Resource Management Plan: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

Banta, Alford; Schneck, William

The enabling legislation (Public Law 91-424; 1970) provides the primary guidance for resources management at Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It directs the park service to: conserve the islands and shoreline and their related geographic, scenic, and scientific values; to permit hunting fishing and trapping according to Federal and State laws; to preserve the unique flora and fauna of the lakeshore; and to provide for the public enjoyment and understanding of the unique natural, historical, scientific, and archeological features of the lakeshore. The park is further directed in its management of natural and cultural resources by National Park Service (NPS) policies, Federal legislation, and approved park documents. National Park service policies (e.g., Management Policies) provide guidance related to natural resources is found in the Natural Resource Management Guideline (NPS-77). The Cultural Resource Management Guideline (NPS-28) offers guidance on the management of cultural resources. Other Federal legislation, such as the NPS Organic Act (1916), the Wilderness Act (1964), the National Environmental Policy Act (1969), the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and the Archeological Resources Protection Act (1979) further strengthen the park's mandate to protect its significant natural and cultural resources. The lakeshore is within the ceded territory of the Lake Superior Chippewa and is a neighbor of the Red Cliff and Bad River Reservations. The tribes have the recently reaffirmed right to take up to 50% of Wisconsin's annual harvest level of game and fur-bearers. Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has an approved Statement for Management (SFM), General Management Plan (GMP), and Resources Management Plan (RMP). The natural and cultural resource sections of the 1986 RMP were almost completely re-written in 1994. The current version of the RMP updates the 1994 RMP with new sections added for disturbed lands, visitor use management, and backcountry/wilderness management. The GMP (1989) identified a gradient of park development for visitor experiences. Development (trails, campsites, docks) will be greatest on the mainland and inner islands units, and minimal on the outer islands. The availability of NPS-provided programs will decrease proportionately to the distance from the mainland. The need for a formal wilderness study is also identified in the GMP. Of the lands and waters within the lakeshore that are under NPS jurisdiction, about 97% (41,054) acres may be suitable for wilderness. The resource management plan has been written to provide guidance on how best to manage the natural and cultural resources of the lakeshore.

Resource Management Plan: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore

See also