WAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, MI— Michigan’s latest budget does not include $50 million dollars for Wakefield Township, and that has environmentalists cheering.
Jane Fitkin is the director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior. She says the money would have benefitted primarily the proposed Copperwood Mine, which would have produced tons of waste.
Fitkin says environmentalists are encouraged by lawmakers’ rejection of the funding, which came before them in various forms three different times but was rejected each time.
“Because I think that this shows the power of collective, grass-roots advocacy, that sometimes when people speak up to protect the places and water sources we love from harm, that we can be successful.”
But Wakefield Township Supervisor Mandy Lake says the money would have upgraded the road that leads to the Porkies and the local industrial park, provided broadband to that park, and improved the power grid.
Lake agrees the funding would have helped the Copperwood project, but that wasn’t the primary aim.
“Yes, it would have benefitted them, for sure. It also would have benefitted the Porcupine Mountains State Park and all of the tourist traffic that goes out there. It would have benefitted our residents that live in the area. It would have benefitted our industrial park.”
Lake hopes to secure some kind of other funding to help the area in the near future.
