In the 1970s, then-Gov. William G. Milliken and the Legislature took action to safeguard Michigan's Great Lakes coast from unbridled development by approving a series of landmark environmental laws. Landowners generally have cooperated with mandatory setbacks in high risk erosion areas, understanding the real threat of high water damage. In contrast, protecting coastline habitat has been a struggle. Lawmakers, property owners, and state agency chiefs rebelled against restrictions, and the state hasn't designated any new environmental areas since 1985.
Townships also seem to have forgotten about their part in enforcing the law.
Many unwittingly grant construction permits for environmental areas, or fail to notify the state when property changes hands. It was a lot better ten or fifteen years ago when we had people interested in the environment and not politics. To obtain a permit, a landowner must limit the exposed area of disturbed land for the shortest possible time. Like many environmental laws, this one contains fines too small to deter irresponsible developers. For example, the developer of Arcadia Bluffs Golf Course caused tons of soil and sediment to flow into Lake Michigan after clear-cutting acres of trees.