APOSTLE ISLANDS APOSTLE ISLANDS NATIONAL LAKESHORE NATIONAL LAKESHORE: Draft General Management Plan Wilderness Management Plan Environmental Impact Statement

Apostle Islands National Lakeshore was authorized by an act of Congress on September 26, 1970 (Public Law 91-424). The last comprehensive management plan for the park was completed in 1989. Much has changed since then—visitor use patterns and types have changed, people are seeking out new recreational activities in the park, and the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness was designated in December 2004. Each of these changes has implications for how visitors access and use the park, the facilities needed to support those uses, how resources are managed, and how the National Park Service manages its operations. A new plan is needed. This document examines four alternatives for managing Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for the next 15–20 years. It also analyzes the impacts of implementing each of the alternatives. The “no-action” alternative, alternative 1, consists of the existing park management and serves as a basis for comparison in evaluating the other alternatives. The concept for park management under alternative 2 would be to provide opportunities for more people to have an island experience. The concept for park management under alternative 3 would be to provide primitive, lake-oriented recreation and education opportunities that include some new and different opportunities. The emphasis in alternative 4 would be on providing a greater variety of structured recreation opportunities on the islands, in nonwilderness areas, and on the mainland. Alternative 2 is the National Park Service’s preferred alternative. This Draft General Management Plan / Wilderness Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement has been distributed to other agencies and interested organizations and individuals for their review and comment. The public comment period for this document will last for 60 days after the Environmental Protection Agency’s notice of availability has been published in the Federal Register.