08-07-2005, 11:32 PM
Bill calls for permanent land use council
[url "http://spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Kevin%20Elliott&-nothing"]Kevin Elliott[/url]![[Image: z.gif]](http://spinalcolumnonline.com/images/z.gif)
August 03, 2005 - Legislation to promote environmentally-friendly development throughout the state of Michigan may soon be taken up in the state Senate, following the introduction of a bill that would create a new Land Use Leadership Council.
"Michigan needs to have a comprehensive land use policy in place," said Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Spokesman Bob McCann. "We are certainly willing to work with the Legislature to make sure that different kinds of efforts ensure that our land use policy is protective of both natural resources and the economy as possible."
A Land Use Leadership Council was formed in 2003 under the auspices of Gov. Jennifer Granholm; however, the new legislation would reform a council and write the effort into statute, according to a spokeswoman for Sen. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck).
Birkholz, a former member of the governor's council and chair of the Senate's committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, introduced Senate Bill 684 in July, but has not yet taken up the legislation in her committee.
Under the legislation, the council would serve as an advisory board to identify trends, causes and consequences of unmanaged growth and development. The 26-member, appointed council would also make recommendations to the governor and Legislature to minimize the negative economic, environmental and social impacts of current land use trends; promote urban revitalization and reinvestment; foster intergovernmental and public-private land use partnerships; identify new growth and development opportunities; protect natural resources of the state, including farmland and open space; and better manage the cost of public investments in infrastructure to support growth.
According to McCann, the DEQ prefers to promote development that reuses and redevelops urban areas, rather than new development.
"That relies heavily on our Brownfield Program," McCann said. "That provides such a benefit to the state; not only are we getting a potentially damaged site cleaned up, but we are returning that property to productive use. We are allowing new types of business and industry to come into our state without expanding into our greenspaces, which plays another large role in Michigan's economy."
However, much of the funds funneled to the DEQ for its Brownfield Program comes from the $675 million, voter-approved Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) bonds, and those funds are virtually exhausted.
"That represented the bulk of our cleanup dollars," McCann said. "We need to start finding ways to replace those funds, otherwise these types of brownfield projects may not happen."
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[url "http://spinalcolumnonline.com/1editorialtablebody.lasso?-token.searchtype=authorroutine&-token.lpsearchstring=Kevin%20Elliott&-nothing"]Kevin Elliott[/url]
August 03, 2005 - Legislation to promote environmentally-friendly development throughout the state of Michigan may soon be taken up in the state Senate, following the introduction of a bill that would create a new Land Use Leadership Council."Michigan needs to have a comprehensive land use policy in place," said Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Spokesman Bob McCann. "We are certainly willing to work with the Legislature to make sure that different kinds of efforts ensure that our land use policy is protective of both natural resources and the economy as possible."
A Land Use Leadership Council was formed in 2003 under the auspices of Gov. Jennifer Granholm; however, the new legislation would reform a council and write the effort into statute, according to a spokeswoman for Sen. Patricia Birkholz (R-Saugatuck).
Birkholz, a former member of the governor's council and chair of the Senate's committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs, introduced Senate Bill 684 in July, but has not yet taken up the legislation in her committee.
Under the legislation, the council would serve as an advisory board to identify trends, causes and consequences of unmanaged growth and development. The 26-member, appointed council would also make recommendations to the governor and Legislature to minimize the negative economic, environmental and social impacts of current land use trends; promote urban revitalization and reinvestment; foster intergovernmental and public-private land use partnerships; identify new growth and development opportunities; protect natural resources of the state, including farmland and open space; and better manage the cost of public investments in infrastructure to support growth.
According to McCann, the DEQ prefers to promote development that reuses and redevelops urban areas, rather than new development.
"That relies heavily on our Brownfield Program," McCann said. "That provides such a benefit to the state; not only are we getting a potentially damaged site cleaned up, but we are returning that property to productive use. We are allowing new types of business and industry to come into our state without expanding into our greenspaces, which plays another large role in Michigan's economy."
However, much of the funds funneled to the DEQ for its Brownfield Program comes from the $675 million, voter-approved Clean Michigan Initiative (CMI) bonds, and those funds are virtually exhausted.
"That represented the bulk of our cleanup dollars," McCann said. "We need to start finding ways to replace those funds, otherwise these types of brownfield projects may not happen."
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