Park signs General Management Plan
From staff reports
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (the local branch of the National Park Service) Superintendent Dusty Schultz signed the Park’s new General Management Plan (GMP) on Jan. 5 in a brief ceremony in the Lakeshore’s Visitor Center in Empire. Because the Lakeshore was signed into law in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, Schultz chose to sign the Record of Decision with a Nixon campaign pen from 1968. Following the signing, she overnighted the Record of Decision to Omaha for the concurrence signature of Regional Director Ernie Quintana. With his signature, the GMP will become the official guiding document for Lakeshore managers. The Wilderness Study portion of the document will be forwarded to the U.S. Department of Interior as a proposal for consideration by Congress. It does not become official until Congress enacts a law designating wilderness at the Lakeshore.
The planning process for the General Management Plan/Wilderness Study began in early 2006. During the process, Park staff members conducted an extensive public involvement and outreach program, meeting with over 2,600 people in 97 informational meetings. The GMP was crafted from the valuable public comment received throughout the process. Support for the plan has been widespread, which the Park reports, is indicative of the way it has incorporated public input to successfully address management issues.
The Park is currently working off its original 1979 plan, and the previous Wilderness Study was conducted in 1981. A 2002 attempt to revise the GMP was botched after the public voiced heated opposition to re-labeling certain areas of the Park as “wilderness” and closing county roads within the park were the Road Commission ever to legally abandon them. Assistant Superintendent Tom Ulrich admits that the public’s reaction to the Park’s “preferred alternative” this time around has been much more supportive.
The preferred plan is a combination of three earlier alternatives, labeled A, B and C, from round three of the process, and comments gathered since early 2006. In many ways the plan represents an about-face from the controversial push toward wilderness six years ago.
The current preferred plan calls for recreational improvement such as zoning for a bike path parallel to M-22 and M-109 within the Park’s jurisdiction; a bay-to-bay hiking path stretching from Platte Bay to Good Harbor Bay, encompassing approximately 30 miles, and potentially three additional campgrounds along that route (plus one more on North Manitou Island); trails near the Bow Lakes east of Big Glen Lake; improved access to the Crystal River and to Little Glen Lake across the road from the Dune Climb, and a guarantee that all county roads within the Park currently open to the public will remain that way forever. One of those, Esch Road, is the conduit to a remote (yet popular among locals) Lake Michigan beach. Parking there could be improved, potentially on par with what’s happened at North Bar Lake, where the Park has paved the parking area, turning it into a popular, and crowded destination during the summer months.
The only curbing of recreational use in the Park’s preferred alternative is on Bass Lake, north of Glen Arbor, where motorboats would no longer be allowed.
“The preferred alternative formalizes some things we’re already doing now, like promoting historical zones,” says Ulrich. The Port Oneida Rural Historic District, for example, would be considered an Experience History Zone and not wilderness. “Instead of emphasizing nature and solitude — a wilderness designation would call for the least amount of mechanical intrusion — we’d no longer be constrained by that,” Ulrich adds. Under “Experience History” Port Oneida could be rehabbed somewhat for modern use (the grass at the Basch farm could be cut with a lawnmower, for example), whereas under “Experience Nature” it would only be preserved. The Park would also continue to promote creative partnerships and other types of philanthropy that utilize and maintain Port Oneida farmsteads.
Ulrich stresses, though, that any changes within the Park requiring development, and thus money, would take years before Congressional approval is acquired.
Extra Snowshoe Hikes for Extra Snow
From staff reports
This year’s winter wonderland is just too wonderful to pass up a chance to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore with a National Park Ranger. Excellent snow conditions have inspired the Park to schedule additional snowshoe hikes on Sunday, Jan. 18 and Sunday, Jan. 25. These are in addition to the snowshoe walks offered every Saturday through the end of February or later, if conditions permit. Each hike will start by meeting at the Philip Hart Visitor Center (VC) in Empire at 1 p.m. If you don’t have your own snowshoes, you may use a pair free of charge by calling ahead for a reservation. Please note these popular walks have been using up all of our “loaner” snowshoes, so get your reservation in early.
Inside the Visitor Center, a Park Ranger will distribute the “loaner” snowshoes and provide basic snowshoeing instructions. Then the ranger will lead everyone in their own cars to the trailhead of the day. On the trail, the Ranger will help participants identify flora and fauna, learn more about the Lakeshore’s unique features, and witness the effects winter has on both. Visitors should arrive prepared to be outside for about an hour and a half. To be most comfortable and warm, dress in layers and wear waterproof boots. The program will conclude by 3 p.m. at the trailhead. Note that the VC closes at 4 p.m., should you want or need to go back after the walk.
Snowshoeing is easy, fun, and good exercise If you can walk, then you can snowshoe, so it is also an activity that can be enjoyed by all ages. The ranger-led hikes are mildly strenuous, yet they proceed at a leisurely pace for only 0.5-1.5 miles. This allows visitors an opportunity for discovery, adventure, and to look for signs of wildlife or evidence of ancient glaciers. Some snowshoers simply want to experience and enjoy a winter wonderland, and that is what you will find at the National Lakeshore. Be aware that Rangers usually select a different location each week, so experiences vary.
The walk and snowshoe loan are free. However, participants need to purchase a park entrance pass or display an annual pass in their vehicle to join in the fun. Park passes cost $10/vehicle and are good for seven days. The annual pass costs $20 and is valid for a year from the month of purchase. Teachers and other group leaders may also schedule a ranger to take their group snowshoeing this winter. Please call (231) 326-5134, extension 328, for details and to make reservations. For more in-depth information about Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, go to www.nps.gov/slbe.