The Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Belle Isle Conservancy are working to plan for new amenities on the island.  In order to prioritize what Detroiters would like to see next, they’ve launched a new survey that outlines 11 potential projects.

Some key ideas include expanding the beach, creating a new café in the White House, rebuilding docks and piers for boaters and residents who like to fish, and restoring the Remick Band Shell.  

DNR Urban Field Specialist Amanda Treadwell says there’s a lot of work that needs to be done, but the resources don’t exist to do it all at once. “They’re all going to take a lot of stakeholders and community support to fully implement.  So [we’re] looking to have that community support and input on how we go about implementing these projects around the park.” 

Treadwell says she loves all of the proposed ideas for the island, but one tops her list. “If I had to pick one, I love seeing people out in the park, enjoying the new trails and the new bike paths.  I think it’s a wonderful way to enjoy the park.” 

The Belle Isle survey is open until September 8^th. 

In this episode of the Detroit Evening Report, we go over a new grocery bill sponsored by U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, the demolition of the long-since-vacated Mammoth department store, and more local news.

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Tlaib sponsors anti-price gouging grocery bill.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is sponsoring a bill that seeks to stop price gouging in grocery stores.  The Detroit Democrat made the announcement this morning in front of the Wal-Mart at Ford Road and the Southfield Freeway.  Tlaib says Americans are stressed by rising food prices. 

Besides prohibiting price gouging, her legislation seeks to require food stores to disclose the use of facial recognition technology and ban electronic shelf labels in large stores. 

Mammoth tear down 

City of Detroit officials gathered in northwest Detroit on Monday…to begin demolition of the Mammoth department store.  The building – located at the corner of Grand River and Greenfield has been empty for decades. It originally opened as a Federal’s department store in 1949.  Previous demolition efforts were stalled because of legal filings.  The current owners had filed suit to delay the destruction of the building.  A judge’s order preventing demolition expired last week. 

During a news conference at the site, Mayor Mike Duggan said he knows neighbors are relieved that the long-standing eyesore is being torn down. 

“Well, I know that for the neighborhood here, this has been a long time coming.  I think my first month in office, Councilman James Tate said to me, ‘This is a prime corner. It should be providing shopping for the neighborhood.  And because of this long-abandoned building, it’s actually taking the neighborhood down.’” 

Officials say the demolition should be completed sometime this fall. 

Casino revenue report

Detroit’s three casinos brought in 107 million dollars in revenue last month.  That’s down slightly from July 2024. 

MGM Grand continues to hold the lion’s share of the market with nearly 48 percent.  Motor City controlled 30% and Hollywood Casino at Greektown had 22% of Detroit’s gambling market.  Together, the three casinos generated $12.6 million in taxes and wagering agreement payments for the City of Detroit.  They provided another 8.6 million dollars in taxes to the state of Michigan. 

Dearborn School Board seeking new member

Trustee Irene Scott is moving out of the district, leaving a vacancy.  Applicants for the appointed position must be U-S citizens who are registered to vote and are living in the Dearborn School District.  Applications must be submitted by August 25^th. 

The district says the new appointed member of the board will serve until elections take place in November 2026. 

Help shape Belle Isle with a survey

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources wants to know what you think about the future of Belle Isle.  The department – along with the Belle Isle Conservancy – is asking Detroiters to take a survey to help select priorities for improvements on the island. 

The current list of possibilities stands at 11.  Items on the list include extending the beach, creating a park café, and rebuilding piers and docks on the island. Several other improvements are already underway, including a renovation of the James Scott Memorial Fountain.

Residents can take the survey on the DNR’s website. The survey closes on September 8^th. 

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

The deer herd in Michigan is estimated to be two million strong. In southeast Michigan, that number has been growing.

There were more than 58,000 deer-vehicle crashes reported in Michigan in 2023, according to Michigan State Police. That’s an average of 158 per day.

There is a growing coalition of cities and townships in metro Detroit that have taken action to curb deer populations in their communities. Farmington Hills is one of the cities leading this effort, with the city council recently approving organized deer culls. The resolution, which allows sharpshooters to shoot and kill deer in suburban areas where overpopulation is a problem, also includes safety provisions and directs harvested venison to be donated to food banks.

Bryan Farmer, deputy director of the city of Farmington Hills Special Services Department, joined The Metro to talk more about the resolution. Then, Cervid and Wildlife Interactions Unit Supervisor at the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Chad Stewart, joined the conversation to help us understand what’s behind the deer uptick in metro Detroit’s suburbs.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

More stories from The Metro

In late March, a severe ice storm struck the northern part of Michigan.

Tree branches and limbs, weighed down by ice, broke and fell to the ground, leaving towering toothpick trees behind. Many roads, campgrounds, forests, boat launches and other facilities managed by the state were closed as a result. 

Months later, most areas have reopened to the public, but the Michigan Department of Natural Resources is warning visitors to be cautious and expect some trail and road closures to still be in place for their safety. 

Most trails, campgrounds open

The DNR staff went to work to ensure all campgrounds opened at the start of the season on May 15. Some state forests and boat access sites lagged behind, but most are open and ready for Fourth of July weekend.

Kerry Heckman, from the DNR’s Ice Storm Response team, said that travelers should be aware that some roads running through state forests are blocked off. Likewise, some trails may be blocked for visitor safety. 

“If you are going to be just in the forest itself, just be aware that there are a lot of hazards that remain,” Heckman warned, adding that trees that are leaning or limbs caught in the tree canopy are still at risk of falling suddenly. 

She said parts of State Parks Onaway, Clear Lake and Petoskey are temporarily closed. Additionally, Cheboygan State Park is closed for the summer for regularly scheduled updates unrelated to the ice storm. 

Forest recovery efforts continue

It will take a while for the forest to fully recover from the cold snap, Heckman said.

 ”We’ll be working for many years to replant, and bringing the forest back to what they were prior to the storm,” she said.

Heckman says the DNR is also working to salvage fallen trees for timber as fallen limbs are cleared.

Finding new uses for the fallen wood and clearing it out is essential to minimize potential harms to the environment, though the dead branches have benefits as well. 

Long-term impacts on the environment

The influx of fallen timber and moisture leads to a number of environmental impacts, Heckman said.

Forest health is a concern due to the rapid change, but the woods are resilient. 

The dead wood will provide food for woodpeckers and pests like the pine bark beetle, whose population is expected to explode and cause further damage to trees. Exposed wood is also vulnerable to diseases.

One additional danger of having so much timber on the forest floor is providing fuel for potential wildfires, she said.

The open canopy gives room for new plant growth, including that of invasive species.

As the fallen branches decompose, they will replenish the soil. This — in addition to the moisture delivered by the storm — will promote the growth of fungi.

“For people who love morel mushrooms, that’s going to be amazing,” said Heckman.

This story is part of WDET’s ongoing series, The Detroit Tree Canopy Project.