Thank you all for your incredible support.

Here is where we stand and our new, parallel path forward:

1. The Island Appeal Continues (The Fight for Truth)

The DNR Wildlife Division refused to budge on its rejection, sticking to the mischaracterization of the proposal as a "private memorial."

ACTION TAKEN: We have formally escalated the appeal to DNR Director M. Scott Bowen and filed a Policy Review Petition with the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). The fight for official acknowledgment on North Fox Island continues on a policy level.

2. The Mainland Memorial (The Priority: Healing and Visibility)

The DNR’s rejection letter suggested working with mainland organizations to place the memorial where it would be more visible.

More importantly, the survivors themselves have expressed their preference for a highly visible, accessible mainland location—a place of reflection for the entire community.

We are following the survivors' wishes and acting on the DNR's own suggestion!

Our New Strategy: Partnering for a Visible Memorial

I have initiated contact with the two organizations recommended by the DNR and am pursuing the logistics for a mainland site:

Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (MCEDSV): To secure community partnership and help identify the most meaningful location.

MDHHS Division of Victim Services: To secure formal state sponsorship and ensure the project meets all standards for victim acknowledgment.

I am personally committed to fundraising and installing this public memorial—at zero cost to the State of Michigan—to ensure it becomes a reality.

How You Can Help NOW:

We need to show the state and our new potential partners (MCEDSV and MDHHS) that this is not just an administrative issue—it is a community mandate.

Keep Sharing the Petition: Every signature is evidence we can use in our discussions with the MDHHS and NRC.

Lend Your Voice on Social Media: Please share this update and use the hashtags to show support for the survivors and the pursuit of a visible, mainland memorial.

The goal remains the same: a lasting, public acknowledgment of the pain inflicted and the strength of the survivors. Thank you for walking this path with us.

Petition Link: https://www.change.org/NorthFoxIslandMemorial