1

Introduction

Kropp Barn and Smokehouse

Lake Michigan Overlook

Trail to Bass Lake
A GUIDE TO THIS DOCUMENT 

This Final General Management Plan / 

Wilderness Study / Environmental Impact 

Statement is organized into six chapters plus 

appendixes. Each section is described briefly 

below. 

Chapter 1: Introduction describes the 

context for the entire document. It explains 

why the plan is being prepared and what 

issues it will address. It provides guidance 

(e.g., park purpose, significance, fundamental 

resources and values, special mandates, and 

servicewide laws and policies) for the alternatives that are being considered. This chapter 

also describes how this plan relates to other 

plans and projects. 

Chapter 2: Alternatives, Including the 

Preferred Alternative, discusses management 

zones, user capacity, and the five management 

alternatives (the focus of this plan). Mitigating 

measures for minimizing or eliminating 

impacts of some proposed actions are then 

described. A section on the environmentally 

preferred alternative follows. A summary table 

of the alternatives (table 2) is included in the 

back pocket. Summary tables of the range of 

treatments for historic properties (table 3, 

page 74) and the environmental consequences 

of implementing the alternatives (table 4, page 

76) are also included in this chapter. 

Chapter 3: Wilderness Study and Proposal, 

provides background information about 

wilderness, describes the options analyzed in 

this Wilderness Study (including the preferred 

option), summarizes public comment on 

wilderness, and describes the implications of 

managing lands that are proposed for 

wilderness. 

Chapter 4: Affected Environment describes 

areas and resources that would be affected by 

actions in the various alternatives —historic 

resources, natural resources, visitor opportunities and use, wilderness character, regional 

socioeconomics, and NPS operations. It also 

includes a discussion of impact topics that 

were dismissed from detailed analysis. 

Chapter 5: Environmental Consequences

analyzes the impacts of implementing the 

alternatives. Methods used to assess impacts 

are outlined at the beginning of the chapter. 

Chapter 6: Consultation and Coordination 

describes the history of public and agency 

coordination during the planning effort; it also 

lists agencies and organizations who received 

copies of the document. 

The Appendixes present supporting 

information for the document, along with 

bibliographic references and a list of the 

planning team and other consultants.

2 
OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL LAKESHORE 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 

(hereafter referred to as National Lakeshore, 

Lakeshore, or park) was established by the 

U.S. Congress in 1970 with the passage of 

Public Law (PL) 91-479 (see appendix A). Part 

of the national park system, the National 

Lakeshore, which consists of a mainland 

portion plus North Manitou and South 

Manitou islands (71,291 acres total), is in the 

northwestern portion of Michigan’s Lower 

Peninsula (see Region map). The mainland 

portion straddles the dividing line between 

Benzie and Leelanau counties. The Manitou 

Islands, in Leelanau County, are located to the 

northwest in Lake Michigan, about 7 miles 

from the nearest mainland shore. The nearest 

city is Traverse City, Michigan (population 

15,000), which is 30 miles east of the Lakeshore. Smaller communities such as Empire, 

unincorporated Glen Arbor, and the town of 

Frankfort are nearer to the National 

Lakeshore. 

Named after a complex of coastal sand dunes, 

the National Lakeshore features white sand 

beaches, steep bluffs reaching as high as 450 

feet above Lake Michigan, thick maple and 

beech forests, and clear inland lakes. The 

National Lakeshore’s most notable features — 

the ancient sand dunes — are products of 

wind, ice, and water action over thousands of 

years. During the Ice Age, continental glaciers 

spread southward from Canada, repeatedly 

burying the Upper Midwest under sheets of 

ice. These massive glaciers enlarged river 

valleys, carved out the Great Lake Basins, and 

left behind conditions promoting the 

formation of sand dunes. Over the years, 

prevailing winds blowing across Lake 

Michigan built beach dunes on low-lying 

shores and “perched” dunes on high glacial 

plateaus. Sculpted by the wind, the active 

dunes shift and advance over time, sometimes 

burying trees and creating “ghost forests” of 

stark, bleached trunks. The high, perched 

dunes afford spectacular views across Lake 

Michigan and of other glacially formed 

landscapes. The contrast between the open, 

sunny environment of the dunes and the 

adjacent lush beech-maple forests is striking. 

