Bill introduced to make Apostle Islands National Lakeshore a national park

Congressman Tom Tiffany has introduced a bill seeking to make the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Wisconsin’s first national park.

During a hearing July 24 in the House Committee on Natural Resources, Tiffany said the designation would increase tourism, attracting more visitors to the Bay Area.

“The Apostle Islands are one of Wisconsin’s true crown jewels and deserve to be recognized. This prestigious designation would not only strengthen conservation efforts, bolster the local economy and create new job opportunities, but would also ensure lasting environmental and economic security for generations to come,” he said.

The bill is decades in the making. In 1930, congress authorized a study to designate the Apostle Islands a national park. Roughly 40 years later, President John F. Kennedy described the islands as “part of the country’s national heritage” and designated the islands a national lakeshore. Elevating the status to a national park, Tiffany said, will ensure thousands more will be able to visit the area.

“I know first-hand how meaningful increased visitation would be for northwoods communities and small businesses that rely on outdoor recreation,” he said. “This would be a win for people in my state and people at large as more people get to enjoy the crown jewels of Wisconsin.”

Not everybody feels the same way in the Bay Area. Several residents have addressed concerns about how hunting and treaty rights would be impacted.

Hunting is prohibited in national parks, but is allowed on national lakeshores. To address that, the bill specifies that Sand Island would be designated a national reserve, where hunting would be permitted.

Frank Lands, deputy director of operations for the National Park Service, said the agency didn’t have time to form an opinion on the bill. Despite that, he recommended the bill further explain the relationship between the Apostle Islands National Park and the Sand Island National Preserve.

The bill should also reinforce the Ojibwe tribes’ treaty rights.

“Part of the lakeshore is within the tribal reservation and the remaining lands are areas within the territory ceded by treaty with reservations to hunt, trap and gather,” Lands said. “We will be happy to work with you on these issues and any other issues that emerge as we continue our review.”

The bill would direct the National Park Service to enhance displays of the area’s history, including more information about area tribes. Tiffany said this would “elevate their history.”

Visitation to the Apostle Islands continues to rise, as hundreds of thousands are drawn there every year. In 2021, the islands saw a record 290,961 visitors.

In favor of the bill, Senator Romaine Quinn, R-Rice Lake, said the bill would increase that number.

“The designation will have a positive impact on our local economy bringing more visitors to the area who contribute to local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, shops and recreational services,” he said. “Increased tourism will create new job opportunities, stimulate economic growth and support the livelihoods of many residents in the Bayfield area and beyond. For example, a national park service study found that communities within 60 miles of a national park saw an average increase in tourism spending by 14%, with related job growth of 11%.”

Tiffany said the change would be extraordinary, noting Indiana Dunes was redesignated as a national park four years ago. The number of visitors there that year increased from 1.75 million in 2018 to 2.13 million.

That worries Bayfield County board member Madelaine Rekemeyer, who has said there’s already enough tourism.

Bayfield County Tourism Director Mary Motiff is concerned that a surge could intensify a shortage of housing and workers. She fears the region could have the same experience as ski towns out west where locals have been priced out of housing by a surge in short-term rentals, which communities can’t restrict under state law.

Still State Representative Chanz Green, along with 20 other elected leaders and groups have also shown support for the bill, including with the towns of Barnes, Brule, Morse and Namakagon.

The bill has to go through several rounds of approval, including the House of Representatives and the Senate.