Lodge 'innovative' with beach restoration

By VICTOR SKINNER
vskinner@record-eagle.com

January 18, 2008 04:00 am

—

TRAVERSE CITY -- The owner of an East Bay lodge recently cited for beach grooming violations plans to take restoration efforts to a new level.

Tamarack Lodge owner Richard "R.C." Hermann hired local agency Grobbel Environmental & Planning Associates LLC to take an "innovative" approach to restore wetland vegetation that workers stripped when they illegally groomed about 450 feet of beach in October.

The state Department of Environmental Quality cited the Tamarack Lodge's owners for wetlands violations, including failure to secure appropriate permits but has not determined whether to levy fines or other sanctions.

"It was always our intent to eventually submit a landscaping plan to (DEQ) because we wanted to do some new and interesting things with our lakefront," Hermann said. "It is our intent to create an environment that hopefully the DEQ will use as a new standard for lakefront beach grooming."

Hermann said he doesn't expect to be fined for the grooming violation.

Environmental consultant Chris Grobbel drafted a restoration concept for the lodge, located along U.S. 31 at Four Mile Road. That plan includes replanting numerous native plants, removal of invasive species as well as a trail with educational signs, Grobbel said.

"It is the intention ... to put in a whole host of native plants to re-establish the wetland function that was lost. We are going to restore and enhance the river corridor that comes out of the property, Bakers Creek," Grobbel said. "We are going to go well beyond the restoration requirements of the DEQ and the (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers)."

Grobbel hopes to meet with state and federal officials next week and expects to implement the plans in the spring.

DEQ enforcement specialist Eric Hudy continues to investigate the violation and the agency has yet to take any action against the lodge. Tamarack officials have been proactive in their restoration efforts, Hudy said, but the DEQ "won't rule out fines, as well."

"They were willing to work with us and do what they have to do," Sarah U'Ren, director for Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay, said of Grobbel. "It seems like some of the other places that have gotten caught illegally grooming beaches ... were more vocal about what they did wasn't wrong and they shouldn't be persecuted. Our Tamarack experience has been more positive than negative."

Two other East Bay hotels, North Shore Inn and Cherry Tree Inn, were cited for beach grooming violations in 2005 and 2006, respectively.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.