Vision: To promote a vibrant community through protection of the natural envIRonment in crystal lake Township for current and future generations
Mission: To empower our township to preserve and enhance the water, land, air, soil and biodiversity in which we live, work and recreate, through education, collaboration and action-oriented solutions
get involved
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#1
Join the committee We are looking for volunteers to work on township's behalf protecting our water, land and air quality. Email Abbie Ellsworth who is a CLT resident and is just now starting to recruit members for this advisory task force who will bring environmental issues to the board. Your participation is welcomed! |
#2
Provide feedback We are always soliciting public feedback regarding environmental concerns/inquiries in Crystal Lake Township. If you have any input, please feel free to fill out our form so that we can capture and collate your feedback as we prioritize our 2026 agenda. |
#3
Attend meetings Our meetings are open to the public, so if you'd like to see what we are working on, join us in person! We are also always trying to update our calendar with community events that center around environmental issues, so check it out below! |
UPCOMING Environmental Community EVENTS
INVASIVES IN WATER
Water? It's in our Masterplan! CLT's Master Plan has as its #1 Cornerstone to "Improve the water quality of Crystal Lake and the Betsie River and its tributaries and streams, which feed the Betsie River and ultimately Lake Michigan." Frog Bits & Water Soldiers. Here one of the newest invasive species to our waterways made worse by the unintentional transport of un-cleaned, un-drained and un-dried watercraft. Marine Invasives can be and must be thwarted. One of the most important ways to keep our fishing and recreational activities world class is by following the law and remembering to CLEAN, DRAIN, DRY, and DISPOSE. Boaters should be aware that the boat washing ordinances apply wherever your boat is launched (see below); if it has navigated other water within 10 days, it must to washed. Who Says I Have to Clean my Watercraft? Cleaning your water craft isn't just a request. It's the law, a procedure mandated by both the state and by Crystal Lake Township. In Michigan, it went into effect in March 2019 and requires thorough cleaning of all watercraft --including non-motorized paddleboards, kayaks, canoes, and even intertubes-- by emptying of all water from the craft AND washing the craft. It also restricts disposal of fish and bait. 
The Michigan NR & EP Act has provisions aimed at keeping invasive species from spreading across our waters. These laws must be followed by all individuals using boating equipment or fishing on Michigan's waterways. Click Here for the full text of the law.
Specifically, that means all boaters are required to perform the following actions before leaving a boating access area:
Crystal Lake's Aquatic Nuisance Ordinance also exists. Long before these "new" state-mandated regulations, all the townships surrounding Crystal Lake --including Crystal Lake Township--had already taken the initiative to require these actions listed above. See the Crystal Lake's Aquatic Nuisance Ordinance for more details. Where to wash your water vehicle: The main DNR boat launch at Mollineaux Road where the Crystal Lake Watershed Association's (CLWA’s) washing facility is readily available. More are needed but we need a (currently non-existent) volunteer force to staff other washing facilities at places such as public road ends, Bellows Park Beach, the Crystal Lake Yacht Club and more outlets. Nurdle Pollution: These are tiny plastic pellets that are the basic building blocks of nearly all plastic products, are being dumped into our waterways at alarming rates. This includes Lake Michigan, Crystal Lake and the Betsie River. Nurdles are polluting our wildlife as well as our human bodies endangering us all in ways both documented, and still being investigated. Few governments have begun to address the problem. 
INVASIVES OVER LAND
It's not just the water. Harmful invasives take many forms and are coming over land, as well. For example, many ask, what is the most invasive plant in Michigan? There isn't one single "most" invasive plant, but Phragmites (Common Reed) is often cited as the most prevalent by occurrence, while plants like Japanese Knotweed, Garlic Mustard, and Buckthorn are top threats for rapidly taking over landscapes, with new concerns like aquatic Hydrilla emerging, making it a complex issue with different species dominating various habitats. Click on these articles about notable threats to our environment.
