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Wetland swale on the Shorewood Forrest Sanctuary. Photo by Bill Collins.

With generous grant funding from The Carls Foundation and income from the sale of the M-15 commercial frontage of the Croissant property donation south of Ortonville, the TLC was able to purchase another important addition to the Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park; a 27-acre parcel on the west side of Shorewood Forrest subdivision in Fort Gratiot. The Shorewood Forrest Sanctuary is part of the broad swath of the coastal dune and swale forest along Lake Huron that the TLC has been working to protect since our formation in 2008. This unique complex of parallel sand ridges and mucky wetland swales once extended from the mouth of the Saint Clair River in Port Huron, north well into Sanilac County, and inland from Lake Huron at least 2 miles in some areas.

The Shorewood Forrest Sanctuary was important to acquire in part because it allows the only likely trail connection between the two adjacent 80-acre Shorewood Forrest parcels. About half of these two 80-acre parcels has been preserved by Saint Clair County as mitigation for permitted impacts to State-regulated wetland. With this acquisition, the TLC has begun planning a 1-mile section of an unpaved wilderness-like coastal trail from near the Fort Gratiot Nature Park south of Carrigan Road, north through one of the largest forest tracts in the area. This alone will be a significant public asset. Once connected with the larger Southern Lake Huron Coastal Park, the trail and natural area should be an attraction of regional significance for hikers, birders, and
others seeking a memorable outdoor recreation experience.