Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

A wooden platform at the Lake Michigan Overlook was part of stop #9 on the Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive stood for decades. Winter weather finally eroded the sand beneath it.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore has approximately two-thirds of the seasonal staff it typically needs to welcome more than 1.5 million visitors over the next three busy months.

Each Monday on Morning Edition, an IPR journalist brings you up to speed on what’s going on in northern Michigan, and what IPR is working on this week.

A mallet. A pumpkin. A way to cut down on landfill waste? Also this week: Sleeping Bear Dunes calls a halt to a trail expansion and Benzie County builds a safety net.

The decision comes after tribal concerns about the project's impacts on the environment and treaty rights.

The ferry operators say upcoming construction will render the docks inaccessible and put them out of business.

Critics worry about the environmental impact. The Park Service says strict regulations will protect the area.

A new report shows the final segment of the trail would require retaining walls in a critical dune area, plus boardwalk across wetlands.

The Great Lakes are home to the largest coastal dune ecosystem in the world. These vulnerable dunes support a variety of unique plants, insects, and animals – including an endangered, tiny bird.