Brown Bridge Quiet Area Management Plan
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Issue Date
2002-05
Authors
Brown Bridge Advisory Committee
Subject
Brown Bridge Quiet Area ; wetland flora ; upland flora ; plant and natural community classification ; natural quality evaluation of the area ; management recommendations for proper stewardship of any sensitive natural resources identified ; City of Traverse City ; Traverse Bay Watershed Center
Abstract
This Brown Bridge Management Plan is the compilation of several efforts over the
years including a Site Inventory and Evaluation (1975) conducted by George Ferrar,
Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D); a Critical Area Treatment Plan
(1988) drawn up by Tom Adams, District Conservationist, Soil Conservation Service
(SCS); and a Natural Area Evaluation and Wetland Floristic Inventory (1991), by
Gary Reese, Ecologist, Midwest Biosurveys. In addition, the general public and a
citizen based Brown Bridge Advisory Committee have had extensive input in the
development of this plan.
Two other forest management plans were written for Brown Bridge by Pere
Marquette State foresters in 1953 and 1963. Both plans focused on the consumptive
value of harvesting timber off the property and lacked an integrated management
view.On April 4,1977 the citizens of Traverse City approved a ballot proposal to allow
drilling for oil & gas on the Brown Bridge property. As we all know, the City did
drill and strike oil. To date, the gas & oil revenue from the four City-owned wells at
Brown Bridge has placed approximately six million dollars into the Brown Bridge
Trust Fund. Annually, the trust fund generates close to a half million dollars (over
2.5 mills) in interest revenue; the revenue is then placed into the General Fund to
offset taxes and fund City-wide operations.
A month prior, the City Commission passed a resolution dedicating Brown Bridge
as a "Natural Area for Quiet Recreation" (Appendix ****). The resolution also
stated the City's intent to appoint a citizen based Brown Bridge Management Plan
Committee.
Description
Partial OCR done. 203 pages total.