Mr. Mike Cieslinski

Acting District Supervisor

Parks and Recreation Division

Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Baraga, MI 49908

Dear Mr. Cieslinski,

My husband and I have serious concerns regarding the MDNR's plans to develop a boat launch facility on the east end of Deer Lake, Onota Township, Alger County. For many years now, we have been among the many who have enjoyed swimming and fishing the Deer, first while staying at Rock River Resort and now while living on Lake Superior in Shelter Bay. We have an inflatable boat with a small electric motor that we can easily put in from the beach. We know from experience, few points on the lake are wide enough to tolerate more than two or three fishing boats; two power boats passing could completely upset smaller craft. The lake, albeit very deep, is unquestionably too narrow for unlimited water craft with large motors.

The MDNR has kept the beach, AND the lake, pristine, attractive and unparalleled for FAMILY utility. The beach is too small, however, for swimmers AND water skiers and jet skis; and be honest, you know the beach is the only place for the latter to load and unload riders. In addition to depriving us of a beautiful, old growth forest, a boat ramp and parking lot such as the MDNR now proposes, will encourage high speed water traffic, as has been the history of new ramps built on much larger lakes all over the United States.

Where is the need? Water skiers and jet skis have Lake Superior, where the temperature of the water is not important, but expansiveness is. Fishermen have never, to our knowledge, been stopped from carrying their boats onto Deer Lake without diminishing the enjoyment or creating a hazard for swimmers and beach lovers.

The Chinese have a saying about a rich man being one who knows when he has enough. We have enough boat launches in our area: one five miles away onto Lake Superior and another on beautiful, and much larger, Lake Au Train. What we don't have enough of are mature forests bordering quiet, clean swimming and fishing lakes such as we have at Deer Lake. Let's keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Jim and Sue Graves