The following is a notification letter from Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy regarding a managed deer hunt at Wau Ke Na:

"Hello neighbors and supporters of Wau Ke Na,

On January 6 – 10 (Monday through Friday), Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy (SWMLC) will be conducting a managed deer hunt at both its Wau Ke Na (north and south) preserves.

Why?
    Conservation partners up and down the lakeshore, as well as throughout southwest Michigan and beyond are experiencing the highest deer densities our state has ever seen. While it is no fault of the deer, the impact on habitat is tremendous, and it is our responsibility as stewards of this preserve to try and address the issue. Deer target young saplings, flowers, and tender shoots, creating negative impacts for the next generation of trees and wildflowers we need to keep these habitats diverse, and supportive of other wildlife. The forests at Wau Ke Na north tract are bare - they lack the abundance of spring wildflowers, shrubs, and young tree growth they had even 10 years ago. In addition, deer collisions with cars are a frequent safety issue we hear about from neighbors, and the statewide car collision data regularly shows Allegan as one of the top 5 counties in the state for deer collisions. We have decided to begin the long-term process of reducing the deer herd to lower levels, all the while we will be monitoring the plant-life on the preserve to measure our impact.

Safety
     All preserve entrances, formal and informal, will be closed off and signed clearly for the entire week. Our designated hunters are trusted people in the community we work with and know: conservation partners, neighbors, and farmers. SWMLC stewardship staff have created zones within the preserve that ensure that hunters will be at safe and legal distances from residential areas, as well as each other. Safety and professionalism is our number one priority. SWMLC staff will be on site each day to ensure hunters are safe and following protocol, monitor the progress of the hunt, be present if any issues arise, as well as assist hunters in retrieving deer.

Venison
      The venison that comes from the deer harvested at the preserve will feed family and friends of the hunters that give their time to this cause, as well as food banks and churches that feed our community. Deer overpopulation and food insecurity are both pressing issues in our region, and we feel good about helping address both challenges with one program.

Questions
     Thank you for your support and understanding. If you have any questions, or concerns, please respond to this email ([email protected]) and we will respond as soon as we can.
       
Sincerely,
Mike Larson(Executive Director) 
Mitch Lettow (Conservation and Stewardship Director)
​

Saugatuck Township offocials have concerns about the proximity of new home construction to the edge of the bluffs along Lake Michigan.  In order to provide a time to review and to discuss this setback issue, the Saugatuck Township Board of Trustees, at its December 11th meeting, voted to establish a four month building moratorium on new residential construction on properties west of Lakeshore Drive. This moratorium does not apply to stairs or demolition projects.

We had a successful annual meeting at the Glenn Community Center and really we appreciate this time to gather with members.   

Many thanks to our two speakers at today's meeting, Roger Gauthier and Deanne Wassink.   Roger was kind enough to let us share the slides from his presentation - you can view them here:
"Great Lakes Water Levels and Climate".


Tuesday, July 23 Open House - See details here

Have you found our 'Good Neighbor Initiative?'  
If you are new to LMSA, or newly discovering our website, you may not have come across it yet.  You can read through the "Good Neighbor Initiative" here.

 Mark your Calendars! The LMSA Annual meeting will take place 
SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024 - 9:00 AM Glenn Community Center 

Annual Meeting Speakers:
Lake Michigan Water Levels and Climate Change
Speaker: Roger L. Gauthier

Roger retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit office as a Senior Hydrologist in 2002 having spent nearly 30 years with the federal government focusing on Great Lakes hydrology, hydraulics, and geographic information. In 2002, he became a Program Manager with the Great Lakes Commission, a binational state/provincial compact agency, managing regional data coordination, habitat restoration and atmospheric toxic control programs. After retirement from the Great Lakes Commission in 2011, he was elected to chair Restore Our Water International, a binational advocacy group with members in the U.S. and Canada, focused on improving management of water levels on the upper Great Lakes. Roger is a founding member and officer of the Straits of Mackinac Alliance a non-profit charity focused on protecting the waters of the northern Lakes Michigan and Huron. He is also a Director of the Les Cheneaux Watershed Council in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

"Plant Materials To Limit Beach and Bluff Erosion"
Speaker: Deane Wassink (aka the “Duneman”)
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Born with an extreme curiosity about how things work, grow, and interact, Deane was trained in agriculture, forestry, theology, and elementary education along with greenhouse and field perennial plant propagation and production. This many faceted background came together when Deane immersed himself in the production and installation of American Beach Grass for stabilizing the shores of the Great Lakes and the East Coast. His company, Olde Paths Perennial Farm, Inc. was established in Holland, Michigan in 1988. It became the leader in the dune grass industry for the last 20 years supplying and installing over 80% of all dune grass on the Great Lakes. You can learn about dune grass and read stories and poems of the lakeshore that Deane has written at www.mydunegrass.com. Two of Deane’s sons bought the family business in 2023 and Deane is now semi-retired consulting for his sons and pursuing his other varied interests.