First Meetings Scheduled for Land Use Council

The council will present its recommendations to the governor and lawmakers in late summer.Granholm plans to address the group, co-chaired by former Gov.William Milliken and former Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, when itconvenes its first meeting on March 24 in the capital.

"The council will be instrumental in developing a cooperative, common sense approach to how we use our land," Granholm said. "There is a tremendous need to protect our forests and farms, prevent the unplanned and unwise growth that chokes our suburban communities and threatens our water quality, and to breathe new life into our cities and older suburbs. This Council will help ensure that Michigan grows in a way that preserves the character of the state we call home."

Gov. Granholm stressed that citizen input will play a critical role inthe Council's success. The co-chairpersons of the 26-member Council intendto hold simultaneous public hearings in five cities around the state,including the Upper Peninsula, northern Lower Michigan, West Michigan,Southeast Michigan, and Lansing. The hearings will be held on April 21 and April 28. In each location there will be two public hearings for the convenience of citizens: 3 to 5 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m.

The Council will also survey numerous interest groups throughout the state to determine their values, priorities, and concerns on how Michigan should grow over the next 20, 60, and 100 years.