by Barry Drue
Work to remove eight miles of 10-foot tall fence at the former Huron Bay Lodge game ranch on Pt. Abbaye may begin soon, depending on winter conditions. The Keweenaw Land Trust (KLT) purchased the 1,245 acre parcel from John and Tamara Buchan and Thomas Buchan in November, 2015, with the aim of opening the forest and wetland area to the public and restoring key habitat. KLT is headquartered in Hancock. The purchase of the property was made possible as the land trust partnered with the Michigan DNR and was awarded a National Coastal Wetland conservation grant administered through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The property was appraised through a lengthy process at $1.365 million. KLT bought it for $1.1 million and the Buchans agreed to take $265,000 off the price and donate that amount as a match for the grant. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.