Highland Conservancy

Stewardship in Action by Katheryn Krupa

A wonderful mix of families, adults, teens and children came out on Sunday, October 16th to plant trees along White Lake Road near Eagle Road in Highland as part of the Faith in Action initiative at Highland United Methodist Church.  Working with Jim Lloyd, President of the Highland Conservancy, Mary Lloyd of the Highland Beautification Committee, and many dedicated individuals from the church and community, we were able to plant white pine, red pine and other evergreen trees.  Several years ago the area had become degraded when a developer bulldozed the area, sold off all the top soil and left the land to be overgrown with invasive weeds such as spotted knapweed, which makes the ground toxic to native growth. 

Everyone pitched in digging holes, spreading organic mulch and planting trees to help in the effort to regenerate a healthy ecosystem in the area.  Several people wondered why someone would strip off all the top soil and then leave the land covered in stone and sand, unable to sustain plants and animals that formerly flourished there?  Good question!  [But that is a fight for another day].  Kid's Church teacher Mary Lloyd helped the children learn the importance of planting a variety of trees and how we need to be good stewards of our planet.  She showed them how to plant the trees and then we got to work.

Finally, we returned to re-mulch and spread woodchips around the evergreens that were planted several years ago in the same area.  The only down note was that of the 2,500 acorns that we planted in 2009, less then 5% managed to sprout and grow into young saplings.  (The biggest problem again has been the spotted knapweed that prevent the oaks from getting enough sunlight or nutrients to get a foothold.)  The best news was that this time around, we planted much larger trees that Jim Lloyd had carefully nurtured and raised in large pots, allowing them to grow into 2 to 3 foot trees.  Thanks to Jim and Mary for all their ongoing work mowing, weeding, watering and tending of the area.

A special thanks to all who turned out to make a difference!

EARTH DAY POSTER CONTEST WINNERS

 First place winner Shaina Parks accepting her award from Conservancy member Katheryn Krupa

The Highland Conservancy sponsored a poster contest for elementary students in Huron Valley to promote earth day and Highland’s Earth Friendly Family Fun Festival this Sunday noon-4 at Carls Y in Milford.  The theme of the contest was: Protecting Animals and their Habitat for a more diverse, ecologically healthy earth.  The first place winner was Shaina Parks of Kurtz Elementary who won $50.  The second place was Andrew Kovanda of Spring Mills and third place went to Alaina Maxwell of Kurtz.  Both won $25 each.  CONGRATULATIONS!

 

  Second Place winner Andrew Kovanda
 
 

 

REZONING TO ALLOW GAS STATION WILL THREATEN PETTIBONE CREEK by Huron River Watershed Council

 

On Tuesday night, February 16 at 7:30 pm, the Milford Village Council will hear a request for a zoning change to allow Kroger to build a gas station very close to Pettibone Creek.  The site is within Milford's Wellhead Protection Zone and would add a new environmental risk to Pettibone Creek and the Huron River possibly down to Kent Lake.

Please join Huron River Watershed Council staff at the Village Council meeting and urge the Village Council to deny the zoning change during the public comment period.

Visit the village website:
http://www.villageofmilford.org/1/village/council_agendas.asp?artID=25758 for more details about the meeting and agenda item.  The meeting will be at the Milford Civic Center.  Please advise friends and neighbors and encourage them to attend the Council meeting.

If you are able to provide comments, here are some points to consider:

* If the Village approves the zoning change, and ultimately the development plan, it is essentially trading a risk of water contamination, including drinking water well contamination, for a small gain of a few low-wage gas station jobs.

* Environmental regulations are not sufficient to protect village drinking water from gas spills and leaks.  Take a look at reports on the many times that these regulations have been violated.  Milford has four leaking tanks above the Mill Pond alone.  It only takes one spill or leak to cause an emergency that will cost village residents more than money.

* There are already a sufficient number of gas stations in the area.  Kroger can still move forward on other expansion plans without the gas station.

* If the zoning change is approved, the Council is trusting Kroger to be good environmental stewards, though they have no proven track record with gas station management in a wellhead protection zone.  Does Milford want to be Kroger's guinea pig?  Village councilors should do their due diligence and look into Kroger's history with gas stations rather than blindly trusting them to do the right thing.

* The Village should stick with the original vision for their community as specified in their current zoning plan.  Building gas stations near surface and drinking waters is not a good idea, and is not part of Milford's original vision.  Village councilors should not be bullied into a bad decision.

Thanks for your help.

Huron River Watershed Council

www.hrwc.org