Current Actions
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Contact Your Representative Today to Help Safeguard Michigan Bicyclists
Michigan Bicyclists: Join us in spirt by taking action!
On May 22nd bicyclists from across the state will converge on the Capitol to advocate for a more bicycle-friendly state during the 2013 Lucinda Means Bicycle Advocacy Day.
Even if you can’t attend Advocacy Day in person, you can still be part of the action by participating in our Virtual Lobby Day! Please urge your Representative to cosponsor our vulnerable roadway user legislation. Insert your zip code and fill out the short form below to send a personalizable letter to your Representative. The legislation will create enhanced penalties for reckless drivers who injure or kill bicyclists! You can read more about this legislation by clicking here.
P.S.: Thank you to the West Michigan Environmental Action Council for use of their Action Tool!
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Thank You Cannon Township for Acting on Fracking
Please let Township Supervisor Steve Grimm know that you support the moratorium and pending effort to improve the regulation of oil and gas interests in Cannon Township.
Enter in your personal information for the letter on this page. A form letter will then appear for you to customize or send as is to Supervisor Grimm. We do recommend that you customize your message for greatest effect.
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Thank You Cannon Township for Acting on Fracking
Please let Township Supervisor Steve Grimm know that you support the moratorium and pending effort to improve the regulation of oil and gas interests in Cannon Township.
We recommend that you customize your message for greatest effect.
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Don't Raid the Natural Resource Trust Fund!
Bills alter the Natural Resources Trust Fund
Parallel bills in the House (HB 4106) and Senate (SB 229) would raid the Natural Resources Trust Fund (NRTF) to fund dredging for state waterways. On March 14, SB 229 passed through the Senate Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Committee in a 5-2 vote. Record low water levels in harbors and waterways makes dredging necessary, but changing the NRTF to do so does not fit its intent and exposes it to further raiding. The proposed changes would add "including the dredging of harbors for use by recreational watercraft." These proposed changes would alter the intent of the fund from only land acquisition, upkeep, and recreational usage to include commercial interests.
Goal of the NRTF to acquire and develop land for resource protection and recreation
The NRTF was created in the 1970s to hold funds collected from the extraction of nonrenewable resources from state owned lands. These funds are explicitly set aside to acquire and develop state parks and public land for resource protection and public outdoor recreation. Michanders voted to amend the constitution for the creation of the NRTF and to protect it from diversion. Legislative raids like these, that seek short term fixes for other areas are the opposite of the NRTF's intention.
Future Implications
Past proposed bills have already attempted to alter the uses of the trust fund. HB 4021 attempted to divert funds from the trust to fund road and airport expenditures through the NRTF. Other bills (HB 5364, SB 1238) have aimed to increase legislative control over the NRTF and its board. While these bills did not pass, they demonstrate attempts to dip into the fund.
Allowing minor alterations opens the doors for other abuses of the fund, slowly chipping away at the money available from the NRTF to fund its specific uses. Thankfully, last Wednesday Governor Snyder signed a bill funds dredging without NRTF dollars, appropriating $21 million for dredging projects through the State Waterways fund and the General fund.
Take Action Now!
Write a letter to your state legislators and Governor Snyder. Tell them to protect the original intent of the NRTF.
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Protect State Lands!
Bill in State House Diminishes Biological Diversity
The "anti-biodiversity" Senate Bill (SB) 78 is currently in the Michigan House Natural Resources Committee after passing the Senate 37 - 26 with 11 excused; the vote was close. The bill discourages the Michigan DNR (Department of Natural Resources) from promoting or maintaining biodiversity on state lands. Basic scientific principles of conservation, land management, and ecological health emphasize the importance of biodiversity.
Unscientific
Best practices for natural resource management and public testimony from leading Michigan ecological scientists were disregarded when the Senate passed this bill; It undermines the Michigan Endangered Species Act and the designation of Biodiversity Stewardship Areas under the Living Legacies program. The bill removes provisions regarding restoration, distribution, and the "continued existence" of native species and communities from the definition of conservation in law.
Economic Repercussions
Tourism will be impacted if the DNR has difficulty maintaining the quality land our state has come to expect and be known for. Additionally, biological diversity is key to the state forest action plan, which contributed to Michigan bringing in $22 million for cooperative agreements including $800,000 in Great Lakes Restoration funds. Removing biodiversity protection would also risk the state's forest certification.
