Four Lakes Task Force just published that they reached an agreement with Boyce on the condemnation litigation lawsuits.

Four Lakes Task Force (FLTF) has received grants from the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and State of Michigan to remove the debris pile at
Sanford Dam, and will begin doing so the week of October 19, 2020. The process is expected to take
about two weeks.

To volunteer or to claim property, go to http://www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com/debris-removal.html.

You may download the complete press release.

FLTF is working on a project with support from NRCS to remove the large debris pile from in front of the Sanford Dam. As we get closer to our start date, we wanted to make sure we are set on volunteers. In the past, the organizations I’m reaching out to on this email have offered to help with various volunteer opportunities. If you could please share this project to your organizations social media, via email, or any means that you have to get the word out. We need quite a few volunteers spanning several weeks and the more people we can reach the better. Volunteers can sign up for specific shift times and dates at our website here: https://www.four-lakes-taskforce-mi.com/debris-removal.html by clicking the “volunteer” button at the top of the page. The page also explains what we will be doing for those that would like more information. Below is a description of the specific work that volunteers will be doing, feel free to share with your organizations to inform participants of the nature of the work that we anticipate. If there are any questions, don’t hesitate to email or give me a call.

The project will call for a large number of volunteers and the tasks involved will be broken into three areas of activities. As far as the need for volunteers is concerned, the dates will range from October 22 to November 4 and November 9 for a few days (this is all reflected at the shift sign-up link). The three task areas are :

1) Salvage Operations–Oct 22-Nov 4–Teams of two volunteers each will work three shifts of about 3-3.5 hours per day each. One volunteer will work in the sorting area, where debris will be brought ashore, to look at the salvaged items to determine what will be saved for eventual recovery by property owners and what will go to landfill. 

The second volunteer will work in the storage yard where saved items will be placed for eventual recovery by property owners. That volunteer will fill out a log-in sheet recording the item, any identifying marks (names, numbers, etc), the item’s location in the storage yard, and take a couple photos.

2) Recovery Of Items from Storage Yard–Nov 9 for 4-6 days–Teams of three volunteers will work shifts of 3-4 hours per day each. One volunteer will be stationed at the gate to check IDs of property owners entering to recover their items. The other two will help property owners to locate the items within the storage yard and execute the necessary paperwork. Employees of the contractor will be on hand to help property owners load up their items.

3) Contacting Of Property Owners To Schedule Pickup Of Items–Oct 22-Nov 9–A couple of volunteers will be needed to make phone or email contact during the salvage period with property owners whose items may be in the storage yard. The hours worked and the number of volunteers needed will be flexible depending on the number of saved items recovered during the salvage operations.