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The Township of Crystal Bay needs to do a land use management plan to help us plan for the future in the areas of land use and waste water. While the plan has been spoken of for some time, the need for the plan has recently become more critical. The Township of Crystal Bay has engaged in an effort to build a new community center. As we have tried to figure out where the new community center should be located, various questions of land use have surfaced. At present we are planning to build it on the current site of the Recreation Hall, yet some residents question whether it should be closer to downtown. This in turn has made the township realize that although they were planning to build the new community center first and then do a general land use management plan, they now need to reverse the process and do the plan first. This comprehensive land use plan can help the township decide on the location of the new community center as well as identify goals for future development and management of land use, for commercial development, and for waste water management. Then once the land use plan is complete, the Township will go back to planning for a community center.

Although some of the most rapid development is taking place along the shore of Lake Superior, Crystal Bay Township has nevertheless been feeling the impact of this. Furthermore, the Moose Run/Moose Walk ATV trails have the potential to significantly impact the recreational use of the area. The township residents need to develop a vision of what they want the area to look like and how they want the land, recreational, and natural resources to be used. The Recreation Hall, and potential site for the future community center, is right next to the Baptism River. As such it is in an ideal location for a trail hub, wherein people can gather for a wide variety of recreational uses. The Township wants to plan for the new facility and the immediate surrounding area in such a way that they take into account what happens to the Baptism River which is a designated brook trout stream. At the same time, private developers in the region are beginning other projects. Because Crystal Bay Township is at the cusp of increasing development, we still have the opportunity to develop a vision for our community and be pro-active about implementing our management plan and strategies.

While Crystal Bay Township lies inland from Lake Superior, there are a variety of sources of water which flow into the lake including two forks of the Baptism River, numerous other streams and creeks and over a dozen lakes. Three human concentrations of population including the Air Base, the "down town Finland" area and Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center all have systems of waste water disposal with various degrees of success. The water from these sources lie within the Lake Superior watershed. Due to the limited lot size in Finland, a waste water solution, possibly through the township, will need to be found. Land needs to be set aside to facilitate a future waste water system for the town. The site for this can be identified through a comprehensive land use planning process. As further development is planned in Crystal Bay Township, waste water issues need to be dealt with. Even though Crystal Bay township is located inland from Lake Superior 5 or 6 miles it is a potential source of non-point pollution. At present water flows from Finland to Lake Superior within twenty four hours.

The Land Use Plan will be developed through a series of steps, namely gathering community data and maps, conducting a series of focus groups, and hosting a community planning day. This information will lead to a shared vision for the community with the community center as the building which will symbolize this vision, and to the identification of a series of recommendations for land, recreational, and natural resource management. In order to accomplish our goals, the Township will hire consultants. Currently they have employed Adrienne Falcón who is organizing monthly meetings for a steering committee and will continue to play this convening role. She will also coordinate data gathering and conduct all of the focus groups. The Township is working with Clint Little at the DNR to develop maps of the township. The Crystal Bay Township Plan will be modeled on other existing plans including the North Shore Land Use Plan which examined human and environmental uses and goals. They will also use the guidelines of the MN State Department of Planning and the Lake County Comprehensive Plan as a baseline.

The Crystal Bay Township Land Use Plan will therefore meet two current needs in the community: 1) to help in the planning for the location of the community center, and 2) to help plan for waste water and land usage in the future. Since the township is currently organizing feedback for the community center, it is an ideal time to work on a land use plan. Yet the land use plan would provide for a broader community vision which the township has not yet taken on. Funding from the STAR grant will be used to gather maps and data on Crystal Bay Township as well as to support the planning process. Once the Plan is complete, the township plans to distribute it broadly to local residents but also to offer it as an example of how a community can plan for the future. By sharing the plan with local residents, we will develop support to implement its goals and objectives. By distributing it throughout the region, the Plan can help others consider critical land use and waste water issues so as to minimize non-point source pollution in our communities and in the Lake Superior watershed.