Issue 4: Appropriate Management of the Wilderness Area

I am pleased to note that the plan assures that, as a given, the NPS would "stabilize and continue to manage national register-eligible properties in the wilderness areas for their cultural values." At the same time, the park should not forget the admonition of the historian William Cronon, who pointed out in his 2003 Orion magazine article, “The Riddle of the Apostles,”  that National Register listing is a “very high standard of significance,” and should resist the myopic view that resources not listed on the National Register necessarily lack value worth preserving.

Additionally, the park should commit itself to following the recommendations made by former park historian Kate Lidfors in her excellent 1983 Quarry Management Plan: managing the vegetation of Hermit Island's Excelsior Brownstone Quarry in such a way as to preserve the remaining cultural landscape, and provide a view of the quarry for passing boaters. It must be remembered that for many park visitors, this is their only opportunity to get a glimpse of one of the famed stone quarries of the Apostle Islands.

Issue 5: Management of Mainland Unit

Option 3 appears, in general,  to provide a sound strategy for management of this challenging resource. However, I do not believe that extension of the Mainland Trail is incompatible with the concept of primitive recreation. A fourth option should be drawn up, combining the low-impact, nature-oriented focus of option 3 with the  badly needed enhancements to the Mainland Trail

In addition, preservation of the National Register-listed Hokenson Brothers Fishery should be specified as a “given.”

Issue 6: Future of the Mainland NPS Visitor Centers

The National Park Service should strive to maintain a substantial presence in the Old Bayfield Courthouse. NPS use of this important historic building has provided multiple benefits for the park, the public, and the Bayfield community.

Continue to: Future of the NPS Facilities On The Mainland

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The Document Under Review:

Options For Future Management
(PDF format; 2.8 Mb)