Great Lakes Bass Fishing Forum

Public Invited to Comment on New Proposed Eagle Lake Boat Ramp (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/news/blog1.php/2013/05/28/eagle-lake-boat-ramp-public-meeting)

Public open house on proposed acquisition of property on Eagle Lake for boating access site set for May 30

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) will conduct a public open house to gather input on the proposed acquisition of property on Eagle Lake in Cass County for development of a boating access site. The open house will be held on Thursday, May 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Our Lady of the Lake Church Social Hall, located at 24832 U.S. 12 in Edwardsburg, Michigan.

The proposed acquisition under consideration is the former Dock Restaurant and boat launch property, located at 68687 Eagle Lake Road in Edwardsburg.

This open house will provide an opportunity for the public to review and comment on this proposed acquisition. DNR staff will be available to gather comments and answer questions from 6 to 7 p.m. From 7 to 7:30 p.m., a brief presentation will be given to discuss the acquisition process and give an overview of typical site components found at boating access site facilities. After the presentation, MDNR staff again will be available to gather comments and answer questions until 9 p.m.

Complete information, and maps to proposed property and meeting location on GreatLakesBass.com Bass Fishing and Outdoor News (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/news/blog1.php/2013/05/28/eagle-lake-boat-ramp-public-meeting).

If you're in SW Michigan and would like to see a new, better public access site on the popular Eagle Lake (Edwardsburg), here's your chance to make it happen. The MDNR is proposing to purchase the old Dock restaurant and boat launch property which includes a small pond that may be developed for shore anglers.

There's some decent local support, but as usual, the Eagle Lake association and some property owners aren't necessarily wanting this development to happen. We need some of you to make the time to go to this meeting just to state your support for such a product. You can stop in anytime to comment between 6pm and 9pm. You don't have to go to the whole 3 hours. There is a 30 minute presentation from 7pm to 7:30pm but just stopping in to say you want it will help.

I suggest you write, date and sign a short note stating you support the new access site with as much trailer parking and fishing opportunity as possible and turn that in. The number of trailer parking spots has not been decided. The lake dwellers often at least attempt to push the MDNR to lower the number of parking spots if they can't kill the whole project.

I was pleasantly surprised to hear a representative from the Christiana/Juno/Painter Lakes association attended a meeting with the MDNR and Eagle Lake association recently stating support for the idea because they felt the MDNR would address and handle any issues that might arise. A welcome and pleasant change from the normal comments from lake associations.

The plan for this new boat ramp could include an additional launch onto the canal from Eagle Lake connecting to the other 3 lakes, or fixing the canal so boaters can safely and easily travel between the lakes.

That would be quite the ideal improvement to public access for these 4 nice fishing lakes, and public access in Southwest Michigan. Please stop by at this meeting Thursday night! Thanks!