Long before the area became a National 

Lakeshore, American Indians, lumbermen, 

merchant sailors, and farmers visited or 

settled here. Archeological evidence dates 

back to prehistoric Indians about 3,000 years 

ago. The Ottawa and Ojibwe migrated to the 

area in the 17th century to hunt, fish, and 

collect maple sap. French explorers, fur 

traders, and missionaries arrived in the mid1600s. Not long thereafter, other groups 

settled in the area, and shipping on the Great 

Lakes increased, along with the region’s 

population and commerce. Vast forests were 

cleared in the 1880s to supply lumber for 

construction and fuel for ships that sailed the 

Great Lakes. In the 1920s, lumbering subsided 

as the supply of hardwood dwindled. 

Subsistence homesteads evolved, followed by 

cash-crop farms and orchards. Visitors to the 

area found that its pleasant climate and 

stunning scenery made for a great place to 

spend leisure time. 

Today, a lighthouse and U.S. Life-Saving 

Service stations, coastal villages, and 

picturesque farmsteads reflect the National 

Lakeshore’s rich maritime, agricultural, and 

recreational history. The region surrounding 

the National Lakeshore is a popular vacation 

and summer home destination. In recent times 

the area has undergone considerable growth 

as homes and support services are built for 

expanding full-time and summer populations.

3 
BACKGROUND 

Park planning is a decision-making process, 

and general management planning is the 

broadest level of decision-making for parks. 

General management plans (GMPs) are 

required for all units of the national park 

system and are intended to establish the future 

management direction of a park unit. General 

management planning is the first phase of 

tiered planning and decision-making for 

national park system units. It focuses on why 

the park unit was established (purpose), why it 

is special (significance, fundamental resources 

and values), and what resource conditions and 

visitor experiences should be achieved and 

maintained (desired future conditions). 

General management plans look years into the 

future and consider the park holistically, in its 

full ecological and cultural context and as part 

of a surrounding region. 

Although a general management plan provides 

the analysis and justification for future 

funding, the plan in no way guarantees that 

money will be forthcoming. Requirements for 

additional data or legal compliance and 

competing national park system priorities can 

delay implementation of actions. Full 

implementation of a plan may extend many 

years into the future. 

This General Management Plan / Wilderness 

Study / Environmental Impact Statement 

(GMP/WS/EIS) was developed by an interdisciplinary team in consultation with 

National Park Service (NPS) offices; tribal, 

federal, state, and local agencies; other 

interested parties; and substantial input and 

participation from the general public. 

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE 

GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 

This General Management Plan provides 

comprehensive guidance for perpetuating 

natural systems, preserving cultural resources, 

and providing opportunities for quality visitor 

experiences at Sleeping Bear Dunes National 

Lakeshore. Its purpose is to decide how the 

National Park Service can best fulfill the 

National Lakeshore’s purpose, maintain its 

significance, and protect its resources 

unimpaired for the enjoyment of present and 

future generations. 

This General Management Plan describes the 

general path that the National Park Service 

would follow in managing the National 

Lakeshore over the next 20 years or more. 

The plan does not provide specific and 

detailed answers to every issue facing the 

park, but rather is a framework to assist NPS 

managers in making decisions today and in the 

future. The plan will 

• identify and support the National 

Lakeshore’s purpose, significance, and 

fundamental resources and values 

• provide general guidance for how to manage resources and provide for visitor use 

• outline a general approach for facilities 

management, access strategies, and 

development patterns 

• clearly define desired resource conditions 

and visitor experience opportunities 

• ensure that the foundation for decisionmaking has been developed in consultation with the public and adopted by NPS 

leadership after sufficient analysis of the 

benefits, impacts, and economic costs of 

alternative courses of action 

This General Management Plan is needed to 

update the management framework for the 

National Lakeshore, address changing issues 

and conditions, and incorporate new resource 

information. The National Lakeshore’s last 

General Management Plan was completed in 

1979. The 1979 plan is outdated and does not 

follow current NPS guidelines for planning 

elements such as foundation statements,

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5

Background 

management zones, etc. The Lakeshore 

started a new General Management Plan in 

1999. In October 2002 the Department of the 

Interior instructed the National Park Service 

to cease work on the plan. At that time, public 

opposition arose to possible changes in 

motorized access to key visitor use areas, 

particularly beaches, that had been identified 

in the planning alternatives because of the 

existing wilderness proposal. 

