Protest against Seaplane Base May 14 to be followed by Portage Township Public Hearing via Zoom May 19

An eagle and its nest are one potential loss to the environment should a Seaplane Airport Base be allowed at Pilgrim Point. Concerned citizens are invited to express their views at a protest and a public hearing. (Poster courtesy Susan Schwenk)

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP -- A protest against the proposed rezoning of Pilgrim Point to allow a Seaplane Airport Base in Portage Township will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, meeting at the Nara Nature Trail parking lot near the Pilgrim River Bridge on US 41, Houghton.

This protest is five days prior to a Portage Township Planning Commission Public Hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, via Zoom.* (See details below) The Planning Commission will consider amending the zoning ordinance to permit seaplane operations as a Special Use in the Township's existing B-2 zoning district at Pilgrim Point.

The Isle Royale seaplane operation base intends to relocate its seaplane storage and service hangars, along with its daily flight charter service operation, to Pilgrim Point. This operation would be located on a lot immediately adjacent to the Nara Nature Park, under an active bald eagle's nest and adjacent to many beautiful lakefront homes.

An eagle is seen here on its nest, which is located near the proposed site of a projected seaplane charter business -- at Portage Point (the former Onigaming property) in Portage Township. (File photo © and courtesy Susan Schwenk)

This seaplane operation is on land that is not presently zoned to accommodate this aviation activity, and the zoning would have to be changed to make this accommodation. Local resident Susan Schwenk and a number of nearby neighbors, as well as many concerned citizens of the local area, including Copper Country Audubon, very strongly object to this type of use on the Pilgrim Point Property.**

There is a very rich and diverse listing of birds and animals within the nature park -- specifically the active bald eagle's nest. The site location for the proposed seaplane operation will likely be within 50-100 ft of their nest. It is highly likely that these eagles will abandon their nest, due to the extremely loud, obnoxious noise created by the radial engines of the numerous seaplanes -- not to mention the smoke, and oil leakage into the lake that these radial engines produce.

The proposed use of a charter seaplane operation base would be incompatible with the current use of the adjacent and surrounding residential and nature park areas.

If you can attend the protest Saturday, please bring a sign, banner, or just yourself and join concerned residents to raise awareness of this and to help preserve Pilgrim Point and its surrounding natural habitat.

* Zoom information for May 19 Public Hearing:

You may attend the Public Hearing and comment by Zoom:
Meeting ID : 836 3991 6832
Passcode : 428175
Note: During the Public Hearing public comments will be limited to 3 minutes per person.

The regularly scheduled Planning Commission meeting will immediately follow the Public Hearing.

** See the Feb. 27, 2022, Letter by Dana Richter, president of Copper Country Audubon, "Copper Country Audubon comments on seaplane project."