Radical Shift
SB 78 represents a radical shift in forest management: it actually eliminates a legislative finding that most losses of biological diversity are caused by human activity.
The House Natural Resources Committee and your representative need to hear from you. Send a letter to the Committee Chair, Andrea LaFontaine, as well as your Representative. Tell them not to move this unscientific bill.
Write Your Legislator Now!
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Help Friends of Grand Rapids Win $1000 Today!
Coopetition: cooperation between competitors working together to achieve a common goal.
Mercantile Bank's 15 Days of Giving contest is 11 days under way, with the highest daily vote getter on Facebook receiving $1,000 with a chance at an additional $5,000. In the first week, it looked like it would be tough to compete. So in the spirit of coopetition, we joined an alliance with other great, local nonprofits to pool our votes - and it worked! West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC) was able to take the prize on Wednesday!
WMEAC will be making an appeal on Friends of GR Parks' behalf to their supporters today. And we encourage you to vote for Kids Food Basket on Saturday and Healthy Homes Coalition on Sunday.
I’m writing to you today to request that you vote for Friends of Grand Rapids Parks now (Friday, November 17) and help us win $1,000 to protect, enhance and expand parks and public spaces in Grand Rapids.
Vote for Friends of GR Parks via e-mail using the form below.And vote for them on Mercantile's Facebook ap here: http://bit.ly/Rw3Cq4
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Protect the Saugatuck Dunes
Saugatuck Dunes Community Meetings
This Thursday, October 11, at 5 pm at St. Peter’s Church (163 St. Peter’s Drive, Douglas – just off the Blue Star Highway overlooking the south end of Lake Kalamazoo) the Saugatuck Township Zoning Board of Appeals will hear an application for multiple zoning variances from Aubrey McClendon’s Singapore Dunes LLC for its controversial high-rise resort development immediately north of the Kalamazoo River on Lake Michigan.Next week, on Wednesday, October 17, the Saugatuck Township Planning Commission will review a different plan for the same site, one that McClendon lawyers claim will not require any zoning variances.
No Special Treatement for Singapore Dunes LLC
Per usual, Singapore Dunes is asking for special treatment and trying to bypass the public zoning process that every other landowner would have to go through to build a 9-story hotel, restaurant, and marina on property that is zoned residential.
Even worse, by submitting multiple applications, Singapore Dunes is trying to confuse the Township and its residents into giving it special treatment by pretending like the community must choose between two bad options.
The Township should refuse to consider both applications at once and should force Singapore Dunes to choose one or the other. The Township should also start the proper public process to consider what the zoning should be for the land at the mouth of river, whether that means rezoning or considering a new zoning district for coastal lands.
Take action now. Write a letter!Letters will be most effective that detail how you use the Saugatuck Dunes waterfront, dunes, beaches, river and how the variances allowing a 9-story hotel, 65-foot condos, marina, restaurant and other commercial activity at the river mouth will negatively impact the enjoyment of our public lands, your private property, your business or real estate value, or other aspects that would be negatively impacted.
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Slow Down State Oil and Gas Mineral Lease Auctions
Natural Resource Commission Policy on the managment of state minerals:
"It shall be the policy of the Natural Resources Commission (NRC) to manage State-owned minerals in a manner that protects and enhances the public trust. Surface and mineral ownership may be consolidated when it is in the best interests of the State. Minerals shall be developed in an orderly manner to optimize revenue consistent with other public interest and natural resource values."
Michigan should slow future oil and gas lease auctions, including the auction scheduled for October 24th, 2012, until several important issues are addressed. There are a host of reasons why Michigan should slow down it's auctioning of leases of state land for oil and gas production, but the three issues are of particular concern given current issues and trends:
Michigan Needs Further Study of Horizontal Hydraulic Fracturing
Due to a host of environmental and public health concerns documented nationally, it would be wise to slow further oil and gas auction leasing until federal hydrofracking reseearch is completed (due 2014) and approriate protections added. If the EPA study is found to be lacking in Michigan specific research, it would be wise to go beyond the federal study and perform the research suggested in Michigan House Bill 5151.
"Orderly Manner"
State mineral leasing policy states that minerals shall be developed in an "orderly manner." This has been put into question due to allegations of price fixing in a previous state oil and gas auction. Oil and gas lease auctions in Michigan should be slowed until these allegations have been sorted out, and appropriate protections put into place to deter such actions in the future.