In the years following the National Lakeshore’s establishment in 1970, most of the 

71,291 acres within the National Lakeshore’s 

boundary have come into federal management 

through the purchase of over 1,500 tracts of 

private property and land donations from the 

state of Michigan. Many of these tracts have 

come into NPS management since the 1979 

General Management Plan was completed. 

Acquisition of private lands within the original 

boundaries of the Lakeshore continues on a 

willing-seller basis, not only within the Benzie 

Corridor but throughout the Lakeshore as 

well. Private development adjacent to and 

near the National Lakeshore has increased, 

and this trend has accelerated in recent years. 

The National Lakeshore faces new 

management challenges as a result of all these 

changes. 

A 1982 amendment to the National 

Lakeshore’s enabling legislation authorized a 

boundary revision to include the Bow Lakes 

and Miller Hill areas. More recently, lands 

along the Crystal River were added to the 

National Lakeshore. Acquisition of private 

lands within these areas continues on a 

willing-seller basis. This current General 

Management Plan will provide management 

direction for these new park lands. 

Recent investigations have enhanced the 

National Park Service’s understanding of 

maritime, agricultural, and recreation-related 

historic resources in the National Lakeshore. 

Desired conditions and general (conceptual) 

direction for management of these resources 

need to be defined. 

PURPOSE AND NEED FOR 

THE WILDERNESS STUDY 

This Wilderness Study evaluates lands within 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for 

possible recommendation to Congress for 

inclusion in the national wilderness preservation system. The Wilderness Study is needed 

because of public interest in developing a 

proposal that improves upon the 1981 

“Wilderness Recommendation.” Including the 

Wilderness Study in the General Management 

Plan saves time and money because the two 

processes have similar environmental 

compliance and public involvement needs. 

Wilderness, which can be designated only by 

Congress, provides for permanent protection 

of lands in their natural condition that provide 

outstanding opportunities for solitude or 

primitive and unconfined recreation. 

The 1970 legislation that established Sleeping 

Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (PL 91-479) 

required the secretary of the interior to 

recommend the suitability or unsuitability of 

lands within the National Lakeshore for 

preservation as wilderness. The first wilderness study for the National Lakeshore 

resulted in a 1975 “Wilderness Recommendation.” The 1979 General Management Plan 

endorsed most (but not all) findings from the 

1975 recommendation. In 1981 a new 

“Wilderness Recommendation” was prepared 

to carry forward the wilderness proposal 

endorsed by the 1979 plan. Although the 1981 

recommendation never formally reached 

Congress, amendments in 1982 (PL 97-361) to 

the National Lakeshore’s enabling legislation 

stated that the lands identified in the 

recommendation “shall, until Congress 

determines otherwise, be administered by the 

Secretary so as to maintain their presently 

existing wilderness character . . . .” 

The congressional direction that requires the 

National Park Service to manage lands in the 

1981 recommendation to “maintain their 

presently existing wilderness character” is 

unusual and has created some dilemmas 

7 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

8 

quipment (except for emergency purposes) 

cessary for realizing the recreational or other 

 the exception of permanent roads, the act does recognize that the above uses may be permitted if 

ition to the above prohibitions, NPS policies also prohibit some developments such as the following: 

ment caches 

 for nonemergency aircraft use 

r trails) 

regarding management direction. Moreover, 

despite public outreach efforts by the 

National Park Service to clarify the wilderness 

situation at the National Lakeshore, the 

wilderness issue remains confusing to many 

members of the public. Taking into 

consideration feedback from numerous 

presentations made in 2004-2005 to members 

of the public, including park neighbors and 

various interest groups, the National Park 

Service concluded that a new wilderness study 

was warranted. 

