PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING RECOMMENDED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT FROM THE SHORELINE SUBCOMMITTEE SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 29, 2022
***UPDATE***The Charter Township of Long Lake Board of Trustees voted unanimously on 12/13/2022 in favor of Ordinance 194 which prohibits upland dredging for all lakes in Long Lake Township. The ordinance will be published in the Record-Eagle and become effective 8 days after publication which is before the end of the current moratorium on dredging in Long Lake Township.
The new zoning ordinance language pertaining to “PROHIBITION OF UPLAND DREDGING” will be considered for approval during the Long Lake Township Board Regular Meeting on December 13, 2022, at 6:00 PM.
The Charter Township of Long Lake Township Planning Commission conducted a special meeting on November 9, 2022, to discuss a “REVIEW OF RECOMMENDED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENTS FROM SHORELINE SUBCOMMITTEE.” Based on this meeting, a slightly altered version of option 2 was voted on and approved to go to the public hearing phase. Please review the attached documents and consider attending the public hearing on November 29, 2022, starting at 6:00 PM located at 8870 North Long Lake Rd.; Traverse City, Michigan 49685 or, alternatively, send any input to the following email address: planner@longlaketownship.com
The Long Lake Township Planning Commission Agenda Packet for the Public Hearing scheduled for Tuesday, November 29th is posted for your review. Please note that the proposed ordinance language can be found on pages 23 and 24 under “Add a new Section 4.14 PROHIBITION OF UPLAND DREDGING.
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE | Brent Schnell
A “shout out” to our current members for your continued support of the Long Lake Association (LLA) through these challenging times! We will continue to strive to accomplish our main mission “to preserve Long Lake as a natural resource and recreation area through protection and prudent use of its environs.” As part of this mission, we continue to have great success in controlling the levels of Eurasian Watermilfoil (EWM) thanks to your support. We will strive to evolve our treatment program to take advantage of all possible control measures to create a hybrid approach including benthic barriers, new treatment types, etc. For example, we will be conducting a pilot of a new state-of-the-art treatment for EWM in Mickey Lake in 2022 and are planning a benthic barrier pilot in 2023. In 2022, we will fully reinstate the NMC intern program to assist us in our water quality studies.
Based on the discovery of zebra mussels in Long Lake, we created a new committee in 2021 to track the presence of this invasive species and provide education to our members. In 2021, our sister organization, Long Lake Foundation (LLF), created the “LLF Invasive Species Defense Fund” to help fund the study and
remediation of both aquatic and terrestrial invasive species in and around Long, Mickey, and Ruth Lakes. Contributing to this LLF fund at this link represents another way for you to support our invasive species remediation efforts: https://www.longlakefoundation.org/donation-form.html. Please put “LLF Invasive Species Defense Fund” in the comment section.
In 2022, we will be proposing by-law changes to change to a calendar fi scal year, update notifi cation methods, etc. This will be included in the ballot that will be sent prior to the August meeting. Please check out our website as we will continue to provide pertinent information regarding issues involving our lakes at https://longlakeassociation.com/.
We are happy to announce a return of the Welcome Back to Paradise Party at Boone’s Long Lake Inn for 2022 on June 6th at 5:00 PM. Please take time to read through this newsletter to get updates from the Committee Chairs prior to the meeting. We will provide a brief summary of this info at the meeting. I would like to encourage those that are not LLA members to join for the annual membership fee of $35.00 to help us in our mission to protect our lakes by using the enclosed dues envelope. I would sincerely like to thank our partners: Oleson Foundation, Long Lake Township, Long Lake Foundation, and NMC for their ongoing support! We are looking forward to meeting everyone when we get together again in June!
Sincerely,
Brent Schnell
CURRENT NEWS BULLETIN BOARD
2022 Board Meeting Schedule
Board meetings are open to the membership for public comment at the beginning of the meeting. Please contact a board member if you wish to be put on the agenda. Board meetings begin at 5:00pm
February 16 | Zoom Online-LLA BOD Special Meeting
April 13 | Zoom Online
May 11 | Zoom Online
May 18 | Zoom Online
June 6 | 2022 Annual Discussion Meeting at 5:00 PM at Boone’s Long Lake Inn
July 13 | Zoom Online
August 10 | Zoom Online
August 27 | 2022 Annual Meeting at 9:00 AM at Boone’s Long Lake Inn
September 14 | Zoom Online
October 12 | Zoom Online
November 9 | Zoom Online if needed
Educational Opportunities
MSU Extension’s popular Introduction to Lakes Online course is back in session January 10
Registration for the award-winning Introduction to Lakes Online course is now open! This six-week online course is designed for anyone interested in inland lakes, including lakefront property owners, recreational users, and managers. Over 1,500 people have participated in the class since it was first offered online in 2015. As a former participant, tell your friends, neighbors, and family to join us online!
