By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
SEBEWAING — Land that was “donated to the people of the state of Michigan” might be “re-gifted” in a land swap, and some Sebewaing residents aren’t happy with the idea.
Land at the end Pine Street in the northwest side of the village of Sebewaing was donated to the state in the early 1970s. The land was donated by “Thelma E. Whitlock in memory of her husband Doctor Stanley C. Whitlock, assistant chief of the Game Division, Michigan Department of Conservation,” says a plaque attached to a large rock at the site.
Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries is interested in the land and made an offer to acquire it.
“The land isn’t being sold. Bay Shore Camp asked for a land trade and that’s what is being considered,” stated Earl Flegler who is a specialist with the Department of Natural Resources Public Land Division. “We did an extensive study of the documents when the land was given to the state. There were no provisions limiting the use of the land — so it can be traded for other land.”
Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries officials want the 12 acres adjacent to the camp that was donated to the state by Whitlock.
In exchange for that property, a land trade of property near Wildfowl Bay State Wildlife Area in Huron County and Quanicassee State Wildlife Area is being offered.
In exchange for the land off of Pine Street, camp officials will trade the state about 17.14 acres of land located in Huron County off of Kilmanagh Road along with land off M-25 and Barney Road on the Quanicassee River to the state.
“We own the land off of Kilmanagh Road,” said Bay Shore Camp Executive Director Jeff Parsons. “We have an option to purchase agreement on the other land if the exchange happens.”
Parsons explained the camp is interest in the land adjacent to the camp to use for outdoor education for youths who attend the camp and for area school children.
“We could use it as a nature teaching center… identifying trees, flowers, and wildlife,” he said.
Sebewaing resident Don Kain, 72, says he doesn’t think it is a fair trade.
“Both of those properties are miles outside of Sebewaing,” he said noting neither has a parking lot and or groomed access. “It will take a lot of money to fix those other areas up to be used by the public. We have state land right here in the village that is easy to get to and has a parking lot.
“It’s a wonderful, natural area. I want to see it left the way it is now for anyone to enjoy — not just a certain few. Plus, the land that want to trade has buildings so hunting won’t be allowed and doesn’t have easy fishing access.”
Kain isn’t the only resident that bulking at the land exchange possibility.
“I personally believe Thelma Whitlock’s wishes should be honored. This piece of land was willed to the people of Michigan in memory of her husband Dr. Stanley Whitlock, it should remain in the people’s possession,” said concerned citizen Tim Smith. “This is a pristine piece of wilderness right within the Sebewaing Village limits… Does Bay Shore Camp really need more land than they already have?
“When this was brought it to my attention, I was a bit upset as I have used this land for recreational purposes for decades. It is a ‘pristine’ piece of wilderness teeming with nature.”
If the land swap does go through, Flegler explained the state could retain pedestrian access easement on the land donated by Whitlock to the bottom lands, and that the rock with the plaque might be able to be moved to that the easement.
“I spent a lot of time trying to track down Whitlock ancestors about this. I wasn’t able to find any, but I found some interesting facts about Dr. Whitlock. He had three decorate degrees. He was a medical doctor as well as a veterinarian, and was very interested in nature,” said Flegler. “He was a prolific writer. In fact, some of the papers he wrote on the study of sharptail grouse, rabbits, and deer were the foundation for several studies when our department was in its infancy.”
Flegler also noted, doing a land exchange is not unusual.
“We do about 10 land exchanges about every two months… about 60 a year,” he said.
So far the DNR has received four letters and e-mails against the land exchange.
The DNR Land Transaction Application #20140112 from Bay Shore Camp will be decided by the Director of the DNR during a Natural Resources Commission (NRC) meeting.
“There is a (NRC) meeting Thursday, but that land issue isn’t on the agenda,” said Flegler.
The next meeting of the NRC is January 15, 2015, at the Michigan State University Center, 4125 Beaumont Rd., Lansing.
Bay Shore Camp & Family Ministries, at 450 N. Miller St., traces its history back 100 years to when a group of Evangelical Christians gathered for camp meetings in the summer of 1911. The event was so successful the next year the group started meeting at the defunct 50-acre park used to be called “Bay Shore Park.”
Mary Drier is a staff writer for the Tuscola County Advertiser. She can be reached at drier@tcadvertiser.com.