LINKS TO MORE INFO: In no particular order, the following are links to environmental information & events, and agencies & action groups whose missions are to combat a myriad of invasive species, both flora and fauna. GO BEYOND BEAUTY IN YOUR GARDENS - GO NATIVE:
Many invasive plants arrive in our are by way of our gardens. That's right, by purchasing from nurseries that actually sell plants that harbor the potential to overcome our native species. Go beyond Beauty, says the Northwest Michigan Invasive Species Network (HabitatMatter.org) by purchasing from nurseries and landscapers that have committed not to use or sell high-threat invasive plants, such as the following: [KEY: (*) more than 20 native plants available; (^) Michigan Natural Shoreline Partner; (~) Certified Green Industry Professional] Nurseries: Cyman Gardens #231-533-8960 (*) Garden Goods #231-933-4769 (*) Green Lake Gardens & Goods #231-276-6775 Greystone Gardens #231-326-5855 (*) Lakeshore Native Gardens LLC #248-631-8816 Misty Ridge Greenhouse #231-885-2290 (*) Northwoods Nursery #231-946-7378 Pine Hill #231-941-1801 Landscapers: Cre Woodward Garden Design #231-735-5300 (~) Cyman Gardens #231-533-8960 Designs in Bloom #352-6962 (^) (~) Grand Traverse Organic Landscapes #231-938-2626 (~) Heritage Landscape Design #231-492-4128 Inhabitect, LLC #231-943-1434 Laurel Voran, LLC #231-632-3211 (^) The Mossy Tree, LLC #231-499-5369 (~) Northwoods Landscaping #231-946-7378 Old Mission Associates #231-223-9222 (^) Pine Hill Landscaping #231-941-1808 Silverman & Company #231-932-1925 Sustainable Landscape Design, LLC #231-735-6972 TruNorth Landscaping #231-922-0087 (^) (~) Wildlife & Wetland Solutions #231-360-1203 (^) |
WILDLIFE
REPORT ALL POACHING: Call or text (800) 292-7800. 
WATCHERS: You found an animal? You're interested in becoming closer to Mother Nature? You want to volunteer to work with wild animals? You're looking for programming or a special event regarding wildlife? Keep reading below.
REHABILITATION: Check out the local wildlife duo that are servicing Benzie County in areas of wildlife rehabilitation, and so much more, at their website sleepingbearwildlife.org. Samantha Wolfe and Justin Grubb are co-founders of the Sleeping Bear Wildlife Fund, a new nonprofit to help rehabilitate and restore the wildlife and wild spaces that exist in the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan that is slated to begin operating this spring. SBWF will be the only organization to take in animals other than raptors that is north of Houghton Lake. They will start out by helping to rehabilitate opossums, rabbits, and squirrels at the Benzie location, but the organization will also be able to take in myriad other animals temporarily, until they can be transferred to another rehab facility. Read the full article by Emily Cook here in the March addition of the media publication, the Betsie Current, betsiecurrent.com. Also worthy of investigating are North Sky Raptor Sanctuary, Skegemog Raptor Center, Benzie County Central Schools, Benzie Central High School, Kalamazoo College, Miami University, Miami University Alumni Association, The International Wildlife Rehabilitation Council, National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association, Ohio Wildlife Rehabilitators Association. REPORT ISSUES: If you see diseased wildlife, tagged fish, invasive carp and more, click on Michigan.gov/EyesInTheField. Helpful links to other wildlife having issues include:
LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS: Check out these additional organization's sites for more information on what they are doing to improve and preserve the environment:
Crystal Lake and Watershed Association Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy Benzie-Leelanau Health Department-Environmental Health Water Quality Maps by County Water testing Forest Management Native Flora Species or plantitwild.net Benzie County Conservation District Conservation Resource Alliance Oil & Water Don't Mix Nature Conservancy Sierra Club Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council Michigan Climate Action Council Michigan DNR Conservation Organizations Directory or https://www.epa.gov/greatlakes Environmental Protection Agency Great Lakes Coalition EGLE: MI Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy Grow Benzie Michigan State Extension FIRE & FOREST FREE FORESTRY MANAGEMENT ADVICE: District Forester, Kama Ross provides free assistance through the Forestry Assistance Program (FAP) to encourage and enable landowners to more actively manage their woodlands. DOWNLOAD THE PDF TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE WITH ALL OF THE INFORMATION. FIRE & FUELS MAP: Check out the Mesowest Great Lakes map to assess fire risk locally or in an area you plan to visit. Get details on burn permits and other helpful resources by clicking on Michigan.gov/DNR/FireAlert.
GET A BURN PERMIT:
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reminds those burning leaves, or anything else, will first need to check if weather conditions and/or materials being incinerated require a permit. Checking out permitting is easy. For the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula, residents can visit Michigan.gov/Burn Permit or call 866-922-BURN to find out whether burning is currently allowed by the DNR. This process is a little different from the "downstaters" because all Southern Lower Peninsula residents can obtain burn permits from their local government or fire department. For any questions regarding responsible burning information, call (616) 260-8406. COMPOSTING FOOD WASTE: Click here for a quick and wonderfully educational video of a threat most of us know little about. Don't think throwing away food scraps is an environmental issue? Facts such as an estimated 40% of what goes into a typical landfill could be composted, and most of that 40% is old food (potato peelings, "expired" items, restaurant food scraps, and such) that ends up hogging significant space in our dumps, neglecting a valuable resource, and producing planet-killing methane gases. A COUNTY RECYCLING SITE FOR RETURNING NATURE TO NATURE: Many constituents would like a central location in which to dump yard and food waste. If this is an important issue to you, contact our CLT members of the Environment Committee. |
