GRAYLING — A handful of up-north lawmakers want Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to give them a say in the proposed expansion of Camp Grayling.
State Reps. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord), John Roth (R-Interlochen) and Cam Cavitt (R-Cheboygan), along with state Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs), are the first state lawmakers to publicly express concern about the proposal.
In a letter to Whitmer, they highlighted their constituents’ concerns — including a lack of transparency from the Michigan National Guard and worries about natural resources should the proposal move forward.
“It is our belief that proposed expansions have the potential to threaten the health, safety and general welfare of the people in this region,” the letter states. “We should therefore be granted some authority on the expansion with respect to the protection of the air, water, wildlife, and other natural resources of the state from pollution, impairment and destruction.”
Michigan House Republicans posted the full letter on its website.
Currently, state Department of Natural Resources Director Shannon Lott has the final say on the proposed long-term lease, which would add 162,000 acres to what is already the largest National Guard Training Facility in the country.
The actual ask for land comes from the leadership of the Michigan National Guard, which previously indicated the property would be used for low-impact cyber and electromagnetic warfare training that require long distances.
But the 2016 discovery of a PFAS plume traced back to the facility and its subsequent groundwater contamination looms large in recent memory, and is cited in the legislators’ letter and by others as a reason for caution.
Randall Rothe, a supervisor in the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy, or EGLE, wrote that the DNR should reject the expansion of Camp Grayling based on the Guard’s “inability to take timely action to investigate, mitigate, and remediate significant areas of contamination at Camp Grayling.”
Hundreds of nearby residents also have weighed in since the expansion proposal was announced in May 2022, expressing concern for how it would affect the environment and local economy. As of this week, more than 30 townships and county boards in the proposed expansion area passed resolutions opposing the plan.
“We started out slowly and continued to branch out to Lewiston in Otsego County down to Missaukee County,” said Jim Knight of Bear Lake Township, one of several leaders in local opposition. “We’re hoping that, because of the exposure we’re getting, more townships and counties will get involved. We’re certainly inviting anyone from downstate who comes up to recreate to get involved.”
The governor has not yet publicly voiced an opinion on the proposal, and attempts to get comment did not yield a response by press time.
“I really thought maybe we could resolve this here in Lansing,” Borton said. “But, it finally got to the end of our public comment period, and I thought it was time to put some pressure on the governor to reach out.
“They were unwilling all along to let me know what their stance was on this. And I thought it was time to force their hand.”
DNR officials previously said that there is no set timeline for a decision.