Uses and Management in Wilderness 

A variety of recreational uses, management actions, and certain facilities are permitted in wilderness areas 

under the Wilderness Act of 1964 and NPS policies. Among the uses, management actions, and facilities 

permitted in wilderness are the following: 

⇒ nonmotorized recreational uses (e.g., hiking, picnicking, camping, canoeing) 

⇒ hunting and fishing 

⇒ guided interpretive walks and onsite presentations 

⇒ use of wheelchairs, service animals, and reasonable accommodations for the disabled (e.g., barrierfree trails, accessible campsites) 

⇒ trails, campsites, toilets, and signs necessary for visitor safety or to protect wilderness resources 

⇒ emergency actions and equipment necessary to ensure life safety 

⇒ fire management activities (including fire suppression) 

⇒ preservation of historic properties eligible for the National Register of Historic Places 

⇒ uses and facilities for landowners with valid property rights in a wilderness area 

⇒ scientific activities, research, and monitoring 

⇒ natural resource management actions such as restoration of extirpated species, controlling invasive 

exotic species, endangered species management, and protection of air and water quality 

⇒ certain administrative facilities if necessary to carry out wilderness management objectives (e.g., 

storage or support structures, ranger station) 

⇒ Native American religious activities and other actions recognized under treaty-reserved rights 

The Wilderness Act also specifically prohibits certain uses and developments. Under section 4(d) of the act, 

the following uses are not permitted in a wilderness: 

⇒ permanent improvements or human habitation 

⇒ structures (historic structures are excluded) 

⇒ permanent and temporary roads 

⇒ use of motor vehicles and motorized e

⇒ landing of aircraft (except for emergency purposes) 

⇒ other forms of mechanical transport (e.g., bicycles) 

⇒ commercial enterprises (except for those that are ne

wilderness purposes of the area, such as guiding and outfitting) 

With

necessary to meet the minimum requirements for the administration of the area as wilderness or for 

emergency purposes. 

In add

⇒ new utility lines 

⇒ permanent equip

⇒ site markings or improvements

⇒ borrow pits (except for small quantity use of borrow material fo

⇒ new shelters for public use 

⇒ picnic tables 
Background 

Wilderness studies typically result in a 

ate all, 

onal 

e 

ion 

w 

LANNING ISSUES AND CONCERNS 

ilderness 

he 1981 “Wilderness Recommendation” that 

res of 

naderd 

-

conine, 

through this new Wilderness Study, which 

s 

n 

ccess and Management 

f Roads within the Park 

raversed by many 

ifferent types of roads, including county 

ads 

ture 

ge-

 in the 

rotecting Fundamental 

esources and Values 

gement Plan no longer 

rovides an adequate planning foundation for 

recommendation to Congress to design

some, or none of the lands possessing 

wilderness character as part of the nati

wilderness preservation system. Based on th

Wilderness Study included in this document, 

the National Park Service anticipates preparing a proposal for such a recommendat

to forward to the U.S. Department of the 

Interior at the conclusion of this planning

effort. However, because of the 1982 law, 

areas proposed as wilderness in the 1981 

recommendation will be managed as 

wilderness until Congress acts on a ne

wilderness recommendation. 

P

W

T

was prepared for Sleeping Bear Dunes 

National Lakeshore proposed 30,903 ac

wilderness. Of that total acreage, 7,128 acres 

were “recommended wilderness” and 23,775 

acres were “potential wilderness.” (Recommended wilderness refers to lands that 

immediately qualify for wilderness desig

tion. Potential wilderness refers to lands that

have been identified for future designation as 

wilderness if temporary, nonconforming uses 

or incompatible conditions are removed or 

eliminated.) The 1982 amendment to the 

park’s enabling legislation (PL 97-361) 

requires that the areas proposed for wil

ness in the 1981 recommendation be manage

to maintain their wilderness character “until 

Congress determines otherwise.” NPS management policies also require such management, which has been occurring at Sleeping 

Bear Dunes for more than 25 years. Public 

interest in and debate about the 1981 recom

mendation was renewed in the early 2000s, 

and that interest continues today. The 

National Park Service has decided to re

sider the issue of wilderness at Sleeping Bear 

Dunes National Lakeshore. Thus, the 

National Park Service needs to determ

areas of the National Lakeshore should be 

included in a new wilderness proposal. 

Because of the 1982 law, areas proposed a

wilderness in the 1981 recommendatio

will be managed as wilderness until 

Congress acts on a new wilderness 

recommendation.

A

o

The National Lakeshore is t

d

roads, NPS administrative and public roads, 

private roads, and state highways. Some ro

provide access to Lake Michigan beaches or 

other park features, while others provide 

access to private property. There are some 

roads that do not access any particular fea

or property, having formerly served private

properties that are no longer present. Some 

roads are in areas proposed as wilderness in 

the 1981 “Wilderness Recommendation.” A 

few roads are NPS-owned and managed, but 

most road rights-of-way in the park are held 

by Benzie or Leelanau counties. The General 

Management Plan / Wilderness Study / 

Environmental Impact Statement will evaluate 

how roads support or impact National

Lakeshore resources and visitor experiences. 

This information will: (a) provide mana

ment direction for NPS-owned roads, and (b) 

provide information for the counties to 

consider in their road management programs. 

The counties control road rights-of-way

National Lakeshore, so any decision to close 

county roads rests with them. 

P

R

The 1979 General Mana

p

park management. The National Park Service 

must identify fundamental resources and 

values (see following “Foundation for 

9 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

10 

re 

s. 

al 

 for 

ties. 

h 

e 

enzie Corridor and Crystal Ridge 

e 

ational Lakeshore authorized the 

ce 

rk 

l 

nd 

r 

e 

rowding and Overuse 

ome visitor facilities and areas of the 

at the 

anagement of Newly 

bout 1,720 acres of new lands have been 

9, 

ew 

Planning and Management” section) that 

deserve primary consideration in planning 

and management for the National Lakesho

and outline strategies to protect those value

Similarly, the National Park Service must 

identify what visitor opportunities or 

experiences fit with the purposes and 

maintain the significance of the Nation

Lakeshore and must develop strategies

supporting or enhancing those opportuni

This might include additional or expanded 

visitor facilities. To accomplish this, the 

National Park Service must decide how to 

manage specific areas of the park (throug

management zoning) to protect and provid

for these different natural, cultural, 

recreational, and visitor experience values. 

B

The 1970 legislation that established th

N

establishment of a scenic southern entran

road to the park. To that end, the pa

boundary includes a corridor (the Benzie 

Corridor) on a ridge (Crystal Ridge) between 

Crystal Lake and Platte Lake. The Nationa

Park Service has acquired nearly 100 acres 

(about 10%) of the lands within the Benzie 

Corridor since the park was established. La

has become increasingly expensive in this 

area, however, and development continues to 

take place, raising questions as to whether 

acquiring enough land for a scenic southern 

entrance is still feasible. The National Park 

Service needs to decide whether the Benzie 

Corridor remains essential to the National 

Lakeshore’s purpose (e.g., for providing a 

scenic road or trail), or whether the corrido

should be recommended for removal from the

park boundary. However, until such time that 

Congress acts to alter current mandates, the 

National Park Service will continue to acquir

property for a scenic road on a willing-seller 

basis or via donations. 

C

S

National Lakeshore are crowded and 

congested during the summer. Areas th

public has expressed particular concern about

include the Dune Climb, the Platte River and 

the area around its mouth, and beach access 

parking areas. Crowding and congestion 

affects visitor experiences, strains park 

infrastructure, and may result in harm to

natural and cultural resources. A general 

management plan must deal with issues of

crowding and provide general direction for

addressing user capacity at locations 

throughout the National Lakeshore. 

