Well.

It is nearly impossible to believe, but the Lakes to Land Regional Initiative Phase 1: Planning has officially concluded. All NINE plans have been adopted by their respective planning commissions and elected officials, all of the reports have been printed and mailed, and all of the official notices have been sent. And for that, we have just one thing to say:

We hope that every single person who has been involved with this project is as proud of your work as we are, whether that meant attending every  Leadership Team meeting, or keeping up with this site, or offering the comments that honed and refined each plan to the best reflection of its citizens’ vision that could be crafted. A collaboration of this size has never been done in Michigan, and now it has been…with tremendous success. You did that. It is wildly appreciated.

This post is titled “Graduation” and not “Conclusion” on purpose. Work has already begun on Phase 2: Implementation, and there’s plenty of room for you there, too. Keep in touch with your local planning commission – that’s where the magic happens! Although this site will serve largely as a document repository and less as an active communication avenue for the time being, the “Contact Us” link will still land you in our inbox, and we would love to hear from you.

“The master plan is not the most valuable thing that has come from this. Building relationships has been the biggest value. The network is being built from the citizens up.”

– Lakes to Land Leadership Team Co-Chair