Metcalf Lake Forest Management Necessary CCD, City Say

Being gifted a big-ticket item can be thrilling. Especially if you weren't expecting it and it's a treasure.

The other side of that is there may be some continuing costs that come along with ownership of that item - and one must be prepared to handle them.

That is what has happened to the City of Battle Creek with a 160-acre property at Metcalf Lake, just inside Barry County. The property was a gift from David Bailey to the city in 1999. A restricted deed meant the city could use the property in a focused way going forward, a way which includes recreational use. Still, the property would need some TLC before the city's residents could start enjoying it.

The city entered into a maintenance agreement with the Calhoun Conservation District in order to manage the land. Now, some residents have been alarmed by the sight of some trees being removed, a process the CCD says is necessary in order to make the property friendly for recreational activities. The lumber harvests have alarmed some residents, sparking concerns the property would be completely cleared. The CCD and city told WBCK that is not the case.

In a recent press release, the CCD calls the property's woodlands "overgrown" and in need to some thinning in order to be, eventually, accessible.

Click the player below to hear from Battle Creek Assistant City Manager Ted Dearing and Tracy Bronson, CCD executive director.

Hear The Richard Piet Show weekday mornings from 5:30-9 on WBCK.