Column

Starkman: If Michigan Trees Could Talk, They’d Declare Gov. Whitmer Public Enemy No. 1

January 23, 2025, 6:13 PM

The writer, a Los Angeles freelancer and former Detroit News business reporter, writes a  blog, Starkman Approved

By Eric Starkman

As someone who appreciates that Michigan ranks among America’s most glorious states, I’ve long wondered why Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s green energy initiatives have been undeniable failures. Given that climate change was all the rage during the Biden years, one would expect that Michigan would be the nation’s leader protecting forests, farmland, and waterways, hoping to attract more so-called climate migrants to offset the stampede of Michiganders who are leaving for greener job pastures down south.

Featured_screenshot_2025-01-23_at_5.44.39_pm_57475
Photo: Michigan DNR

I’ve finally figured out why Gov. Whitmer  can't see the green energy forest for the trees. The Whitmer administration has a disdain for trees!

It’s surprising, at least to me, how little coverage this enterprising story by MLive reporter Sheri McWhirter has received about a 420-acre swath of state forestland being cleared near Gaylord under a lease agreement with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. McWhirter’s story was based on a Freedom of Information Act request because that’s pretty much the only way a reporter can learn what Michigan’s political leaders are up to.

Why would Michigan’s DNR, which is entrusted to protect the state’s natural resources, allow the destruction of a forest?

Ready for this?

To build a solar energy farm.

Destroying a Forest


Reporter Sheri McWhirter (Linkedin photo)

Destroying a forest for a green energy initiative is instinctively questionable, which is why the Michigan Healthy Climate Plan specifically says to “avoid land-use conversion that causes a net increase in (greenhouse gas) emissions and prioritize land uses that reduce emissions.”

McWhirter reported that a study by the Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York revealed that the loss of forests for solar installations could potentially increase greenhouse gas emissions – the air pollution which some experts say fuels the accelerating climate crisis.

I’m not alone in my disbelief of the DNR’s decision.

Republican State Reps. Ken Borton and Mike Hoadley and State Sen. Michele Hoitenga have called for mass firings within the Department of Natural Resources. The legislators said that any person involved in this decision should be fired, arguing that this proposal was made in violation of the the DNR’s responsibility to protect Michigan’s wildlife and forests.

“Mind-numbing decisions like this are absolute proof that the DNR is completely rotten to its core,” said Borton, R-Gaylord. “This deforestation will destroy habitats and effectively kill wildlife. Let me make that clear, the DNR is choosing to kill wildlife so they can build solar panels.”

The head of the DNR is Scott Bowen, who is a Whitmer appointee.


Scott Bowen

“We are blessed to have some of the most beautiful beaches, forests, and lakes in the country right in our backyard,” Whitmer said in the news release crowing about Bowen’s appointment. “But that also means we have a tremendous responsibility to take care of these natural wonders. Scott is the right person to lead the Department of Natural Resources as they undertake historic renovations and upgrades at state parks across Michigan. Together, we will leave our public lands in better shape.”

Destroying trees is a Whitmer hallmark.

Big Rapids Battery Plant

Some 120 acres of trees were destroyed to build a 2.4 billion tax-incentivized  electric battery plant in Big Rapids for a communist China-controlled company. The plant’s construction was opposed by local residents for environmental reasons, as well as bipartisan concerns that China would use the plant for espionage purposes.

Five members of a Big Rapids-area township board that voted in favor of tax breaks for the battery plant investment were recalled because of their support for the project.

Featured_fixovtcx_400x400_56789
Gov. Whitmer

The Whitmer administration was also responsible for the destruction of century old trees and fertile farmland in picturesque rural Marshall so Ford could build a battery plant using technology the automaker is licensing from a China-based company. Whitmer spearheaded $1.7 billion in tax subsidies for the project, garnering her administration the 2023 “Worst Economic Deal of the Year” award from the Center for Economic Accountability.

Adding to Whitmer’s disgrace, Ford subsequently scaled back the project's size by 43% and said it would only create 1,700 factory positions, not the 2,500 it promised.

Danger to Water

Marshall residents, many of whom get their water from wells, opposed the Ford battery plant on environmental reasons, and their worst fears are being realized.

The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), Water Resources Division (WRD) this week put the economic development agency responsible for the Ford battery project on notice that it has escalated enforcement actions relating to various environmental violations, including mandated water resources protections and failing to halt the discharge of sediment to wetlands and the Kalamazoo River in a timely manner.

The violations were outlined in a WRD letter dated January 21 and signed by Janelle Hohm, Senior Environmental Quality Analyst EGLE Kalamazoo District Office.

As previously reported by the Detroit News, inspectors were alerted to runoff at the site by photographs and drone footage showing "a significant release of sediment to the Kalamazoo River" last June.  Photographs showed the water had an unnatural color and was clouded with suspended material. 

It's perhaps fortunate that Whitmer can’t run for another term. One can imagine her administration spearheading the destruction of the state’s tart cherry trees in the Traverse City region to build electric battery charging stations.

After all, Michigan accounts for 75% of the national tart cherry sales, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Contact Eric Starkman. Confidentiality assured. Eric@starkmanapproved.com.



Leave a Comment:

Photo Of The Day