Four Consequential Cases. One Pivotal Moment for the Kalamazoo River Mouth.
The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance recently shared the following letter with readers of The Commercial Record. With four consequential legal cases moving forward at the same time, we find ourselves at a pivotal moment for the Kalamazoo River Mouth. The outcomes could shape the future of its dunes, wetlands, wildlife, cultural heritage, and public trust protections for generations to come.
We’re sharing the letter here with our broader community because understanding what is at stake is an important part of stewardship—and because protecting this extraordinary place has always depended on people willing to show up.
Originally published in The Commercial Record.
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A Pivotal Moment for the Wild Heart of Saugatuck.
This is our moment to show up.
There are moments when years of work converge.
For the Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance, this is one of them.
Right now, four of the most consequential legal cases in our history are moving through the courts at the same time. Each involves a different question. Together, they could shape how environmental protections are understood, applied, and enforced at the Kalamazoo River Mouth for years to come.
NorthShore's appeal of EGLE's marina permit denial is being heard now. The proposed private marina would require significant excavation at one of the most environmentally and culturally sensitive stretches of the Kalamazoo River Mouth.
Our challenge to Saugatuck Township's 2017 marina permit issuance to NorthShore is finally moving forward after nine years. A judge has affirmed the Coastal Alliance has standing to challenge the Township's decision.
NorthShore's appeal of Allegan Circuit Court Judge Antkoviak’s dismissal of the SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) suit against the Coastal Alliance and David Swan personally also remains pending. This case carries important implications for the ability of citizens and organizations to participate in public decisions and speak up for the places they care about.
And in the Van Horn “ski lake” groundwater case, we continue seeking restoration following an unpermitted excavation that altered groundwater and affected protected wetlands near the Saugatuck Dunes State Park.
Four cases. All active. All requiring significant legal expertise, scientific knowledge, time, and financial resources.
The timing is extraordinary.
So are the stakes.
At the center is a landscape unlike any other: the place where Lake Michigan meets the Kalamazoo River, where river meets forest and forest meets dunes. Wetlands filter water and sustain habitat. Dunes protect the shoreline. Wildlife moves between interconnected ecosystems. People boat, hike, fish, swim, gather, and return year after year.
This landscape is also part of a much longer human story, with deep and enduring cultural significance to Indigenous peoples. It is a Traditional Cultural Property of the Potawatomi Nation. It is a sacred place.
The laws protecting places like this only have meaning when they are faithfully applied. Public participation only matters when citizens retain the ability to participate. Restoration only happens when people are willing to pursue it.
That is why the Coastal Alliance continues to show up.
We are grateful for exceptional attorneys, scientists, volunteers, donors, and community members standing alongside us. Their expertise and commitment have brought us to this pivotal moment.
What happens next will become part of the history of this place.
Future generations may never know the names of these cases. They will know the river they inherit, the wetlands that remain, the dunes along the horizon, and the choices our community made when their future was being decided.
Help us protect the Wild Heart of Saugatuck.
Elaine Sterrett Isely, Executive Director
Bobbie Gaunt, Board Chair
Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance
