High-voltage lines eyed for Wheatland festival site would cut campsites, alter landscape

REMUS — A proposal to install high-voltage power lines across the Wheatland Music Festival site outside Remus would clear-cut acres of oaks, white pines and maples, swallow up hundreds of campsites, eliminate a disc golf course and affect programming space.

“The changes would be dramatic and very noticeable,” Wheatland Music Organization executive director Cindy McSurely said of plans by the International Transmission Company to install 345-kilovolt transmission lines through the southern part of the 160-acre festival site — one of several different routes being proposed for the “Copperton Projects” running from Ludington to Midland County.

“Most of the woods along our southern border would be cleared, replacing that wooded view with large towers and a 345-kilovolt transmission line. We would lose a significant number of campsites, and some people may no longer want to camp in the areas nearby. For longtime festivalgoers, those campsites are part of what makes Wheatland special. Families and friends return to the same spots year after year to play music, catch up and make memories. Losing those places would change both the landscape and an important part of their Wheatland experience.”

There are also major concerns about the environmental impact of clear-cutting acres of mature trees and how the presence of high-voltage lines might create noise and otherwise affect the site.

“Replacing those woods with transmission lines and large towers would dramatically change the view and feel of the grounds. Beyond the campsites lost to clearing, we’re concerned that people may no longer want to camp anywhere near the line,” McSurely said.

“There is also a lot more for us to learn about the environmental impact, including how clearing the woods could affect wildlife. We’ve been told the lines can crackle in wet weather, and we have questions about that sound and any effects on wildlife.”

ITC operates more than 9,100 miles of power transmission lines via 403 substations serving Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. As part of expanding the Midwest power grid, three transmission lines will eventually be constructed in Michigan, including one stretching 159 miles from Midland County to Ludington. One of the proposed routes passes through the Wheatland property, which has hosted the September folk and roots music festival since the mid-1970s.

Wheatland has asked the public, festivalgoers and organization supporters to leave comments in opposition to the proposed transmission line routing online by Nov. 5, specifically citing the Wheatland property at 7251 50th Ave. in Remus. The “Feedback Form” includes a brief survey, with a place for respondents to leave comments and photos. An interactive map showing the various proposed routes also provides a place to add comments online. 

“The reaction has been shock and sadness about the potential loss of a place that means so much to people. We have second- and third-generation attendees and volunteers. For many families, Wheatland has been part of their lives for decades,” McSurely said.

“People are sharing the comments they’ve submitted and letting us know they have spoken up. It’s heartwarming to see how much Wheatland means to so many. It’s long history and the role it has played in Michigan’s music community makes the potential impact reach well beyond our property.”

Wheatland estimates the proposed transmission line would result in the loss of about 103 campsites in the Lost World area, 29 in Back Woods and 78,000 square feet of camping in Poplar Woods. The Middle Ground area, meanwhile, would lose 10,900 feet of programming space and the high-voltage lines would sit just 120 feet away from the office and classrooms in the Gladys Wernette Building.

Routes are being narrowed down in phases, with options reduced next spring. By fall 2027, ITC “expects to identify three routes for review by the Michigan Public Service Commission, which would make the final decision,” McSurely said, noting that review could take up to a year with construction starting “a couple years later.”

According to the ITC website, the new transmission lines are just part of regional grid improvements being proposed for the Midwest: 24 projects totaling 3,631 miles of transmission lines in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The ITC has invested $8.8 billion in Michigan grid improvements that include 59,400 transmission structures, part of what ITC calls “the power grid of the future. … ITC Michigan works closely with customers, consumers and stakeholders to create electric transmission solutions that lower electricity costs, improve reliability and safety, and increase economic activity and tax revenues.”

The company also maintains that it “integrates a sustainable approach to the environment,” noting that it has enrolled 49,000 acres in Michigan in a federal program to protect and grow habitat for the threatened monarch butterfly.

Wheatland, meanwhile, has established a half-century tradition as one of the most beloved and oldest music festivals in the state, attracting 10,000-13,000 people every year for the three-day festival that boasts internationally acclaimed stars covering a wide variety of genres, as well as popular Michigan bands and solo artists.

The festival also features workshops, music lessons, arts and crafts, children’s activities, campground jam sessions and more. Wheatland Music Organization, meanwhile, offers a variety of year-round music, dance and educational programs on the farm and festival site outside Remus — including hosting the “Traditional Arts Weekend” in late May.

— Find more Michigan news and festival/concert listings at LocalSpins.com. Email John Sinkevics at john@localspins.com.