It’s My Theory and I’m Sticking With It!

Published: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 7:00 am
By: Van W. Snider, Jr.

It may be my imagination, but this winter in Michigan and the Great Lakes region has been especially difficult. I haven't attempted to verify my opinion with hard statistical data; however, snow after snow with low temperatures has pushed many people to question why they live in this region. For the first time I can remember, my wife said she would love to "go south" for warmer weather just to get away from the cold. I agree with her reason for suggesting a southern trip--an especially challenging winter.

When she made comments about heading south, I had a flashback when we lived in Florida and many of our friends questioned our joint decision to move to Michigan. I keep coming up with the same answers. After living in Michigan for over 20-years, in the long-term I think Michigan and other Great Lakes states will attract more residents, not less. I don't claim to have supernatural powers that allow me to forecast to any degree of certainty, but I have my theory and I'm sticking with it. I'll call my reasons "Why people will want to live in Michigan".

The name Michigan is a French alteration of the Ojibwe word mishigama, meaning "large water" or "large Lake". Four of the Great Lakes touch Michigan's shoreline plus Lake St. Clair. Major rivers include the Detroit, St. Mary's and St. Clair River which connect the Great Lakes; the Au Sable, Cheboygan and Saginaw Rivers flow into LakeHuron; the Ontonagon and Tahquamemon flow into Lake Superior; and the St.Joseph, Kalamazoo, Grand, Muskegon, Manistee and Escanaba flow into Lake Michigan. There is no location in Michigan more than six miles from an inland lake or more than 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes. Add in 93 state harbors and harbors of refuge plus hundreds of commercial marine facilities, and over 11,000 inland lakes and the result is a freshwater boating, sailing and fishing paradise. No other state can match Michigan's boating infrastructure.

Along with boating-related activities, Michigan has unparalleled snowmobiling, snow-skiing, hunting, camping, golf, cycling, and other outdoor sporting opportunities. Michigan has the largest state park and state forest system in any state: 78 state parks, 19 state recreation areas and 6 state forest areas. When more baby-boomers retire, this generation will want to take advantage of these fantastic assets along with outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.

I am also convinced Michigan's economy will see resurgence. Obviously, this won't happen overnight. Has and will the make-up of Michigan's economic mix change? Evidently Michigan's economy will diversify while still building on traditional manufacturing capabilities. Diversification includes the service industry, green technologies and tourism which include boating. I am especially thrilled with Governor Snyder's support of the Travel Michigan advertising efforts called Pure Michigan. Frankly, Michigan offers tremendous year-round vacation opportunities and the Pure Michigan campaign is an investment which pays for itself over and over. Michigan is forth in the nation in high tech employment and third or forth in expenditures for research and development. Michigan's agriculture industry is second only to Californiain commodity crops, fruits and vegetables.

Frankly, Michigan is a beautiful state with warm and caring people who work hard and play hard. My kind of place. Yet the key reasons I believe more people will realize Michigan and the Great Lakes region is the place to live and work relates to water, food, economic opportunities and quality of life.

There has been a migration from the Midwest to southern and western states primarily related to economic issues. However, water is one of the most important elements of life. Florida is facing more and more freshwater challenges as are the western states. It has been suggested that Great Lakes water should be diverted to fulfill water demand's of the western states. The Great Lakes Region cannot allow this to happen. Michigan has more freshwater resources than any state; a strong agricultural base, colleges and universities second to none, geographic beauty and will, again, have a strong economy. Hopefully recent Michigan college graduates will find opportunities here. Add Michigan's recreational opportunities, especially boating, and families will be heading our way. That's my theory and I'm sticking with it.