Lake Superior's national parks may seem pristine and unaffected by human impacts, but Isle Royale and Apostle Islands are hurting from pollution, understaffing and budget shortfalls.
That's the finding of a report released today by the National Parks Conservation Association. Threats to parks along the U.S. side of the Great Lakes include rapidly dilapidating historic resources, invasive species, mercury and sulfur air pollution and a chronic lack of money to make repairs, the report says.
For the last seven years the parks association, with 325,000 members nationwide, has been releasing reports on the status of parks across the nation.
This is the first on the Great Lakes region and, in addition to Apostle Islands and Isle Royale, includes Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on the Upper Peninsula, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Lake Michigan and Keweenaw National Historical Park near Lake Superior. Combined, they face $30 million in backlogged repairs and improvements, the report notes.
Park supporters say the nation's natural treasures are being loved to death by visitors with little new money from Congress. President Bush last year proposed up to $3 billion to help spruce up the parks for their 100th anniversary in 2016, but the money hasn't yet arrived.
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At Isle Royale, biologists say a warming climate is threatening the park's moose population. Funding shortages have prevented work on a 100-year-old boathouse that is falling apart. Airborne mercury and sulfur dioxide deposited in park waters and on park lands may be affecting plants, animals and fish.
Just last month, park officials banned ships from releasing ballast water in park waters in an effort to keep out the VHS fish disease and other exotic species that have moved into the Great Lakes by hitchhiking inside freighters.
At Apostle Islands, only two permanent environmental staff are responsible for protecting 21 islands spread over 265,000 acres. Sand dunes and beach grasses are at risk from trampling and invasive plant species. White-tailed deer are so numerous that they threaten a rare plant called the Canada yew with over-browsing and elimination from the islands.
Historic buildings at six historic lighthouses on the Apostles, some of which are major visitor attractions, need new roofs, painting and other maintenance beyond the park's current budget.
The problems are even worse at other Great Lakes parks, such as Indiana Dunes, where the proximity to major industrial pollution sources and municipal sewage plants is causing severe environmental damage.
"The Great Lakes are a priceless resource for our nation and these parks were created to protect the natural wonders and preserve the facets of our nation's history that the region has to offer," said Lynn McClure, Midwest regional director of the association, in a statement. "The parks support a variety of wildlife, provide abundant recreational opportunities, and help support regional economies, so it is crucial that we ensure they are well protected and get the funding that they need and deserve."
For more information go to www.npca.org/stateoftheparks/great_lakes/ .
