Preserving Rural Character in the Manchester Area: A forum for local officials and residents

Land preservation is an important topic of conversation in Manchester and all of the surrounding townships.

submitted by Sybil Kolon

Last month we started this series with a message from the Manchester Township Board and Planning Commission. I have been asked to take the lead on a monthly forum focused on what we can do locally to preserve our rural character.

This is intended to be a forum for the entire Manchester community. We are seeking contributions from local officials and residents from the Village, Bridgewater, Freedom, Manchester, and Sharon Townships. What would you share about your experiences that could benefit the greater community? I will be reaching out to some of you to seek your input. Please contact me (sybil.kolon@gmail.com) or the Manchester Mirror if you would like to contribute.

Thoughts about our rural character

I will kick this off by trying to explain my approach to this process — to this opportunity — to engage with the Manchester community in a discussion about rural character and land preservation. I think of land preservation as a general term for how to preserve rural character.

I want to encourage local residents to be more aware of their role in preserving our rural character. We all know our area is unique. We are off the beaten path. Visitors are always impressed with our landscapes and our rural charm. You could make a case that it is our duty to preserve that charm.

One initial focus should be on the current status of our rural character. How do we even define “rural character”? There are certainly some broad measures that can be used and we need to figure out what those are. Here is what came up when I searched online: “Rural character refers to the patterns of land use and development where open space, natural landscapes, and vegetation are predominant over the built environment.” I agree with that in general terms. I would add, just to be clear, that it certainly includes farmland, but much more as well.

It should be obvious, however, that the more fragmented the landscape becomes, the more rural character is diminished. Yet that is where we are headed if past trends continue. We do have the ability to alter that path. I believe it can be done through a combination of approaches. There is not one hard and fast solution.

The first thing we need to recognize is that our natural areas and farmlands have values that are not appreciated. As areas are fragmented and developed, the effects on the environment, wildlife, and downstream are not taken into account. Everything we do on the land has an impact on the water quality of our lakes and streams, as well as our
groundwater, on which most of us rely for our drinking water. If each community, and each of us individually, would take proactive measures to minimize the impacts of development, we would all benefit. I will be happy to elaborate on that more in the future.

I suggest we start by looking at the map of the four townships that is posted at the top of Manchester Township’s Land Preservation Web Page: https://twp-manchester.org/land-preservation/.The protected lands include parks, state game areas, preserves, and conservation easements. These lands are permanently protected and form a base we can build upon.

Another view of our landscapes can be found by clicking on “ArcGIS Web Application” on the Land Preservation page. You can enter an address or zoom in to any location in Michigan to see what the original land surveyors of Michigan found in the early 1800s (Manchester was surveyed in 1824). You can then compare those vegetation types with a recent aerial photo.

There are many other communities that have programs and policies in place that protect their rural character. The newly formed Land Preservation Committee for Manchester Township plans to explore what other communities have done, what else is possible, seek input from our residents, and propose a plan that works for Manchester Township.

Whether we live on two acres or eighty, what we do around our house, yard, and property does affect our environment and has an influence on rural character. The future of Manchester Township is in our hands. There is no one other than our residents and elected officials to determine that future. If we take the time to learn about and appreciate what makes our area so special, we can take steps to preserve it. That will go a long way toward ensuring that our rural character will not slip away from us in the coming decades.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.