Alpena is appealing, rich
It is not universally understood that although we are born of the environment, we live in a man-made world. We’ve come a long way as a human population with our scientific discoveries, technological advancements, and inventions (many of which, I would not want to live without). Even Alpena has evolved through the ages from an untamed forest to a community that embraces a balance of commerce and the natural environment. Sometimes it is hard to peel ourselves away from the progress of modern society to sink back into the pulse of what keeps us alive. As Spring approaches I’m always reminded of the basic foundations of life. Faith, community, and reverence for the natural environment from which we came, and to which we will return.
Throughout historian Robert Haltiner’s books, you will find many passages and quotes from founding fathers promoting the natural beauty of the area. This beauty is the main reason Alpena still stands today. When the timber reserves dried up the community placed the priority of place over profit. They chose to stay here and invent other ways to keep the town alive because they didn’t want to leave this four-season paradise of the north.
Part of what makes the area so appealing is the marriage of modern life with the natural environment. Over the past number of years our Tourism office has ushered in thousands of visitors to the area. Among those we’ve welcomed are individuals we’ve hosted for specific media coverage opportunities. These are folks who have traveled the world, been to hundreds of fascinating locations; and I have yet to talk to one of them that has not remarked with genuine awe on Alpena’s natural beauty. The way the city and townships ebb and flow between historic homes, quaint suburbs, shops, factories and farmland, all wrapped in a package of open green space parks, river tributaries, forests and lakes. In 2011, Destination Development International visited Alpena to do a site analysis to determine Alpena’s most tangible valuable assets upon which to build an identity. The result came back stating that our public parks and waterways make Alpena who she is, citing the myriad of opportunities for relaxed outdoor adventure combined with opportunities for relaxation and rejuvenation. We are at a true advantage in Northeast Michigan. We are surrounded by nature’s embrace at every turn.
Alpena residents have always cherished public park lands. The 1920s were a busy time for preserving the City of Alpena’s natural beauty as Mich-e-Ke-wis (/Starlite), Bay View and Avery parks were dedicated. Later, in 1939 the Alpena Wildfowl Sanctuary was dedicated. More recently we’ve seen lasting evidence of our prioritization of protecting the natural environmental experience with the dedication of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and three of the State of Michigan’s newest Dark Sky Preserve parks; these preserves are located at Negwegon State Park, Thompson’s Harbor State Park, and Rockport State Recreation Area. There are a multitude of benefits that the protection of our natural environment provides; and it isn’t limited to those qualities we humans enjoy in the aesthetic realm.
The amount of open green space available to residents of any given community is directly tied to higher property values, especially as a community grows and expands. Washington, D.C. receives an estimated $6.9 million extra in tax revenue from properties located within proximity to a park. Open park land provides habitat cover for wild animals and birds, filters water and improves air quality. A model developed by the U.S. Forest Service shows that Philadelphia’s parks reduced runoff in 2007 by 496 million cubic feet compared with a scenario in which the city had no parks. Access to open park land is a consideration among tourists to an area. San Diego directly attributes 35% of its tourism to availability of access to public park places. Parks and recreational spaces open to the public also provide healthy lifestyle options for a community. The city of Sacramento, CA is estimated to save its residents $19.8 million in healthcare costs annually by providing public space like trails, tennis courts, access to waterways, and open green space for spontaneous activity.
As Alpena continues to grow, what will we look like in ten years? Over the next few columns I’m going to further explore the unique value that the sky above us, the Earth below us, and the water around us provide to our quality of life and economic vitality both within the city proper and outlying areas. Without our pockets of nature, set forth by founding members of the community and protected even into today by community leaders, we wouldn’t be the same. And that thought, is worth a closer look. Stay tuned.
Mary Beth Stutzman’s Inspiring A-Town runs bi-weekly on Tuesdays. Follow Mary Beth on Twitter @mbstutz.