The Sierra Club Michigan Chapter is urging lawmakers to reject House Bill 4385, a proposal that would weaken environmental safeguards on our Great Lakes shoreline under the guise of strengthening erosion control for property owners.
While we understand the urgency of shoreline erosion, HB 4385 is a haphazard attempt to put private property rights ahead of public access.
The bill speeds up shoreline hardening permits by eliminating essential environmental reviews by exempting temporary erosion control structures, like plastic sandbags and revetments. These reviews for erosion control structures are not bureaucratic red tape; they are safeguards that help protect public access, fragile ecosystems, and the long-term stability of our coastline.
Plastic sandbags, often used in emergency responses, degrade quickly and shed harmful microplastics into our waters. Hardened structures like riprap and seawalls may seem like a solid solution, but research shows they actually worsen erosion over time, damage wildlife habitat, and trigger a domino effect of shoreline hardening on neighboring properties.
The bill’s most alarming provision allows high-impact shoreline hardening—without any permit—if a septic system is within 100 feet of the wave-cut. This blanket exemption invites unchecked environmental damage with no accountability or oversight.
HB 4385 also threatens the public’s right to enjoy the beach. Michigan law states that our shorelines belong to everyone, and this bill’s vague language offers little real protection for our right to walk along the water. Read Sierra Club’s testimony before the Michigan House Natural Resources Committee here.
We all want to protect our homes from flooding and erosion—but we must do it the right way. That means thoughtful planning, proven natural solutions like “living shorelines,” and fair rules that keep the Great Lakes healthy and accessible for all.
For the sake of our lakes, wildlife, and future generations, we urge legislators to vote no on HB 4385.