M

Acquired Park Lands 

A

added to the National Lakeshore since 197

when the last General Management Plan for 

the park was prepared. The National Park 

Service must decide how to manage these n

areas (e.g., Bow Lakes, Miller Hill, and Crystal 

River areas) for resource protection and 

visitor enjoyment. 
FOUNDATION FOR PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT 

PURPOSE 

Purpose statements convey the reason(s) for 

which the national park unit was set aside as 

part of the national park system. Grounded in 

an analysis of park legislation (appendix A) 

and legislative history, purpose statements 

also provide primary criteria against which the 

appropriateness of plan recommendations, 

operational decisions, and actions are tested. 

A park’s purpose statement focuses the 

agency’s management role at a particular park 

unit but does not supersede the NPS Organic 

Act (see “Servicewide Laws and Policies” 

section in this chapter). 

The purpose of Sleeping Bear Dunes National 

Lakeshore is as follows: 

• To preserve outstanding natural features, 

including forests, beaches, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena in 

their natural setting and protect them 

from developments and uses that would 

destroy the scenic beauty and natural 

character of the area, for the benefit, 

inspiration, education, recreation, and 

enjoyment of the public. 

SIGNIFICANCE 

Significance statements capture the essence of 

the national park unit’s importance to the 

nation’s natural and cultural heritage. They 

describe the unit’s distinctiveness and 

describe why an area is important within 

regional, national, and global contexts. This 

helps managers focus their efforts and limited 

funding on protection and enjoyment of 

attributes that are directly related to the 

purpose of the park unit. The significance 

statements for the National Lakeshore are as 

follows: 

• The National Lakeshore contains 

compactly grouped features of continental 

glaciation, including post-glacial shoreline 

adjustment, ridge/swale complex, windformed dunes, perched dunes, and 

examples of associated plant succession. 

These features are of global importance 

due to their relatively unimpacted state, 

the variety of features present, and their 

proximity to one another. 

• The National Lakeshore preserves outstanding scenic and publicly accessible 

resources. Its massive glacial headlands, 

expansive Lake Michigan beaches, diverse 

habitats, superb water resources, and rich 

human history offer an exceptional range 

of recreational, educational, and 

inspirational opportunities. 

• The collection of historic landscapes — 

maritime, agricultural, and recreational — 

in the National Lakeshore is of a size and 

quality unsurpassed on the Great Lakes 

and rare elsewhere on the United States’ 

coastline. 

• The National Lakeshore’s native plant and 

animal communities, especially the 

northern hardwoods, coastal forests, dune 

communities, and interdunal wetlands, are 

of a scale and quality that is rare on the 

Great Lakes shoreline. These relatively 

intact communities afford an opportunity 

for continuation of the ecological 

processes that have shaped them. 

FUNDAMENTAL 

RESOURCES AND VALUES 

Fundamental resources and values are 

systems, processes, features, visitor 

experiences, stories, and scenes that deserve 

primary consideration in planning and 

management because they are critical to 

11 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

maintaining the park’s purpose and 

significance. Fundamental resources and 

values are subject to periodic review and 

updates based on new information or 

changing conditions. The planning team, with 

assistance from other resource experts and 

the public, has identified the following 

fundamental resources and values for Sleeping 

Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The 

fundamental resources and values listed below 

are only a portion of the Lakeshore’s total 

resources and values; all resources and values 

were considered in this planning effort. 

Geologic Processes 

• ridge and swale topography resulting 

from old shorelines (e.g., along the 

Crystal River and the Boekeloo area) 

• perched dunes (e.g., Sleeping Bear 

Plateau/dune complex) 

• Bow Lakes (kettle lakes — glacial origin) 

Visitor Opportunities and Scenery 

• Dune Climb 

• Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive 

• scenic views of historic farmsteads, 

inland lakes, Lake Michigan shoreline 

(Empire Bluffs, Sleeping Bear Plateau, 

Pyramid Point), to/from the shoreline of 

Manitou Islands, and emergence from 

dense canopy to open dunes 

• Lake Michigan beaches 

• experiences of North Manitou and 

South Manitou islands 

• opportunities for quiet, solitude, and 

naturalness 

• Platte River and Crystal River 

experiences 

• learning about the natural and cultural 

heritage of the area (glacial phenomena, 

diverse habitats, human history) 

