Ann Arbor Township

Land preservation is important to the agricultural community in Washtenaw County. It’s also a part of the strategy to get Ann Arbor and the county to its carbon neutrality goals. One man has spent about 30 years on local land preservation. Barry Lonik has been a part of 100 projects preserving more than 10,000 acres of land that might otherwise have been developed. WEMU's David Fair spoke with Barry about his three-decade journey and about the impact he still wants to make.

Ann Arbor Township officials have repurchased a parcel of land along US-23 from Southfield-based real estate group J.A. Bloch & Co., halting plans for a mobile home park. WEMU’s Ana Longoria has more.

Several city and township ballot proposals on the Washtenaw County ballot were decided on Tuesday night.

There were elections for new and returning trustees in several Washtenaw County townships.

Voters in Ann Arbor Township are being asked to renew a land preservation millage that has already protected over 1,200 acres. WEMU’s Kevin Meerschaert reports.

Ann Arbor Township residents are concerned a mining operation is drying up their water wells. There is evidence to support those concerns, and some are frustrated with the gravel mining company that has already been found in violation of some state regulations and local ordinances. WEMU's David Fair gets the latest in a conversation with grassroots organizer and township resident, Amy Olszewski.

A consultant for Ann Arbor Township is recommending continued testing of area wells for the 1,4 dioxane emanating from the old Gelman Sciences facility in Scio Township. As WEMU's Cathy Shafran reports, that's despite the fact state testing of a local well last week did not turn up detectable levels of the toxin.

New concerns are being raised about the spread of contamination from the Gelman 1,4 dioxane plume into Ann Arbor Township. WEMU’s Cathy Shafran has more.

Voters in Ann Arbor will decide an issue in November that could very well determine the success of the city's A2Zero plan to reach carbon neutrality by the year 2030. WEMU's David Fair and Michigan League of Conservation Voters executive director, Lisa Wozniak, discussed the stakes with Kris Olsson, who is part of a group advocating for passage of the Community Climate Action ballot proposal.

The International Panel on Climate Change has issued a dire warning about inaction in addressing the climate crisis. The latest report spells it out but also provides some guidance on what local governments and communities can do to prevent catastrophic consequences. Climatologist and Huron River Watershed Council planner, Daniel Brown, joined WEMU's David Fair to look at the global, national and local measures that need to begin right now.