Rep. Brown offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 393.

            A resolution to encourage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work cooperatively with property owners along the Great Lakes in their efforts to reasonably groom and maintain their beaches.

            Whereas, The Great Lakes are in the midst of a prolonged period of extreme low water levels the likes of which have not been experienced in nearly 80 years. Because of these low water levels, nuisance and invasive plants and algae have encroached on beaches, making access to the water difficult and reducing some beaches to traps for pollutants and breeding grounds for pests; and

            Whereas, The Michigan Legislature and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) have worked with lakefront property owners to balance regulations designed to protect the environment with the rights of property owners to maintain their property in a safe and neat condition. Michigan has developed reasonable standards for beach maintenance that protect valuable fish and wildlife habitat but allow property owners to relieve nuisance conditions, eliminate threats to their health, and preserve their enjoyment of the lakes; and

            Whereas, Michigan's efforts to ease regulatory hurdles and help lakefront property owners during these exceptional conditions have not been matched by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Property owners attempting to groom and maintain their beaches as they have for decades continue to encounter inflexible and unsympathetic federal regulators. The Army Corps' unwillingness to exercise discretion and work with lakefront property owners in a timely manner places unnecessary burdens on residents simply trying to maintain their property; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we encourage the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to work cooperatively with property owners along the Great Lakes in their efforts to reasonably groom and maintain their beaches; and be it further

            Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District, the Chief of Engineers of the U.S. Army, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.