the alley, and will be at ground level, with no handrails, to minimize visual impact while ensuring safety for wheelchair users. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) regulations specify that when a public facility is altered to a certain degree, accessibility for wheel chair users must be considered. A representative sample of different types of natural and recreational public sites must be wheelchair accessible. In this case, the DNR has determined that Pickerel Lake should be wheelchair-accessible, since its unmarred beauty is unique in the area. We are happy that the final design of the boardwalk will be visually unimposing and will not obstruct others from sitting in the sandy alley.
• Pier - We were stunned to learn that the pier will be removed. The DNR Risk Management Team has decided that the pier is a risk liability. Neither the Parks and Recreation Division nor the Fisheries Division has the funds available to bring it up to safety standards, so they have decided to remove it. The pier was never a subject in our discussions with the DNR or in any of the letters that FPL members shared with us. We learned about the pier removal decision just days before work on the site began, directly from the Resource Management Deputy, who himself had just learned of this decision from the Risk Management Team. We know that many people will miss the pier, which had become a focal point for sunbathers as well as anglers.

Timeline

Conclusion