maple bay park & natural area - Grand Traverse Regional Land ...

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MAPLE BAY PARK & NATURAL AREA Later in the process, the consulting team and County Parks department hosted a two-day open house on the Maple Bay property. The event was a causal, “drop-in” format, where users could take tours of the site that were narrated by a member of the consulting team or the Parks Department staff. The purpose of the open house was to introduce the park to the public and gather input for potential uses or issues this report should address. A summary of the community input received during the open house is provided in Appendix B. A few weeks after the open house, on September 27, 2007 a community meeting was held at the Civic Center in Traverse City. This was a more focused meeting format than the open house, and about eighty members of the public participated. The meeting began with a presentation of the initial review of the site, its unique features and challenges. Then, the consulting team led discussion tables where participants brainstormed ideas for potential uses, limitations and opportunities for the park. A summary of the community input received during the community meeting is provided in Appendix C. SUMMARY OF THE RECOMMENDED PLAN This plan recommends a sensitive use of the site, primarily for community access to natural feature and agriculture (see map 6 on page 31). It outlines low intensity uses of the beach and lower wetlands, but incorporates facilities to improve access while protecting key features. It also recognizes the agricultural heritage of the site and retains active field crop agriculture over a significant area of the upper portions of the facility. Wetland features and wildlife habitat areas would be protected, restored and preserved to the greatest extent possible while walking paths and overlook features and interpretative signage would be provided into and through key areas. The rural character of the site will continue with regulated hunting permitted in most areas except in the southern portion of the upper croplands and near the trailhead on the east side. Finally, with expanding interest in the facility for a wide range of field-oriented activities, such as model airplane flying and hunting dog training, a portion of the site would be planned for multiple purposes to be coordinated by the County Parks and Recreation Department. GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY 2 MAPLE BAY PARK AND NATURAL AREA MASTER PLAN
MAPLE BAY PARK & NATURAL AREA PARK OVERVIEW Maple Bay Park and Natural Area is 400 acre property located along both sides of US-31, just north of Angell Road in Acme Township. It is home to a wide variety of features and uses, including active agricultural, wetlands, woodlands, sand dunes and beaches. The property was acquired in 2002 by Grand Traverse County through a collaborative effort involving Grand Traverse County, the Michigan DNR Trust Fund and the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. (See Appendix F for a summary of the participants, resources and funding agencies included in acquiring the property.) The Maple Bay property has been an iconic part of the agricultural heritage of the County and a portion of the site remains viable for farming purposes. Other parts of the site offer unique recreational, habitat restoration and preservation opportunities. A portion of the site (approximately 135 acres) has been enrolled in the federal Wetland Reserve Program. The Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) is a voluntary program administered by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It provides technical and financial assistance to the County to address wetland, wildlife habitat, soil, water, and related natural resource concerns on the Maple Bay Property. The program provides an opportunity for the County to receive financial incentives to restore, protect, and enhance wetlands in exchange for retiring marginal lands in the park from agriculture. Development of lands enrolled in this program is restricted and these regulations will apply in perpetuity. NATURAL RESOURCES The portion of the site on the western side of US-31 is characterized by approximately one-half mile of undeveloped sand and cobble beach on the east arm of Grand Traverse Bay. Currently, Lake Michigan water levels are low, exposing a great amount of beach. Farther offshore, deep water off the beach has been popular with boaters, divers and fishermen. To the east of the beach lies the lowland and sand foredune, which consists of open foredunes, and undisturbed forested dune-swale complex. It is home to several threatened and endangered plant species and is important wildlife habitat. GRAND TRAVERSE COUNTY 3 MAPLE BAY PARK AND NATURAL AREA MASTER PLAN
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