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May 9, 2002Stupak seeks comment on fire plan-He said he doesn't object to 'prescribed burn' policies, but some citizens are concernedBy STACEY SMITHRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak on Wednesday said more public comment is needed before the National Park Service abandons its current policy of immediately putting out fires in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The Park Service said taking public comment is already part of the plan. Last month, the Park Service accepted written comments on a revision of its fire management plan that may include abandoning the current practice of "full suppression," or putting out fires immediately. Park Service officials said they may allow so-called "prescribed burns," which are intentionally set fires intended to burn off underbrush and dead trees and prevent more catastrophic fires later. Local fire chiefs have expressed concern that prescribed burns may spread out of control and that local townships do not have the manpower to handle an out-of-control fire in the 27,000-acre lakeshore. Stupak said he does not have any clear objections to the policy, but said some constituents had expressed concern. "A hearing will afford my constituents and other citizens a venue in which they may publicly voice their support or opposition, for the record, to officials of the National Park Service," Stupak, a Menominee Democrat, wrote to Sleeping Bear superintendent Dusty Shultz. Steve Yancho, acting chief ranger and fire management officer for Sleeping Bear, said the prescribed burn policy is merely an option. Written public comment on that and other options, including continuing the full suppression policy or using prescribed burns, were taken last month as part of the development of the plan. A draft of the plan will be ready in four to eight weeks, he said. After that, there will be another 30-day period for written comment. Public hearings are not required in developing the plan, Yancho said. Park Service officials have not decided yet whether to hold any, he said. One local fire chief, John Depuy, of Glen Arbor Township, said he is in favor of public hearings because they help educate the public about the plan. Depuy and other local fire chiefs met with Shultz last month to discuss the plan, he said. Depuy said he is still concerned that prescribed burns could spread out of control or be fanned by high winds and damage private property. But he also said the Park Service has included safeguards for prescribed burns in the plan. "There's a lot of caution built into it. The Park Service doesn't just let a fire burn without controls," Depuy said. Lake Township officials had requested a full public hearing be held before the Park Service adopts any fire policy. Stacey Smith is the reporter for Leelanau, Manistee and Benzie counties. She can be reached at (231) 933-1408, or at ssmith@record-eagle.com |
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