P. O. Box 2307, Bay City, Michigan 48707   (989) 667-2910

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Narrative Summary

Welcome to Save Our Shoreline's Home Page

Save Our Shoreline is a non-profit, grass roots organization of property owners and others committed to the preservation of riparian rights along Michigan's 3288 miles of Great Lakes shoreline. We invite you to explore this site to see what we are doing to preserve those rights. We have provided a narrative summary which describes our activities.  Current efforts have focused on preserving ownership to the water's edge, preserving the right to groom Michigan's traditional public and private recreational beaches, and protecting Michigan's public beaches from federal encroachment. SOS depends on its membership dues and donations for continued funding.

Please consider joining us!
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 Read our Position Statement
Regarding Ownership
Click here
NEW: Senate Bill 1052 passed out of committee, now heads to full senate. Read press release here.  To review the written comments for and against the bill, click here.  In the drop down list for senate committees, select Natural Resources, Environment and Great Lakes.  Be sure to check both hearing dates, 4-26-12 and 5-3-12.
 
NEW: State Senate Committee Hears Compelling Plea for Beach Grooming Legislation.  Click here to read Ernie's message.
 
NEW: Beach grooming bill introduced in State Senate.  Click here to read the press release March 29, 2012
 
NEW: Beach grooming bill introduced in State Senate.  Click here to read
 
Save our Shoreline January 2012 Newsletter available.
 Click here to read.
 
NEW: OHIO SUPREME COURT UNANIMOUSLY REJECTS STATE’S CLAIM OF OWNERSHIP TO THE ORDINARY HIGH WATER MARK.  In a huge victory for riparian owners, Ohio’s high court reaffirmed that shoreline owners own to the natural shoreline, which is the line a which the water usually stands when free from disturbing causes.  “This court has a history of protecting property rights, and our decision today continues that long-standing precedent,” the court said.  Click here to read.
 
NEW: Background material about Beach Grooming at Bay City State Recreation Area.  Click here to read.
 
NEW: Presentation in support of legislation to preserve beach maintenance in Michigan.  Click here to read.
 
State Appeals Court Rebukes MDEQ Power Grab Over Beaches.
Save Our Shoreline today announced that the Michigan Court of Appeals has rebuked an attempt by the MDEQ to increase its jurisdiction over Michigan's Great Lakes beaches.   Click here to read the press release.  Click here to read the Michigan Court of Appeals decision.

SOS files brief in the Ohio Supreme Court supporting property owners.
The Ohio Lakefront Group, a coalition of over 7,000 Lake Erie property owners, filed written arguments in the Ohio Supreme Court in its ongoing action against the state of Ohio’s unlawful and uncompensated taking of privately owned land.
Click here to read more.
Click here to read the Amicus Curiae brief filed by Save Our Shoreline.
Click here to read more about the Ohio Lakefront Group.

MDEQ Issues Phragmites Control Guide.
(Ignoring beach grooming as a proven and effective control method.)  Click here for details.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources states in A Landowner's Guide for the Control of Phragmites, "Mowing often (6-8 times during the growing season) where feasible is the most widely used method of stressing phragmites and encouraging native plants."  Click here to read the article.

Phragmites Invading Traverse City Beaches
Sheri McWhirter writes about the environmental concerns caused by phragmites.  Her article was published in the Traverse City Record-Eagle on May 2, 2009.  Click here to read the article.

Harmful Algal Blooms and Muck: What’s the Difference?
Harmful algal blooms and muck can be mistaken for each other simply because people may associate an algal bloom with either type. Click here for details.