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Resident urges commissioners to protect Gratiot County prime farmland from utility‑scale solar
Summary
A public commenter identified herself and urged the board to honor the county master plan and avoid approving utility‑scale solar that converts prime farmland; she cited Public Act 233 and asked commissioners to consider cumulative farmland loss.
During public comment, Stacy Carrie Jenkins — identifying herself as part of a local agricultural preservation group — urged commissioners to oppose utility‑scale solar development on prime farmland. Jenkins said the county is "blessed with some of the most productive farmland in Michigan" and argued that large solar projects can "disturb, remove, and compact valuable topsoil during construction," reducing the land's long‑term productivity.
Jenkins cited the legislature's standard requiring that before an energy facility is approved, it must be determined the project will not "unreasonably diminish farmland, including prime farmland," and specifically referenced Public Act 233 as embedding that duty. She asked commissioners to honor the county master plan that prioritizes protecting agricultural land and to weigh cumulative impacts before endorsing large projects on prime farmland.
Board members acknowledged receipt of written letters from residents and said staff had read them into the record; the board committed to providing opportunities for public comment on the CREO compatibility determination and scheduled further deliberation on the Honeywell proposal.
