SOUTH FOX ISLAND, Mich. - The melodic mating call of the piping plover has been missing from the beaches of this Lake Michigan island since 1939.

But even as the endangered bird’s population increases on Great Lakes shorelines, some are still worried the plover’s song could disappear forever from the island’s sandy beaches and dunes - which many say makes for a perfect plover habitat.

“Plover don’t tolerate a lot of disturbance,” said Greg LaCross, a Northwestern Michigan College ecology and field biology professor. “There’s not that many islands in this ideal condition. It’s very isolated. You have to be able to swim out there or fly out there - you can’t just migrate.”

A proposed land trade between the island’s owners would consolidate the land of MSU alumnus and developer David Johnson into the lower two-thirds of the island; the state would retain the northern parcel.

Environmental concerns brought forward by the public comment period set to last at least until Aug. 15 will be addressed in an Environmental Impact Statement being written by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

The MDNR’s statement will address the different issues surrounding the trade, from lighthouse preservation to Native American land claims to endangered species care.

“It’s really too early to call in terms of the potential impacts,” said Doug Erickson, wildlife division impact statement coordinator for the MDNR. “We’re always concerned about potential impacts on public lands. We have to look at other alternatives.”

The trade proposal already has been altered since it was announced last year to include a Piping Plover Protection Plan that would prevent development and construction near the habitat, stop topography changes and limit human activity in the area.

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service determined that 47 acres on the southern portion of the island should be considered critical plover habitat for the state and federally endangered shorebird under the Endangered Species Act.

In 1990, a total of 1,843 breeding pairs existed in the United States and Canada. Thirty pairs existed in northern Michigan in 2000, up from the 17 found in 1985.

In the past, recreational and commercial development and dune stabilization have caused the loss of breeding ground for the birds. Breeding success has been hurt by increased foot and vehicle traffic that harm eggs and disturb the plover in breeding areas.

As part of the trade, the designated plover habitat would be removed from state ownership and held under a conservation easement by the private owner.

Because the land would be inaccessible to the public, the conservation efforts would become Johnson’s responsibility.

Groups like the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians have publicly opposed the land trade, stating, “The fact remains that the proposed exchange would result in the state and federal governments giving up critical habitat for an endangered species to a private individual who does not have a history of safeguarding the habitat for threatened or endangered species.”

But the piping plover is just one of the endangered species on the island.

Bald eagles and peregrine falcons inhabit the island’s sandy slopes.

Plant life like state and federally protected pitcher’s thistle and other plant species like prairie moonwort, Lake Huron tansy and ginseng grow on the island.

“As soon as you introduce people to this island, the plant ecology goes down,” LaCross said during a June trip to the island. “When species are on an island, they’re stuck. They can adapt, they can migrate or they can die.”

Mounting concerns that the island would be easier to develop with consolidated land have left worries that the proposal will help draw in people and drive away endangered species.

Proposed alterations to a Leelanau Township ordinance would allow golf courses to be built on the island. The island’s runway has already been paved to accommodate larger planes safely.

“Where Johnson is doing his development, I hope he is doing it in an environmentally conscious way,” said Jim Lively, of the Michigan Land Use Institute. “It does give me concern, while it is for his personal use, that it could transfer pretty quickly into nonpersonal use. I think he feels he does things in an environmentally sensitive manner.”

But Johnson said all environmental issues are receiving a great deal of care by himself and his team of biologists and botanists.

With several large mainland developments already in place, Johnson said he wants South Fox to remain undeveloped.

“This is my cabin in the woods,” he said. “I just have the resources to build a nicer cabin than most other people. I just want a place to turn off.”

He said he intends to respect the conservation easement and follow the recommendations made by the MDNR when the impact statement is released in 2002.

“It’s a long process,” Johnson said.

“The island is physically spectacular. Whenever we do something on the island, we try to do it in the best interests of everybody.”

Jamie Gumbrecht can be reached at gumbrec1@msu.edu.