Monday, Feb 13, 2006
Dear Friends,
This note is to update you on where we are in developing a general management plan/wilderness management plan for Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. In October 2004 we held public meetings in the area and encouraged you to tell us about issues and concerns you believe the general management plan should address. Since that time the planning team has been working on a variety of tasks that lay the foundation for the general management plan, including identifying various options for managing the islands and the mainland within the park. Some of the key topics we believe the general management plan will need to address are:
? The future of the light stations
? The future of the use and occupancy properties and life estates that eventually will come under the management of the National Park Service
? Appropriate uses, types and levels of developments in the wilderness and in the non- wilderness areas on the islands (particularly Basswood, Sand, Long and Stockton?Presque Isle)
? How the NPS can effectively and efficiently manage the park in an era of tightening budgets
This spring we will be publishing a newsletter that lays out various potential management options for the park and we will be holding public meetings in the summer to get your views on where the NPS should focus its efforts in the next 15 to 20 years. We will use this information to develop draft alternatives for the future of Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
I urge you to continue to stay involved as we proceed in the general management planning process. Additional information on the upcoming meetings and newsletter will be posted on our web site www.nps.gov/apis.
Bob Krumenaker
Superintendent
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