The course will kickoff on January 10, 2023. Registration is open now through January 8, 2023. The cost is $115 per person. Register by December 19, 2022 for an early bird price of $95 per person. Scholarships are available.
Eurasian Watermilfoil Treatment Dates:
Our Lake Management Committee will be treating various sites for Eurasian Watermilfoil on (2023 TBD). Riparian homeowners will be notified directly if treatment is in front of their property. Please stay a safe distance from our treatment boats during treatment.
Thank you in advance!
CENTRAL DISPATCH NON-EMERGENCY – 231-922-4550
(non-emergency calls for service for Law Enforcement, Fire, and Emergency Medical Services)
MARINE PATROL – 231-922-2112 (seasonal enforcement of boating laws on inland lakes)
DNR REPORT ALL POACHING (RAP) line-800-292-7800 (CALL OR TEXT)
(If you witness loon harassment, poaching, etc.)
Try to get the MC number when reporting any incident.
Pictures and especially videos of the incident are beneficial.
2021 marks a significant milestone for Long Lake!
As it celebrates the 100th anniversary of the origins of the Long Lake Association.
How did this party get started?
In September of 1921, twenty-five Long Lake property owners at the south end of the lake banded together and pitched in $1 each to form an organization named the Evergreen Beach Resort Association. This pioneering group of lake lovers recognized the need to organize to effectively maintain the quality of Long Lake for themselves and generations to come. The name was formally changed to The Long Lake Improvement Association in 1948. Later, the word Improvement was dropped, and the organization was incorporated as it stands today. Watch for more fun facts on our website and Facebook.
August 1982 Newsletter
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June 2021 Newsletter
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JOIN THE LONG LAKE ASSOCIATION
LLA ’s only source of annual income is from the membership dues that our residents and families contribute. These funds allow us to operate as a not for profit organization and provide operating funds for the Board to direct to projects and programs that are in the best environmental interest of Long, Mickey, and Ruth Lakes. Joining and Membership Renewal is easy!
Just click the button below labeled JOIN LLA TODAY! Your payment can be made using PayPal or by credit card. Or, if you receive your newsletter by US Mail, a membership envelope is included in the Spring issue. If you have not become an LLA member yet, please consider doing so this year! LLA Membership is open to all interested parties.
Long Lake Association is 501c4 certified!
INVASIVE SPECIES [ZEBRA MUSSELS] | Rick Dahlstrom
Zebra and quagga mussels in Long Lake?
Zebra Mussels
Zebra mussels are a well-known invasive species in the Great Lakes region. Together with their cousin the quagga mussel (which can grow a little larger and live in deeper waters, but looks the same), they have spread into inland waters and the Great Lakes since they arrived in Lake St. Clair more than
20 years ago. They cause a variety of negative changes in the lakes where they live: they filter out tiny food particles that young fish like walleye and perch need to survive and grow, are responsible for loon and other waterfowl deaths through botulism poisoning, and are a nuisance to swimmers and boaters with their sharp edges and ability to form massive colonies on any dock, hoist or structure in the water.
Many northern Michigan lakes have seen zebra and quagga mussels appear and flourish. Long Lake has been extremely fortunate to avoid such infestations, in part due to it being a relatively quiet lake with few boat launches (most invasive species are unknowingly brought in by boaters that don’t live on the lake). However, several lake residents have recently found small clumps of mussels. Zebra mussels can have small populations for years before suddenly showing explosive growth. They are usually about 1⁄4-1.5 inches long, with brown and tan stripes (though stripes may be lacking) on a D-shaped shell. They produce microscopic eggs that can travel through open water and in bilge water or minnow buckets on boats.
Because Long Lake may be in the early stages of an invasion, it is important to document and remove all new populations to slow their spread. If you think you may have found a zebra or quagga mussel, please note the exact location, take a photo, and remove the mussels from the water, making sure no parts of the mussel are left in the lake. Removal will not only prevent them from releasing more eggs but will allow Long Lake Association to make a positive identification. Please contact Rick Dahlstrom at dahlstromrick5@gmail.com or 248-568-4263 if you think you have found zebra or quagga mussels or have any questions. Thank you for your assistance in helping to manage this potential issue and maintaining the high quality of Long Lake.
FEMALES CAN PRODUCE A MILLION EGGS A YEAR!
In 2021 zebra mussels are again reproducing in Long Lake. Each female can produce a million eggs in a year. As you see in our lake they are often found attached to clamshells. If you see Zebra Mussels on rocks, clams, dock stands, or anything else, please immediately remove them from the lake. We should all stay vigilant while enjoying our time in the water.
Long Lake Township Enacts Dredging Moratorium
By Jordan Travis | Jan. 20, 2022 | Record-Eagle
TRAVERSE CITY — Long Lake Township trustees hit pause on any dredging or similar projects for certain zoning along the township’s namesake lake.
Their recently approved moratorium came about after Long Lake shoreline residents and others signaled concerns about the impacts a proposed dredging project could have on Long Lake.
Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy regulators cited those impacts in denying a permit request to dig a channel on the lake’s bottomland for a project that also included digging a basin inland of the ordinary high water mark for a boathouse.
The denial of that permit didn’t allay concerns of township residents like Anne Morrison Perry. She and others asked the township for a moratorium on any new dredging.
So township trustees passed a 180-day cessation on any new land use permits from the township for anything involving the creation or alteration of any manmade or artificial water body within the lake residential zoning districts, township Supervisor Ron Lemcool said.
Perry said she believes it’ll give the township’s planning commission time to review existing ordinances, bring in experts if needed and send any proposed changes to township trustees.
“I think it’s exactly what the people who are concerned about the negative effects on the lakes, it’s exactly what we need,” she said.
The state Department of Great Lakes, Environment, and Energy denied a permit to dredge in Long Lake as shown in this drawing. Plans originally were to dredge a channel in the lake bed and dig a channel and basin for a boathouse planned for a property on the lake’s south end.
Joseph Quandt, an attorney for dredging permit applicant Carrie C. Barnes Family Trust, said he thought the moratorium was “unnecessary and unfortunate.”
“I think it’s ill-informed, but we will continue to work productively with the township planning commission and the review process, and in trying to establish any changes to the ordinance that are necessary, appropriate, in the public interest as well as in the interest of my client,” he said.
Lemcool said the moratorium can be extended two more times for a total of 360 days, but only in light of new information that would require an extension. The moratorium doesn’t prevent property owners in the affected district from doing other things on their property, just no dredging, channeling, or other activities.
Trustees also directed the township planning commission to spend that time reviewing zoning rules for what can be done within the 50-foot setback from the lake’s edge, Lemcool said. That provision earned his “no” vote in the 5-2 decision.
“I voted no because I questioned if it’s something that needed to happen, to direct the planning commission to look into this, but the board voted to approve it,” he said.
Challenging the moratorium in court seemed “eminently” doable to Quandt, he said, citing case law stating any moratorium affecting zoning needs to be adopted through the same process as a zoning amendment, public hearings and all. But the Carrie C. Barnes Family Trust is more interested in working constructively with the township than fighting in court, he said.
While environmental regulators stated the dredging permit’s objectives could be satisfied with “prudent and feasible” alternatives, Quandt previously rejected this, noting the stated alternative — a seasonal dock — isn’t much of a substitute for a permanent boathouse.
An appeal of that rejection is still working its way through the process, and Quandt said he expected an administrative review judge to set a scheduling hearing in roughly a month.
Windswept Pines Canal Dredging Project
Application Denial; Submission Number HP6-WPNY-PHWPX
Site Name: 28-121 N South Long Lake Road-Traverse City
https://miwaters.deq.state.mi.us/nsite/site/-6890855560443164554/documents
Application Denial
November 12, 2021
Preserve our lakes future – Donate Now!
We are blessed to live in a spectacular watershed. But what does it take to maintain the health and beauty of this precious asset? It takes organizations dedicated to preserving the natural features and ensuring our enjoyment of this community long into the future. That is where the Long Lake Association and the Long Lake Foundation come in. These organizations have different functions but share the same goal–preserving the beauty of Long Lake and its watershed for years to come. Consider the two organizations to be a partnership working for the benefit of the environment and its members. Here is a closer look at the work each does:
LONG LAKE FOUNDATION
- As a 501c3 entity, LLF provides leadership and financial resources for projects and programs that enhance Long Lake and the Long Lake Watershed.
- LLF orchestrates the protection of the islands from fires and erosion
- Makes possible the Long Lake/NMC Freshwater Studies program that monitors water quality on Long,
Mickey, Ruth, Fern, and Page Lakes. - Works in concert with the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy helping to make the Timbers
Recreation Area a reality. - The LLF has made significant contributions to the enhancement and enjoyment of the lake investing over
$7,500.00 annually on average over the last 3 years.
LONG LAKE ASSOCIATION
- As a 501c4 entity, LLA is the administrative arm of this partnership.
- Through committees, the LLA oversees communication with the membership, monitors community
affairs with the township, the news and information source, promoting community involvement. - LLA is the boots on the ground and muscle that targets; Lake Science, Community Affairs, Fishing and
Wildlife, Lake Management which includes the detection and management of invasive species and Water Safety. For example, we continue to treat Eurasian watermilfoil twice each year to improve the quality of the lakes for boating, etc. using advanced technology to limit the amount of chemical required to treat the lakes.
Both organizations are vital for the long-term health of Long Lake Watershed. To assure cohesiveness, a prescribed number of individuals sit on both boards.
As you plan your end of year giving, consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Long Lake Foundation. Your donation will help preserve the beauty of Long Lake for the next generation. As always, your contributions to the Long Lake Foundation are tax deductible under the 501c3 designation of the IRS code. These funds will go directly to the Long Lake Improvement Fund.
Thank you in advance for your generous donation.