"Optimize Revenue"
Oil and gas auctions and subsequent production raise money for the State to invest in preserving Michigan's natural resources. Currently, the price of natural gas is at a 'low.' The Energy Information Agency, and other major energy analyst groups indicate that both storage and supply are at highs - with natual gas storage at record highs in the united states. The gut of supply indicates that the state will not make a whole lot of money at auction, and certainly will have trouble recieving "optimal revenue" for leased mineral rights and royalites for natural gas produced. The current reserve price of an oil and gas parcel for auction in Michigan is about $4 /acre - that is simply not anadequate floor to ensure optimal compensation for publicly owned resrouces
Please take a moment to personalize your letter for greater effect.
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Holland Community Energy Plan
For the past year, the City of Holland has worked with an international consulting firm to create a Community Energy Plan (CEP) that is long range, balanced and world-class. This plan was created using extensive, detailed and Holland-specific data.
Holland recognizes that it's facing critical energy challenges, and must find ways to reduce it's dependence on increasingly expensive fossil fuels produced in distant communities, while improving energy efficiency.
More than any other community issue, energy decisions will have a long range and “permanent” effect on our families, businesses and city budget by affecting the economic development, health, and environment of our community. Good solutions for complex issues require broad interaction among well-informed people of good will!
The decisions made today and tomorrow will be with Holland for generations. Holland needs a robust community conversation to comprehensively address Holland’s energy future, rather than focusing solely on specific fuel types and individual power plants.
Let the Holland City Council know that this issue is important to you.
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Protect Michigan Waters from Fracking
Fracking poses a risk to Michigan’s water and natural resources.
High-Volume deep injection horizontal hydraulic fracturing, or FRACKING, is the process of injecting a mixture of water, chemicals and sand underground at very high pressure. This blasts apart geological formations (increasingly shale) through which natural gas can flow and be brought to the surface.
A recent Congressional report documents at least 750 chemicals used in the fracking process, of which at least 29 are known or possible carcinogens.
Michigan can't afford to get this one wrong. Half of Michigan residents get their drinking water from groundwater wells. Tens of billions of dollars a year are pumped into the economy by water-dependent industries like fishing, boating and tourism. Countless jobs would be lost if our waters were contaminated.
In Michigan new fracking operations use up to 6 million gallons of groundwater per wellhead. In other states, thousands of environmental contaminations from fracking have been reported. In Michigan, a recent spill connected to shallow drilling serves as a warning signal that we should pause and examine all aspects of natural gas production before it is allowed to proceed.In addition to the chemicals and large volumes of water that have to be trucked in and out (often through natural areas degrading air quality), fracking operations around the country utilize high-silica sand that is mined from Michigan sand dunes.
Fracking practices have changed significantly over the past decade and our regulations have failed to keep up. Michigan is surrounded by one-fifth of the world’s fresh surface water, so we as citizens must act to protect its water resources and our Pure Michigan legacy.
The fracking issue cannot be adequately evaluated in isolation. Michigan lacks a cohesive, statewide energy policy. Such a policy should maximize energy efficiency, diversify our sources of energy, protect public health, and create in-state jobs and economic opportunities. It would also remove barriers to renewable, clean, homegrown energy sources.
Without this broader context, fracking discussions and decisions will not move Michigan forward into a competitive energy future.We need you to tell Representatives Horn and Foster to work carefully to protect Michigan's environment from fracking.
Please personalize you letter for more effect. Form letters are easier to ignore.
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Protect the Saugatuck Dunes
Saugatuck Township has approved a settlement with Singapore Dunes LLC.Tell TWP officials you are concerned with settlement development proposals and their potential effects on the property. Ask them them to work with McClendon to preserve the character and viewscapes of the Lakeshore, and to avoid any damage with environmentally sensitive areas.
The settlement would allow a towering 25 suite hotel, condos, 66-slip marina, golf course, and about a total of 100 buildings on the dunes north of Oval Beach. It would exempt McClendon's development from local zoning ordinances.We need you to tell Saugatuck Township officials that dwindling West Michigan Dunelands are more precious than hotels, gulf courses and marinas, and that this natural treasure should be protected at all costs.Please personalize your letter for more effect. Form letters are often ignored.We HIGHLY encourage you to share stories of your family and friends on Lake Michigan shorelines, and how important preserving these natural areas are to you and your loved one's.