Locals Voice Frustration About Increasing Litter Seen In Leelanau

People in Leelanau County are voicing frustration this morning after noticing an uptick in trash on local beaches this summer.

They say they want both locals and tourists to start respecting the natural beauty of the area.

“People come here from all over the world and they would like to be able to enjoy the beaches, not the trash on the beaches, so we all need to do our part to throw it away or take it with us,” said Leelanau County resident Ashlee Crane.

Ashlee voices the frustration many are feeling in Leelanau County.

People who live in the beautiful beach towns say they’re seeing significantly more trash this summer season.

“The tourism, they bring trash and they leave it,” said Crane. “They don’t have to worry about it after they leave.”

But Ashlee says locals need be step up efforts to keep their hometowns clean too.

“There is locals that do throw stuff on the ground and they don’t pick it up, and they need to start picking that up because we do live here,” said Crane. “We all share the same areas.”

There’s a possibility the rain could be washing it up, too — according to the executive director of the Leelanau Conservancy.

“When you have heavy rainfall events, there’s a lot of sheeting action over parking lots and roadways and driveways that channel debris into the waterways and subsequently into Lake Michigan where it gets washed up on the beach,” said Tom Nelson.  

He encourages everyone, locals and tourists alike, to do their part and pick up trash when they see it because no matter where it comes from — pollution is bad for the environment.

“Any kind of pollution in really harmful to the ecology of the natural systems that we have here, and water, clean water, being a really important function of our ecosystems, especially in Northern Michigan,” said Nelson.

“We want to keep this area beautiful. We want tourists to keep coming. And we want to be able to keep coming to the beaches and enjoying them,” said Crane.

Leelanau conservancy says trash bins are posted at almost all the beaches. They’re especially made for the outdoors, with special latches so animals can’t get in.