I’ve just read the excellent email posting from NPCA about the need to protect lands that surround our national parks and establish new protected areas in significant and ecologically sensitive areas of the country. I was stunned and dismayed to find out that NONE of these included the northern Great Lakes area which is under increasing and significant threats from human population and development, mining, oil and gas and other industrialized resource profiteering. In particular Enbridge’s Line 5 and line 3 both impact the lakes drainage basin and Line five is a catastrophe waiting to happen where it crosses under the straits of Mackinac. Lake Superior in particular, an incomparable international treasure, has very limited and and small areas of national parkland protections. The protection of the Great Lakes should be high on the list of ecosystems deserving of the protections of national park status.
Sincerely,
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Nestled along Lake Superior’s southern shoreline on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, this remote park is a geologic wonder of colorful sandstone cliffs topped with stately pines, and miles of quiet, unspoiled beaches strewn with agate, jasper, and quartz. Stroll along the coast, hike quiet trails to the park’s historic lighthouse, and take a boat tour to marvel at the mineral-rich rock faces that tower 200 feet above the surface of the lake.
State(s): Michigan
Established: 1972
“During this ereas of unprecedented threat due to Climate Change and increased human incursion, the parks have become islands of potential survival of ecosystems, flora and fauna, that has otherwise been evicted from their natural and historical range, habitat and cycles of being.”
National parks represent the best of America. Why do you care about protecting and preserving them? Tell us why parks matter to you!
Success! Thanks for sharing your story with us.
You’ll be notified by email when your story is approved and added to the collection on the My Park Story homepage.
In the meantime, you can share your own story page with your family and friends — and help us spread the word about these priceless memories and priceless places!
Here’s your unique story page link:
{{ storyUrl }}
Preserve Our Parks
Make a tax-deductible gift today to provide a brighter future for our national parks and the millions of Americans who enjoy them.
Donate Now