Sierra Club helping to keep Kohler Andrae State Park unspoiled

I'm a bit remiss in noticing, but the Sierra Club newsletter which just arrived brings welcome news:

"The Sierra Club's John Muir chapter...is forming a coalition with Friends of the Black River Forest to oppose the Kohler Company's proposed golf course development north of Kohler Andrae State Park."

Readers of this blog may know that I have been writing about this issue since 2014 - - which is also the year the Sierra Club began stepping up. 

PROPOSED KOHLER GOLF COURSE THREATENS LAKE MICHIGAN DUNES 

The Kohler company has proposed constructing a 247 acre golf course in the Black River Forest north of Kohler Andrae State Park.  Although the bulk of the development would be on private land, the company also seeks an easement for a maintenance shed and road that would impact 12 acres of state park land.  

If constructed, this would be Kohler's 5th luxury golf course in the area.  A local citizens group, Friends of the Black River Forest, has formed to voice concerns about the potential for this development to destroy native forest, sand dunes, and Indian mounds.  They are also concerned about increased runoff from fertilizer and pesticides impacting water quality of the Black River (already impaired due to excess phosphorus) and Lake Michigan.  

More recently, a state judge blocked what he said was the DNR's improper issuance of a permit which could spur the contamination of groundwater, loss of rare wetlands and an outrageous transfer of public acreage within this popular lakefront park for private uses, road-building and equipment storage.

Park advocates have been battling special interest influence in the matter for years, and need all the help they muster. You can pitch at Friends of the Black River Forest, below, or at the website SaveKohlerAndrae.com seen on this hard-to-miss and available yard sign.

The grassroots organization Friends of the Black River Forest is out with a new yard sign urging protection of Kohler Andrae State Park from transferring land to a private developer for the construction of a privately-owned, high-end golf course complex.

For a $15 contribution, you can get this sign - - 

- - that will help keep a signature state park intact.