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Shoreland Management

Image showing bluff erosion in Muskegon County, MI.
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Shoreland Management

Part 323, Shorelands Protection and Management, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act, 1994 Public Act 451, as amended is the key state statute providing consumer protection from the natural hazards of coastal erosion and flooding  as well as environmental protection of our fragile coastal areas. Part 323 is closely integrated with Part 325, the Great Lakes Submerged Lands, Part 353, Sand Dunes Protection and Management, and the Coastal Management Program which  provides grants to state and local units of government.

This page can be accessed as Michigan.gov/Shorelands

Contact

For information on specific sites contact:

District Permit Staff

For program questions contact:

Kate Lederle
LederleK@Michigan.gov
517-290-2757

A Changing Shoreline

Great Lakes shorelines are always changing.  Erosion is an expected and natural process along the Great Lakes.  Water levels and wave action move sand onshore and offshore. Beaches and sand dunes build along the shore with the moving sand. The local geology and trees and plants along the shore often shape the shoreline. Fish and wildlife use the shoreline for spawning and nesting.

People love living on the shoreline yet sometimes their homes are too close to the edge of a bluff. When shoreline conditions change their homes often are in danger from erosion. Building a house as far back from the bluff as possible is healthy for people and for the shoreline. House relocation to a safer site is also an option for many people.