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October 17, 2000 The Spaces In BetweenLes Cheneaux, Michigan
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our accompanying slideshow The term "Les Cheneaux," roughly translated from the original French, is "the channels." Bordering the northern edge of Lake Huron along the southeastern lip of the Michigan Upper Peninsula (known endearingly as the UP), these "channels" are actually a 36-island archipelago arrayed along Lake Huron east of St. Ignace (the departure point for the area’s most famous tourist destination - Mackinac Island). These diverse islands, a few as small as a residential lot in the Detroit suburbs, are testament to the last glacial retreat from the Great Lakes some 12,000 years ago. From the perspective of nature tourism (our abiding interest), the Les Cheneaux serves as an entryway to the unspoiled (and relatively unknown) wild lands of the Michigan Upper Peninsula. Fermata Inc. has been engaged by the Les Cheneaux Economic Development Forum to assist the local township (Clark, which includes the communities of Cedarville and Hessel) in constructing a nature tourism strategy for the region. We were first exposed to the Les Cheneaux through a workshop sponsored by The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Center for Compatible Economic Development (CCED) in Berea, Kentucky. As a result of that workshop (and the invitation of CCED’s Director of Community-Based Conservation Bruce Boggs), I traveled to the Les Cheneaux region in early October to jump-start the planning process. As with most Americans, I knew nothing about Les Cheneaux. In fact, I had virtually no knowledge of the UP. For those outside the state, Michigan conjures visions of rust-belt manufacturing and cities past their prime. My previous visits to the state had been restricted to the south (the auto belt from Detroit to Flint), and based upon that imperfect perspective the prospects for nature tourism in the state seemed rather dismal. Therefore I chose to fly on Sunday into Detroit rather than to Pellston (the regional airport of choice for Les Cheneaux). No nature tourism region functions independently, and often the context within which it exists is as important as the resources it possesses. Therefore I began my Les Cheneaux adventure in the heart of American manufacturing (Detroit), switched into the fast lane on I-75 as I finally cleared the airport and sped north toward the Straits of Mackinac. Since my official functions did not begin until Monday, I had the entire afternoon to travel around the northeast lakeshore of Michigan. Reaching Bay City, I veered east to Michigan 23, and hugged the lakeshore as I worked my way toward the north. East Tawas, Greenbush, Harrisville, Ossineke, and Alpena zipped by in a blur. Why? Simple — there were no reasons to stop. The lakeshore of Lake Huron in this region is walled by endless rows of recreational housing, with an intermittent break offered by a cove or inlet, itself suffocated by marinas and condominiums. Nothing is as frustrating as traveling along a lake or seashore that you cannot see. Nature is not enjoyed vicariously; one must experience it firsthand. As I reached the northeastern shore of the Michigan Lower Peninsula (in the area of Presque Isle), a scattering of "scenic overlooks" finally offered a glimpse of the lake that I had paralleled for an entire afternoon. What could have been a world-class scenic drive, reminiscent of Big Sur in California, has become instead a monotonous panorama displaying the backsides of recreational homes. Reaching the Straits of Mackinac and I-75, I crossed the Mackinac Bridge to the UP. Until the 1950s, a traveler could only access this region by train or ferry. Even today, the transformation is otherworldly. Departing the throngs of the south, you reach the wild lands of the north. St. Ignace quickly fades, and cities are a memory. You are now within the UP, a sanctuary for both man and beast. The moments on I-75 were thankfully brief. Exiting on Michigan 134, I aimed toward the east and the Les Cheneaux (a local told me that only 2% of those crossing the Mackinac Bridge travel east). Michigan 134 nudges the Lake Huron lakeshore which, unlike the Lower Peninsula, can be seen. The mouth of the Pine River gaped as it reached the Huron lakeshore. Maples, birches and aspens swirled in a tempest of red, orange and yellow. The distance from I-75 to Drummond Island (the east end of the highway) is 41 miles, with Cedarville splitting the difference. What could have been a 45-minute jaunt could just as easily have become a weeklong saunter. Within this glorious setting I began our assessment of the region for nature tourism. Monday I visited a selection of TNC properties in the Les Cheneaux region with TNC Northern Lake Huron Project Coordinator Jessie Hadley. The northern Lake Huron shoreline from the Mackinac Bridge to Drummond Island (approximately 80 miles of Lake Huron lakeshore) has been designated by TNC to be one of their Last Great Places. The area stretching from Hessel (about six miles west of Cedarville) to Drummond Island supports 13 federally-listed threatened or endangered species (such as Houghton’s Goldenrod), and more than 60 state-listed species. Sandwiched between an escarpment only a few miles inland, and northern Lake Huron, this narrow strip of lakeshore hosts an array of plants and animals (and geology, as will be discussed later) that belies its geographical limitations. TNC has invested significantly in this region’s conservation, and holdings such as the Gerstacker Preserve and Dudley Bay are refuges for many of these little known (and often little appreciated) species. Due to the sensitivity of these habitats, TNC preserves in this area are presently only open to visitation through field trips led by Conservancy staff and volunteers. Tuesday we boated to the Islands, circumnavigating the Les Cheneaux from Birch to Boot Island and back. The Les Cheneaux Islands are immediately offshore from Hessel and Cedarville, and for over 100 years summer residents from Midwestern cities have found solace on their own dot of land within the azure waters of Lake Huron. Boat charters are available for island cruises (sunrise and sunset are best), and we spent one morning around as many of the 36 islands as the captain could visit in the time we had allotted. However, a visit to the Les Cheneaux Islands is an arm’s length affair. For most, the Islands must remain an unrequited love. All but one of the Islands are privately owned, and many have been in the same family for several generations. Only one (Government Island) offers public access, and even there the recreational use is restricted. The Les Cheneaux Islands offer an attractive backdrop, but as destinations they are privy to only a select few. Both Cedarville and Hessel are secluded rural communities that have depended upon tourism since their inception. Once supply stations for the wealthy industrial families and hotels that dotted the Islands, these two communities evolved into resort communities in their own right. Perch fishing fueled the seasonal travel to the area, and the accommodations still reflect that fish-camp ambience. But within the past several years the perch population has declined, the timber industry has all but disappeared, tourism has become increasingly seasonal and now Clark Township must explore other avenues to economic diversification. Thus our invitation to Les Cheneaux, a topic we will begin to explore in the next installment of The Spaces In Between. Trip du Jour, October 17, 2000
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