Introduction Click here to order a printed copy of this report The Institute gratefully acknowledges the Great Lakes Protection Fund for making our work to protect the Great Lakes shoreline possible. Special thanks also go out to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its role in coordinating coastal protection efforts, and northern Michigan's Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council for its technical assistance. With more coastline than any state but Alaska, Michigan is a land of people who build sand castles, who watch sunsets on a regular basis, and who savor memories of walking the water's edge collecting stones or sitting by a bonfire under the stars. Because the shoreline draws people, however, it also draws bulldozers, which make way for homes that overlook the vast inland seas that surround this state.
Some owners build homes with respect for the quiet, wild, magical shoreline.
Too often, however, those who build homes on the coasts of the Great Lakes bring their familiar landscapes with them. They build concrete patios on top of coastal marshes, clearcut trees for straight-shot views, and blast driveways through dunes. This kind of development harms the natural environment, the local economies that rely on clean water and land, and neighboring residents who want a natural shoreline. Property values decline as backyards sprawl onto dunes and porch lights hide the stars. Wild animals that once roamed coastal woodlands and wetlands retreat to less disturbing places.