posted 10-23-2011 09:47 AM ET (US)        

http://parkplanning.nps.gov/document.cfm?parkID=140&projectID=14066& documentID=43483

The National Park Service describes the plan as follows:

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The Wilderness and Backcountry Management Plan (WBMP) provides a public document that outlines steps for preserving Isle Royale's wilderness character, natural resources, and cultural resources while also providing for the use and enjoyment of the park's wilderness and backcountry by current and future generations; and provides accountability, consistency and continuity for managing Isle Royale's wilderness and backcountry and this park's place in the National Park Service's wilderness management program.

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The "EIS"--which after some searching I figured out to mean environmental impact statement--is described as follows:

quote:

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The EIS involves analysis of current conditions in the park and likely impacts of implementing each of the alternatives, considering impacts to: visitor use and experiences, wilderness character, natural and cultural resources, socioeconomics and, NPS operations and administration. In general, each of the preferred alternatives would be expected to result in both beneficial and adverse impacts to park resources and values but none of the adverse impacts would be extensive or severe enough to result in impairment.

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The two documents offer the reader 432-pages of government speak and are provided in a 15-Megabyte PDF file.

An excerpt from the Executive Summary of this lengthy document reads as follows:

quote:

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The most obvious changes from the public perspective are those that address crowding and visitor distribution, visitor information services, and resource conditions. Several issues were presented in the draft plan with multiple alternatives for goals and management actions, which were developed with extensive public input. These issues are;

--1) managing overnight camping and boating in Isle Royale’s wilderness and backcountry, including permitting and information services,

--2) managing day use in the park’s wilderness and backcountry,

--3) managing campfires,

--4) maintaining or removing the fire towers in the park’s wilderness, and

--5) maintaining or removing picnic tables from wilderness campgrounds.

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posted 10-23-2011 10:17 AM ET (US)            

It is also amazing how much effort must have been put into this process. I get the sense that perhaps the process is more important than the outcome.

posted 10-23-2011 11:26 AM ET (US)            

The Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore wanted to close roads that accessed many places within the lakeshore. People were up in arms with the proposed changes. Because citizens spoke to the issue, at public meetings, for keeping the roads open, the park service rethought the proposed changes.

National parks and lakeshore are our lands, they are public lands. They are supported by our tax dollars. Hopefully the park service will have public meetings. But first, one will need to dig deep into the document, then understand the government double talk.

posted 10-23-2011 12:06 PM ET (US)            

Sorry man but another liberty you enjoy is under attack.

posted 10-23-2011 02:12 PM ET (US)            

Lots of folks assume all is idyllic in those places but too often it's far from the truth. Vehicles left at trailheads are targets for thieves and vandals and have been for years. I used to take my old Corolla wagon to certain places and leave NOTHING in the rig, the glove box and console open, flyrod tubes uncapped and leaning against a car window, all compartments open, ash tray pulled out and any camp boxes uncovered so knuckeheads could see there was nothing to steal and no reason to break my windows. I sometimes left a note taped to the back window - "Nothing Left To Take - Please Dont' Break My Windows" or something like that.

The other thing is flat out irresponsible users. SO many wilderness places like Bagby Hot Springs, homesteads on the OR Coast, mountain shacks have been wrecked by irresponsible idiots. Started in 60s w/ certain groups that just screwed it up for everyone.

Best is that the PUBLIC who are responsible users get involved to write the rules - Deschutes R users and guides and packers got screwed back in the 90s when they did not get involved to make sure the regs were going to be fair to everyone.

MIDDLE FORK REGS (example): "The floating activity on the Middle Fork is managed and regulated to preserve the pristine character of the area and experience. Permits to float the river are required all year. The highest use is from May 28 through September 3. This is known as the control season, and permits for this time are allocated through a computerized lottery. Permits for the pre- and/or post-season launch dates that occur outside the lottery control season are also available for reservation beginning on October 1. Campsites are assigned to boaters all year.

