Issue 3: Options For the Management of the Nonwilderness Areas and the Waters Within the Park Boundary
It is puzzling that the "given" statement on this option regarding cultural resources,
The National Park Service would strive to ensure that national register eligible cultural resources receive at least minimum stabilization treatments.
…is less emphatic than the comparable statement for issue four, which omits the qualifying "strive to" and "at least minimum" phrases. Given the clear intent of Congress in excluding these area from wilderness designation, one would expect a far more solid commitment here.
In the same section, the document commits the park to working closely with the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa concerning the management of Long Island. This is right and proper; the Ojibwe of Bad River have along and deep association with Long Island. It should not be overlooked, however, that Shag-A-Wam-Ik-Ong was a center for the entire Ojibwe people, not just one band, while early explorers and missionaries described the island as home to members of many tribes.[4] The park should reach out to all associated groups to ensure that their voice are heard on the future of this important cultural site.
Indeed, the park should continue and expand its efforts to work cooperatively with Native communities, and to incorporate the islands’ rich indigenous heritage into all aspects of interpretive programming. The decision of the previous (1989) General Management Plan:
(The Native American) theme may be addressed only superficially as it is intended to be treated in depth at the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s cultural center at Red Cliff.
…might have been made for laudable reasons, but has long since been shown to be unwise. This decision gave rise to a perception- erroneous, but tenacious- that, “The Park Service is not interested in Native American culture.” Though initiatives of the last few years have alleviated the situation, much more has yet to be done. The General Management Plan should offer specific guidance toward achieving the goal of enhanced collaboration with traditionally associated peoples.
The scattered proposals in options 1-9 include a number of sound suggestions. I am particularly in favor of option 9, stabilizing and interpreting a variety of cultural resources, and option 4, which suggests proving new and different interpretive opportunities. I would suggest that one cost-effective method to promote the goals of both options would be to establish self-guiding interpretive trails at several sites, including:
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The National Register-listed Bass Island Basswood Quarry, Bass Island.
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The Norwegian fishing settlement at East Bay, Sand Island.
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"Camp Two," the R.D. Pike / Schroeder Lumber Co. logging camp near the Oak Island dock. One of the islands’ most extensive and diverse logging sites, this easily accessible location is not within Wilderness, and offers a perfect opportunity to interpret an often-overlooked activity that was critical to shaping the ecological history of the islands.
In regard to options 5, 6, and 7 concerning campsites, the park should rethink its approach to campsite development; specifically an apparent institutional bias against even minimal clearing of second-growth forest that has consistently resulted in the placement of campsites on locations of cultural value.
In 1840, the geologist and explorer Bela Hubbard unintentionally but eloquently summed up the park’s challenge:
As it is an object to select a good halting place, and particularly a convenient camping ground, we very frequently select spots which have been the camping grounds of the voyageurs and of the Indian almost from time immemorial. (Journal on Lake Superior)
There is a high degree of probability any spot that appears convenient as a camping place to modern eyes also appeared that way to visitors and settlers in the distant past. The National Lakeshore’s preference for developing campsites on existing clearings has resulted in a number of poor decisions, eg.:
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The Presque Isle campground sits atop documented prehistoric and historic archeological sites.
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The Quarry Bay group campsites are located on an extensive historic logging camp and the reported location of an American Fur Company post.
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Campsite 6 on Oak Island was constructed on a known logging camp; installation of the vault toilet disturbed numerous artifacts.
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Sites 1-4 on Basswood Island lie within the historic quarry settlement.
Future decisions on campsite location should demonstrate greater sensitivity to their impact on historic and archeological resources.
Concerning option 8, the park should rehabilitate the historic east-west and “County” (ie north-south) roads on Sand Island for use as hiking trails. Besides expanding the potential for low-impact recreation on a heavily-visited island, the trails would provide an opportunity for interpretation of the island’s rich history.
Continue to: Three Additional Issues
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Notes
[4] In the Jesuit Relations, for example, Father Allouez spoke of "Chagaouam-igong, where the Outaouaks and the Hurons live."
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The Document Under Review:
Options
For Future Management
(PDF format; 2.8 Mb)