“No thanks” to a new national park. That’s the message from the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and some other local officials in northern Wisconsin, as they express concern over a proposal to turn Apostle Island National Lakeshore into the state’s first national park.
The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa says there has not been enough consultation, information, and research into the impacts of the proposal. Bayfield Mayor Ted Dougherty says his town is already struggling to deal with the strain of tourism, including pressures on infrastructure, housing, and a tiny police force.
However, there are supporters of Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany’s proposal to create a national park. Twenty-one letters of support have come from local communities in northern Wisconsin, according to WPR. “Economically, the designation of the Apostle Islands as a national park would create new job opportunities in tourism and conservation, stimulating economic growth and diversifying the local economy,” said Taylor Pedersen, president and CEO of the Superior-Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce.
National parks do provide an economic boost. At nearby Indiana Dunes National Park, visitor spending grew from $77 million in 2018 to $141 million in 2022.
