News

Saugatuck Township was recognized for its environmental leadership by the statewide Michigan Green Communities (MGC) program. As part of the annual Michigan Green Communities (MGC) Challenge, local governments are awarded bronze, silver, gold, or platinum seals of achievement. These achievements demonstrate community leadership in various areas, including energy efficiency, climate resilience, recycling, mobility, environmental stewardship, and more.

Saugatuck Township achieved silver status for exemplary action in multiple categories, including planning, land use, climate resilience, and clean mobility.

Over the past year, Saugatuck Township has remained committed to environmental stewardship. Its new Lakeside Overlay District sets development standards that curb erosion, protect dune and bluff stability, and preserve the Lake Michigan shoreline. On the Kalamazoo River Greenway, a ten-acre former field is being restored to native prairie, while detailed plans advance for shoreline stabilization and invasive-species control at River Bluff Park. The Township also developed a Non-Motorized Infrastructure Master Plan and finished design work for a three-mile extension of the Blue Star Trail from Wiley Road to M-89, bringing safe, low-carbon travel options closer to reality.

“The Michigan Green Communities network challenges us to turn shared ideas into on-the-ground results,” said Township Manager Daniel DeFranco. “By conserving rare river and dune ecosystems and expanding clean-mobility choices, we’re honoring community values and empowering residents to be everyday stewards.”

The MGC Challenge had a record number of participants this year, with 68 communities being recognized for their efforts. Saugatuck Y and the other participants logged actions taken through 2024 to improve sustainability efforts. Six communities achieved bronze certification, eighteen achieved silver certification, forty-two achieved gold certification, and two achieved platinum certification.

The MGC program is open to all local governments in Michigan at no cost. MGC is a sustainability networking, benchmarking, and technical assistance program. It guides and supports communities in adapting to a changing climate, protecting infrastructure, improving the quality of life for residents, and creating a more environmentally sustainable and economically competitive future for the state of Michigan.

Michigan Green Communities is supported by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy; the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services; the Michigan Economic Development Corporation; the Michigan Department of Transportation; the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Michigan Association of Counties; the Michigan Municipal League; and the Michigan Townships Association. For more information about this program, please visit their website at www.migreencommunities.com.

Questions regarding the Michigan Green Communities program can be directed to Danielle Beard, Michigan Green Communities Program Coordinator, at info@migreencommunities.com. Questions regarding Saugatuck Township’s sustainability and environmental efforts can be directed to info@saugatucktownshipmi.gov