Letter to the Editor: Dismayed by Clay Banks Misleading Action Against Land Trust

I am writing to express support for the great work done by the Door County Land Trust. I fully support the Land Trust’s recent purchase of property in the Town of Clay Banks. I also fully support the Land Trust’s application to the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund for funding assistance for the Bear Creek Nature Preserve. 

As a resident of Sturgeon Bay, I am dismayed by the action taken by the Clay Banks Town Board [Peninsula Pulse, March 1, “Clay Banks Objects to Land Trust Purchase.”] Their action undermines the very beneficial work by the Door County Land Trust to preserve the rapidly disappearing undeveloped land in Door County. The two town board members that voted for the resolution in opposition to this effort do not speak for me. I believe also that they do not speak for the majority of residents in Clay Banks, and certainly not the majority of residents of the county on the whole. It was an unfortunate action that was given no public hearing, little-to-no public notice, and little-to-no opportunity for public comment. Furthermore, the resolution itself was filled with so much misleading and irrelevant information it’s difficult to know where to start in attempting to respond. The town’s action should carry no weight whatsoever in the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Fund decision-making. It was underhanded and seems to have been calculated to harm the Land Trust’s broader efforts, which extend far beyond the boundaries of this one township.

Please contact your elected officials to express support for the Door County Land Trust. It’s a great program that benefits all of us – and our children and our children’s children.

David Janda

Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin