"During my three terms as a State Representative, one of the things that both parties held sacred was that regulation of land use should rest in the hands of the folks that know their communities best and that is the people who actually live there. Renewable energy has an important role to play in Michigan but it should be developed in a way that respects the local community."

Doug Spade, former Democratic State Representative

"My family and I have been living too close to wind turbines longer than anyone else in the State of Michigan. The two turbines in Mackinaw City are next to our home and are irresponsibly sited too close. But under the new state law, they could be placed even closer than they are now. Local control of zoning is the best way to make sure someone else isn't the next victim of corporate developers.”

Mr. Kelly Alexander, Emmet County, MI

“In Michigan, tenant farmers contribute significantly to our crops. While utilities claim to need only a small portion of prime farmland, they overlook the economic destruction to local agriculture. Taking large swaths of land out of production hinders new and young farmers from finding affordable land. The cash offered for land rent ends up in the hands of a few corporate farms, not benefiting the local community."

Maurie Denecker, Riga Township Planning Commissioner and Multi-Generational Farmer