Fire pans, portable toilets, ash containers, shovels, buckets and strainers are required equipment to float the river during any season. Leave No Trace, pack-in, pack-out is the camping ethic mandatory to all camping in the corridor and throughout the entire wilderness. During high use periods, campsites are assigned to boaters at the launch sites."

posted 10-25-2011 10:11 PM ET (US)            

1. The Park intends to implement a flexible reservation system for campgrounds, shelters, dock space, and anchoring out. The proposed plan would place some limits on the number of visitors to the island, primarily during the peak season from mid-July to mid-August. Implementation of this aspect of the plan is subject to appropriation of funding for a Backcountry Management Office, which is to be stationed in Houghton, Michigan. See Section B.2.2 on pages 59-60 of the Plan for an explanation of how the proposed reservation systems would work for boaters.

2. All grills would be removed from the park except in Developed Zones. The only Developed Zones in the park are Rock Harbor, Windigo, and Mott Island. I don't believe there would be any prohibition on using your own grill if you brought one with you. See Section B.2 on page 85 of the Plan.

3. The Ishpeming Fire Tower will be removed, and the Feldtmann Fire Tower may be removed. If you have any desire to see these towers, you better hurry. See Section B.2 on page 85 of the Plan.

posted 10-26-2011 10:36 AM ET (US)            

I agree with your comments regarding the hiker's really not being in close proximity to powerboaters for the most part.

Having only been to the Island twice, i've personally seen only friendly & civil interactions between power boaters & hikers. If there were any annoying interactions, and I say this in jest, it would have been us powerboaters being surrounded by hungry hikers as we cooked up our dinners dockside. As Buckda, Jimh, Dave Pendleton, and many others can attest we eat pretty good on our boat trips.

There have also been occasions on the Isle Royal boat trips where members of our group have assisted hikers by shuttling them from one area of the island to another (at no charge). We also helped to feed a group of hungry Texas college students on their last night on the island after a week of hiking.

I think Isle Royale National Park is different than all other National Parks in the respect that to be there it takes an effort, and you really have to want to be there. From that prospective, I think Isle Royale is the cleanest and well kept National Park I've visited. Let's face it you can't just pull up in your vehicle on a cross country drive & decide we're going to Isle Royal today!!!

I think that the "You really have to want to be there" mentality and the difficulty in getting to the island leads to the type of visitors who take much better care of and are much more caring for the island.

posted 10-26-2011 11:16 AM ET (US)            

One trip when I was probably 5 or 6 we were tied to the dock at McCargo Cove for the night, when a 40foot? boat from Thunder Bay puled in and proceeded to have a very drunk very rowdy very loud all night party. My dad and the other adult male with us spend the entire night guarding the boat, and a group of collage age men hikers spend the night backing up my father. No one in the camp ground slept that night (except me and my brother).

We reported the boat to the park service, turns out they had not cleared customs, so the park service was very interested in them. It was also mentioned that they might be cigarette smugglers, but we never heard anything else.

Lets face it the hikers drink a lot less alcohol than the boaters do, and alcohol can make people louder and dumber.

posted 10-26-2011 11:45 AM ET (US)            

As far as the NPS catering to the wishes of hikers, consider this: There are a lot more hikers than power boaters in powerful lobbies like the Sierra Club. Policy decisions like this have nothing to do with the actual experiences of folks who have visited the island. The special interests do their work behind the scenes, and the NPS conducts a survey that "validates" the agenda.

posted 10-26-2011 12:07 PM ET (US)            

While they are removing some docks, they are opening (or repairing) others that were previously restricted, like Crystal Cove, Fisherman's Home and Wright Island. I suppose this is a good thing.

None of these docks is accessible to hikers (except maybe Fisherman's Cove, but not easily).

The one that puzzles me most is Duncan Bay. It is not accessible by trail, and every paddler I've ever spoken to agrees that is is an advanced destination for most paddlers. Apparently, the dock at the Narrows will remain open.