|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Northwood Alliance is
working with Upper Peninsula Public Access
Coalition (UPPAC) to help protect the six Michigan Upper Peninsula
reservoirs proposed for development by the Upper
Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO). |
|
The six reservoirs are: Au Train Basin (Cleveland
Cliffs Basin, Alger County, Project No. 10856) UPPCO Au
Train Basin land ownership map Bond Falls Flowage
(Ontonagon County, Project No. 1864) UPPCO Bond
Falls 2005 sale map Boney Falls Basin (Delta
County, Project No. 2506) UPPCO
Boney Falls 2005 land sale map Cataract Basin (Marquette
County, Project No. 10854) UPPCO
Cataract Basin 2005 land sale map Prickett Lake (Baraga and Houghton Counties, Project No.
2402) UPPCO Prickett land ownership map Victoria Reservoir
(Ontonagon County, Project No. 1864) UPPCO
Victoria Dam landowership map |
|
Upper Peninsula Power Company Land Sales In December 2005, Upper
Peninsula Power Company sold non-project land surrounding Bond Falls, Boney
Falls, and Cataract Basin to Naterra Land Inc.
Non-project land is land along or near the reservoirs, and not part of
the hydroelectric facility.
Non-project land at Bond Falls is as close as 100 feet from the water
shore. UPPCO proposes to convey rights
to lot owners to make improvements (such as docks, stairways, roads, view
corridors, and footpaths) on the project lands. The private lots would thus resemble
typical lakefront homes. UPPCO has announced plans
to sell non-project lands around Au Train Basin, Prickett
Lake, and Victoria Reservoir, and additional land around Bond Falls and
Cataract Basin. In January 2009 UPPCO
announced sale of non-project lands around Victoria and Prickett
Reservoirs to Norman Pestka of Northern Land &
Sales. UPPCO
News Release on sale of Victoria and Prickett
Reservoirs (1/8/2009) Victoria parcels were
listed for sale in 2009.
Photo July 2009 A proposal for the Trust
for Public land to acquire the Prickett property
and convey it to the Ottawa National Forest is in the works (more information
from the Friends of the Land of Keweenaw). UPPCO Land Sale Information http://www.uppco.com/info/landsale.asp#smp UPPCO Website: Questions and Answers About UPPCO's Real Estate Asset Management Philosophy |
|
Shoreline Management Plans UPPCO published Shoreline Management
Plans for Au Train Basin, Bond Falls, Boney Falls, Cataract Basin, and Prickett Lake in November 2007. A plan for Victoria Reservoir has not yet
been released. The Shoreline Management
Plans require approval from the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commision (FERC). As of August 2008, FERC has completed
Environmental Assessments for the Au Train, Boney Falls, Cataract Basin, and Prickett Lake Shoreline Management Plans. Public comment on the Environmental Assessments
is welcomed by FERC. Au Train Basin
Shoreline Management Plan Au
Train Basin Environmental Assessment (Comments due 7/14/08) Northwood
Alliance comments on the Au Train Environmental Assessment Bond Falls
Shoreline Management Plan Northwood
Alliance comments on the Shoreline Management Plan Bond
Falls Environmental Assessment (Comments due 10/27/08) Northwood
Alliance comments on the Bond Falls Environmental Assessment Boney Falls Shoreline
Management Plan Boney
Falls Environmental Assessment (Comments due 8/29/08) Cataract Basin
Shoreline Management Plan Cataract
Basin Environmental Assessment (Comments due 8/1/08) Northwood
Alliance comments on the Cataract Environmental Assessment Prickett Lake Shoreline Management Plan Northwood
Alliance comments on the Shoreline Management Plan Prickett Lake Environmental Assessment (Comments due
9/29/08) Northwood
Alliance comments on the Prickett Environmental
Assessment UPPCO Shoreland
Management Plan information: http://www.uppco.com/info/landsale/shore_mgmt_plan.asp |
|
Naterra – UPPCO Lawsuit On February 28, 2008, Naterra Land, Inc. filed suit against Upper Peninsula
Power Company and its parent company, Integrys
Energy Group of Chicago. The complaint
alleges UPPCO misrepresented details concerning non-project lands sold to Naterra at Bond Falls, Boney Falls, and Cataract Basin
for $8.9 million in 2005. Naterra claims UPPCO made assurances the lands would
include dock and riparian rights, which to date have not been provided and
remain in question. The complaint also
accuses UPPCO of false representations concerning future dam repairs and
associated water draw-downs. The entire complaint,
obtained from the U.S. District Court, District of Minnesota, is available
here: In June 2009 UPPCO and Naterra settled their lawsuit and UPPCO reacquired Bond Falls,
Boney Falls, and Cataract Basin. News articles: The
Mining Journal 3/6/2008: UPPCO responds to claims The
Ontonagon Herald 3/5/2008: Naterra sues UPPCO over
struggling Bond Falls land deal The
Mining Journal 3/4/2008: Naterra suing UPPCO over
land UPPCO
news release 6/19/2009 on settlement Northwood
Alliance news release 6/19/2009 on settlement |
|
Here you may also find: |
|
|
|
Please visit
the UPPAC web site for more information:
http://www.uppac.com/ |
|
|
|
Last update September 21, 2009 |
