The Truth About Redesignating The Apostle Islands To A National Park

Thank you for your interest and questions about my bill to redesignate the Apostle Islands as Wisconsin's first National Park. I want to address and clarify some of the questions and misinformation that have been circulating. Additionally, I will be hosting an informative telephone town hall on September 4th at 7 PM CT. To join, please call 833-946-1523 at the time of the event.

Tribal Treaties: First and foremost, our office has proactively engaged and consulted with Red Cliff and their lobbyist, including sharing the bill text with them prior to its introduction. Our office also met with Bad River. Any claim to the contrary is false. Nothing in our bill does anything to alter or change existing treaty rights. We also consulted the National Park Service before introducing the bill, and they reaffirmed that existing treaty rights remain preserved unless Congress explicitly revokes them through legislation – which nothing in this bill would do. That said, in order to address any concerns people may have, we are planning to add an amendment to the bill in committee that would reaffirm that the new designation will not in any way modify existing treaties.

Furthermore, the underlying bill text also directs the National Park Service to enhance interpretative displays within the Apostle Islands to the Ojibwe tribes, the original inhabitants of the Apostle Islands who have called the area home for centuries. The Apostle Islands are integral to the culture of the Ojibwe people and elevating this unit to National Park status will help promote their unique connection to this special place.

Increased Economic Development: Historically, similar upgrades from national lakeshores to national parks, such as the 2019 reclassification of Indiana Dunes, have come with substantial increases in economic activity. For example, in 2018 while still a National Lakeshore, Indiana Dunes had 1.75 million visitors who spent $77 million in nearby communities, which in turn supported around 936 jobs. By 2022, as a National Park, visitation surged to 2.8 million, generating $141 million in local spending and supporting 1,685 jobs.

Applying this model to the Apostle Islands could potentially double the economic impact in surrounding communities. Many businesses in and around national parks are small businesses employing local people who have a passion for the outdoors. I have firsthand experience with this. After owning and operating Wilderness Cruises near the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest for 20 years, I’ve seen how federal lands can support small businesses. The increased tourism would bolster local economies, create new jobs, and generate revenue that can be reinvested back into our community. Additionally, National Park status often comes with increased federal investment for conservation programs and infrastructure improvements. Five years after the Indiana Dunes National Park designation, for example, NPS funding was up over 9%.

Moreover, many surrounding communities have applied for numerous tourism grants, and this legislation will help create more tourism revenue. By leveraging the National Park designation and recreational opportunities of the Apostle Islands, we can foster permanent economic growth throughout northern Wisconsin. This is one of the reasons the Northwest Regional Planning Commission and Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board support the legislation.

Hunting and Fishing: Sand Island would be designated as a National Preserve, protecting hunting access – a model similar to the recent designation of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia, which we used as an example after consultations with the Park Service. The preserve on Sand Island will be managed exactly how hunting is currently managed on the Lakeshore and will still be administered and protected by the National Park Service. We also discussed this approach with sportsmen’s groups like Hunter Nation, which has expressed support for the bill. Hunting on the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is nominal compared to Madeline Island. For context, from 2015 through 2022, only 3 deer were harvested on the entire National Lakeshore versus 655 on Madeline Island during the same time frame – so in that respect, the new designation will simply codify the status quo. Sand Island also has a history of overpopulation of deer and has required active management. However, anybody will still be able to visit Sand Island, even if they are not there to hunt. Fishing will continue to be administered the same way as it is right now, throughout both the Park and Preserve.

Existing Park Boundaries: The bill will not change any existing boundaries. It will be the same boundaries as the current Lakeshore. Therefore, the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness designation will remain unaffected, and Madeline Island will not be included as part of the National Park.

Meetings and Consultations: Congressman Tiffany consulted with numerous towns, organizations, and both Red Cliff and Bad River regarding this legislation. Here is a list of local supporters: Senator Romaine Quinn (SD-25), Representative Angie Sapik (AD-73), Representative Chanz Green (AD-74), Mayor Gary Gillis of Hayward, Bayfield County Economic Development Corporation (Rescinded their letter of support after we introduced the bill), Burnett County Economic Development Corporation, Iron County Economic Development Corporation, Sawyer County/Lac Courte Oreilles Economic Development Corporation, Hayward Chamber of Commerce, Superior Chamber of Commerce, The Development Association – Superior, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, Northwest Wisconsin Workforce Investment Board, Town of Barnes, Town of Bass Lake, Town of Brule, Town of Morse, Town of Namakagon, Town of Oliver, Town of Oma, Hunter Nation, and Norvado. Our office also met with the tribes, Ashland City Council, Ashland/Bayfield WTA, Town of LaPointe board meeting via Zoom, Ashland County Administrator Dan Grady, Bayfield County Exec Committee, Northwest Regional Planning Commission annual meeting, Bayfield EDC, City of Washburn Mayor, Washburn City Administrator, Town of Washburn supervisors, and held mobile office hours in Mellen. 

I hope this message addresses some of the questions regarding the Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve Act. The one-of-a-kind charm of the Apostle Islands is evident to all who visit. Wisconsin deserves its first National Park, and the crown jewels of Lake Superior are a perfect candidate for this esteemed designation. This is a real opportunity to elevate our state’s natural heritage and make a lasting, positive impact on the surrounding communities for generations to come.