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Feds threaten fishing/hunting at Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore
Park Service Wilderness Plan
would close roads, hunting, Platte River coho stocking
A controversial proposal to
create a federal wilderness in a portion of Sleeping Bear Dunes National
Lakeshore has local residents, region-wide anglers, hunters, hikers and
other outdoor folks concerned and angry the National Park Service is
proposing to close popular access roads, end hunting on North Manitou
Island, and worst of all end the annual stocking of Coho salmon on the
Platte River.
At issue are two provisions in the Park
Service’s preferred alternative which call for an elimination of the deer
herd on the island and an end to the annual stocking of Coho salmon on the
Platte River.
Locals
claim "We have a lakeshore here, not a wilderness. We need more roads going
to the beach."
But that's not going to happen if the recently released park Draft
Management Plan and proposal remains as written. Among other things, that
means acquiring and closing 14 miles of county-owned road in Benzie County
and nine miles in Leelanau County. Park staff began long-term planning for
the park a year ago. It recently released four alternative plans including a
"preliminary preferred alternative."
However, the most contentious aspect is the proposal to establish 7,100
acres of wilderness in the southern part of the park around the Platte
River, basically ending the annual stocking of Coho salmon on the Platte
River.
"They have a national plan to
close down the park and close portions of it to public use. They haven't
asked us what we want. We heavily oppose their preferred alternative," said
Ed McIntosh, president of the Benzie Fishery Coalition, a group of 150 area
businesses and individuals. "Our government has decided to turn our park -
the park we gave them - into a wilderness," "In some places they want a
primitive wilderness. And in some places, a pristine wilderness. That means
no people. That means no footsteps."
However, Park officials say citizens and angling groups and state leaders
have "overreacted" to the draft management plan.
Three open houses were held
in the area last week by the Park Service to collect comments on their draft
management plan.
Michigan DNR’s Platte River Hatchery traditionally raises and stocks the
coho for the four Lake Michigan states, as well as supplying coho for other
Midwest state DNR agencies. The elimination of this stocking/ coho raising
program would be a major economic and recreational blow to the region.
Michigan United Conservation Clubs Executive Director Sam Washington says
“The DNR just spent millions to rebuild our hatchery system. The Platte
River attracts thousands of salmon and trout lovers every year. Whether or
not the Coho is an exotic is irrelevant -- it’s an important species to our
citizens and vital to the economy of Benzie County” and the Lake Michigan
community.
This
preliminary plan is the second step of four. It will be followed by a draft
plan and environmental impact statement this winter. A final plan will
follow in the fall of 2003. Each will be available for the public to review
on the Park Service’ web site or via US Mail. |
The preferred alternative calls for major changes in the 71,000-acre park
that draws 1.2 million visitors annually. Backcountry Zones are open to a
variety of recreational uses while Ecologically Sensitive Zones may have
many restrictions. In some areas, access and trails are increased while they
are decreased in other areas.
The plan calls for designating 31,000 acres as wilderness. Existing roads
would be closed, meaning only non-motorized activities could take place.
Hunting would continue to be allowed in accordance with state hunting laws,
but the Park Service’s preferred alternative calls for elimination of the
deer herd on North Manitou Island. The draft plan calls for destruction of
the deer herd by sharp shooters and forgoing of all future public hunting on
the island
Park staff say the wilderness proposal has been around since 1981. It never
got to Congress, but Congress then amended the park's enabling legislation
in 1982 and said the proposed wilderness boundaries should not be impaired.
A later 2001 National Park Service policy authorizes national park staff to
remove any activities that interfere with wilderness management in parks
where it exists or is proposed.
But that doesn't appease anglers and area businesses who are concerned about
the roads that will be closed nor the park's intent to work with the DNR to
return the Platte River to a "native fishery," -- in other words for the DNR
to stop planting coho salmon in the river.
Kelley Smith, MI DNR chief of fisheries, said he doesn't have all the facts
yet, but would oppose ending the river stocking program. “It is the state's
broodstock river for the entire coho salmon program. It also provides coho
eggs to other Great Lakes states.” "The devil will be in the details," said
Smith, who was perturbed that he had not been notified of the proposal by
the national lakeshore staff. Mike Duwe, environmental specialist for the
National Lakeshore, conceded the oversight had taken place and that
appropriate apologies had been made. Official responsibility for fisheries
decisions fall to the DNR.
"For all intents and purposes, the Platte River is our coho program," Smith
said. "It's where we collect the eggs and we don't maintain a broodstock
anywhere else in the state." The Platte River hatchery is where the coho
are raised. Many are stocked in the river. They swim down to Lake Michigan
and live out most their lives. Then they return to their upstream home
waters to spawn before they die. Eggs for the program are taken from the
returning salmon.
Duwe said the two areas of major contention in the plan -- roads and coho --
are areas where the park service has no control. Fish matters depend on the
DNR agreeing. Road matters require county road commission approval. Closing
roads will likely require buying them.
The next
phase of the plan due this winter will identify all the associated
environmental and economic impacts of the proposal. Public input is
important to the process. Copies of the plan are available by calling (231)
326-3134 or by writing to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, 9922 Front
St. Empire, MI 49630-9417.
We urge you to submit your comments by email at
slbe_gmp@nps.gov and voice your concerns.
The
Sleeping Bear Dunes
National Lakeshore
web site claims our comments “are welcome at any time however; they would be
particularly helpful if we receive them by July 26.” |
