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RC approves extending Consumers agreement

ROGERS CITY — The franchise agreement between Rogers City and Consumers Energy has been extended. The City of Rogers City Council approved the extension during a meeting Tuesday.

“It’s an energy company. They operate other franchises in municipalities, townships wherever they have service. They’re requesting a renewal of that franchise, as I understand it,” said Mayor Thomas Sobeck.

The council voted unanimously to renew it.

The motion was for the first reading of the agreement.

Earlier in the meeting Presque Isle Conservation District Forester Brittany Vanderwall presented to the board.

“If people ask you any natural resource questions send them to us because even if I don’t know the answer, I know somebody else does,” she said.

Vanderwall conducts a forestry assistance program that provides technical assistance to private landowners and conducts outreach events. These include forestry related presentations, workshops and training sessions she said.

“I try to assess what people out here are interested in and then use that as a way to get them interested in natural resources in general, like mushroom growing workshops or maple syrup field day is pseudo related to forestry,” she said.

The program is funded by the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Department of Natural Resources.

If a landowner owns forest property she does a free onsite visit with them and helps them with their goals, as well as decide what’s relevant to their management and connect them with professionals.

“A couple of relevant numbers I thought I would drop on you. Since I’ve been here I’ve visited with 250 landowners on 25,000 acres. That’s what I could quantify; maybe a little more or a little less, that’s maybe the brunt of it,” she said.

Since she’s been here there have been about 60 workshops, tours, seminars and field days, Vanderwall said.

Jordan Spence can be reached via email at jspence@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5687.

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