March
29, 2006 - Highland
Township citizens, members of the Highland
Equestrian Conservancy, and other horse groups
and enthusiasts in and outside of Highland
flooded the Wednesday, March 22, township board
meeting as the township and the equestrian
conservancy were praised for their work to keep
the township horse-friendly as development
encircles the rural community.
State Sen.
Nancy Cassis (R-Commerce, Milford, Highland,
White Lake, West Bloomfield, Orchard Lake,
Wixom, Walled Lake and Wolverine Lake) and Rep.
John Stakoe (R-Highland, White Lake) — also on
behalf of Gov. Jennifer Granholm — recognized
Highland as the state's first designated
equestrian community.
Oakland County
Commissioner Bill Bullard Jr. (R-Highland)
presented a proclamation recognizing the
township's horse history, school equestrian
teams, the Highland Downtown Development
Authority's (DDA) horse-friendly stance, and the
township's Main Street Oakland County planning
process including equestrian access in its main
street plan for the township's
downtown.
Highland Equestrian Conservancy
Chairwoman Sharon Greene said the horse-friendly
design of the downtown, which is in the planning
stages through Main Street Oakland County
effort, is the first of its kind in the United
States.
The Highland Station area will
have hitch posts and a stable facility with
trails connecting to the Highland State
Recreation Area.
"The people of Highland
have spoken out many times at Planning
Commission and board meetings that they don't
want the same growth that they see in Farmington
and Livonia that's started to move out here,"
Greene said. "We know we can't stop it, but
hopefully we can manage it. We have good
leadership in Highland Township that understands
wise land management.
"Development is
coming, and it is here. So one of the tools is
to use horses to help us get recognition for
that ruralness. Maybe that can help us with
equestrian zoning districts in future
development, but it also gives us that outdoor,
healthy, outfitter walkability and
diversity."
The Highland Equestrian
Conservancy was established in 2002 as the first
horse-land conservancy in
Michigan.
Greene said during a
presentation at the board meeting that Milford
High School, located within Highland Township,
was also the first school in the nation to form
an equestrian team, which it did in 1972, and
that with more than 300 now in the state, the
Milford High School team has the largest field
in the country, at 20 acres and four
arenas.
Highland Middle School, she said,
piloted the first junior division team in
2003.
Eight county equestrian groups are
based in and around Highland, and the township
also is home to 11 horse farms.
Greene
said some of the meeting's attendees included
people from White Lake and Milford who make use
of those farms.
"They want to see this
trickle over into their locations as well," she
said of Highland's horse-friendly stance. "They
board their horses in Highland and they do
training in Highland, but live
elsewhere."
According to Greene, the
Highland model for being equestrian-friendly is
based somewhat on the equestrian community in
Norco, Calif. The Highland model includes
conservancy greenways, wildlife corridors, and
multi-use or equestrian trails all incorporated
into township planning.
"By being
equestrian friendly, we're recognizing the rich
heritage of horses and the equestrian teams and
that we're trying to preserve those interests
for future generations," Greene said. "By being
horse-friendly, we can be diverse. We can have
automation, industrialization, and subdivisions,
but we can also have greenways, trails, and
small farms."
Josh Jackett is a staff writer
for the Spinal Column
Newsweekly |
.gif){kind=small}
