Renewed Push To Get Wisconsin’s First National Park Now Underway

There's a renewed effort to get Wisconsin its first national park, being pushed by one of the state's federal legislators.

Over a year ago, I shared how Northern Wisconsin's congressman, Tom Tiffany, was leading the charge to redesignate the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore on Lake Superior as a national park.

That effort, which was formally submitted by Tiffany to a congressional subcommittee in July of last year, didn't end the way he had hoped. He is now launching a new effort to make Wisconsin's first national park a reality.

What is the difference between a national lakeshore and a national park? Why does Tiffany want to see this space turned into a national park? Here's what you need to know.

What's the difference between a national lakeshore and a national park?

I got into this in greater detail in my article from last year on the subject, but it all comes down to resources and how you can use the space itself.

READ MORE: Northern Wisconsin Town Looking For Input On One Of Its "Most Treasured Places"

With a national lakeshore like the Apostle Islands, it is a federally held land with conservation, recreational use, and education at the heart of the designated uses. A national park is a more protected space that aims to "keep landscapes unimpaired for future generations". With that, national parks also generally receive additional funding.

One of the most notable differences for the average visitor is that activities like hunting and off-road vehicle use have much more restrictive (or even prohibitive) rules in national parks, where national lakeshores are not as restrictive in most cases.

Why make the Apostle Islands a national park? What are the arguments against it?

Congressman Tom Tiffany argues this beautiful, unique space is a "national treasure" much like Yellowstone or Yosemite that deserves the distinction of becoming Wisconsin's first national park.

Changing it from a national lakeshore to a national park would, as Tiffany put it, "continue to preserve these Lake Superior treasures, honor our state’s heritage, and deliver lasting benefits to surrounding communities for generations to come."

The proposal also argues that it would provide a positive economic impact for the area, rippling as far as 60 miles away from the immediate park area.

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If it means protecting a beautiful space, more funding, and a positive economic impact, some might argue it seems like a no-brainer. There are some questions and considerations related to this proposed change, however.

Some of the questions around making the Apostle Islands a national park include those related to hunting and fishing within the park's boundaries, land use, increased access costs for visitors/campers, as well as the important considerations of Tribal sovereignty for the nearby Red Cliff and Bad River Bands of Lake Superior Chippewa.

His team says in a FAQ document that he has been in consultation with local tribal leaders about the proposal, sharing the details of the plan with them and addressing their questions. A press email about the proposed bill for this change to a national park points out that the bill includes verbiage about not impacting tribal treaty rights.

Congressman Tiffany's team says the current boundaries of the national lakeshore wouldn't change under the proposed national park plan. You can see the proposed park boundaries here.

In addition, the same FAQ document addresses questions about camping, parking, and recreation fees. As an example, there is currently no entrance fee to visit the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. On the topic of fees, his team says, "Nothing in the bill does anything to change how these fees are currently administered."

You can see the full FAQ document here and read the full proposed bill here.

Who is showing support for making the Apostle Islands a national park?

Congressman Tiffany's team says he has received support from several other Wisconsin congresspeople, including:

• Congressman Bryan Steil (WI-01)
• Congressman Derrick Van Orden (WI-03)
• Congressman Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05)
• Congressman Glenn Grothman (WI-06)
• Congressman Tony Wied (WI-08)

In addition, Representative Rob Summerfield (AD-68) and Senator Romaine Quinn (SD-25) from the Wisconsin State Legislature have shown support.

Local municipal government figures and local business organizations have shown support for the bill, including:

• Washburn County Board
• Hayward Mayor Gary Gillis
• Superior Chamber of Commerce
• Town of Oma
• WeGrowBiz
• Sawyer County Board
• Burnett County Economic Development
• Price County Board of Supervisors