• the opportunity for visitors to 

understand the complex and rapidly 

disappearing natural history of the 

ecosystems that evolved along the Great 

Lakes shoreline 

Cultural Resources and History 

• three U.S. Life-Saving Service 

stations/South Manitou Island Light 

Station 

• Port Oneida Rural Historic District 

• Glen Haven area 

Ecological Communities 

• excellent examples of plant succession 

transition from shoreline edge to climax 

hardwood forest (e.g., Esch Road and 

Good Harbor areas) 

• extensive intact tracts of northern 

hardwood forest 

• Sleeping Bear Plateau dune community 

complex 

• interdunal wetlands (e.g., Boekeloo 

marsh, Crystal River area) 

• freshwater resources 

PRIMARY INTERPRETIVE THEMES 

Primary interpretive themes are the most 

important ideas and concepts communicated 

to the public about the park. They are the core 

of all interpretive programs and media 

provided to park visitors. The following 

primary interpretive themes are the most 

important ideas or concepts to be communicated to the public about the National 

Lakeshore: 

• The tall dunes and dramatic sweep of 

Lake Michigan shoreline at Sleeping Bear 

Dunes National Lakeshore, along with 

other more subtle glacial features, 

provide an outstanding illustration of 

glaciation and help people to discover 

and understand the continually evolving 

surface of the Earth and how it influences 

the environment in which we live today. 

• The spectacular, yet accessible terrain 

and sublime beauty of the landscapes at 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore 

beckon to all who seek opportunities for 

exploration, discovery, recreation, and 

solitude that fulfill the human need for 

12 
Foundation for Planning and Management 

inspiration and renewal through 

connection to the land. 

• The diversity of landscapes and structures at Sleeping Bear Dunes National 

Lakeshore, including the towering sand 

dunes with a “cap” of trees called by the 

region’s Anishinabek people “Misha 

Mokwa” (Sleeping Bear) illustrates the 

rich American Indian, maritime, 

agricultural, and recreational history of 

the area and provides an opportunity to 

understand and appreciate the traditions, 

struggles, resourcefulness, and heroism 

of the people who have lived here using 

the abundant natural resources for food, 

shelter, clothing, and commerce. 

• The diverse post-glacial landscapes 

protected by Sleeping Bear Dunes 

National Lakeshore support relatively 

intact, but fragile, native plant and animal 

communities that continue to be shaped 

by natural ecological processes, affording 

people the opportunity to understand, 

cherish, and help save the rapidly 

vanishing natural heritage of the Great 

Lakes shoreline. 

SPECIAL MANDATES 

Special mandates are legislative or judicial 

requirements that are specific to a particular 

unit of the national park system. They are 

typically mandated by Congress or by the 

courts. Special mandates for Sleeping Bear 

Dunes National Lakeshore are listed below. 

Proposed Wilderness 

The 1981 “Wilderness Recommendation” for 

the National Lakeshore proposed 7,128 acres 

for wilderness designation. An additional 

23,775 acres were identified in this recommendation as potential wilderness, meaning 

that they would qualify for wilderness 

designation if and when they became federal 

lands and nonconforming uses were 

terminated. This recommendation never went 

through the necessary reviews and approvals, 

however, and no wilderness has been formally 

designated within the National Lakeshore. 

The total 30,903 acres were, and still are, 

proposed wilderness. In 1982 Congress 

directed the U. S. Department of the Interior 

to administer the lands proposed for 

wilderness in the 1981 recommendation so as 

to maintain their existing wilderness character 

and potential for inclusion in the National 

Wilderness Preservation System” (PL 97-361), 

pending future action by Congress. 

Road Rights-of-Way 

The park’s enabling legislation, PL 91-479, 

dated October 21, 1970, Section 8 (b) states 

“Any property or interests therein, owned by 

the State of Michigan or any political 

subdivisions thereof, may be acquired only by 

donation.” This applies to all road rights-ofway, including those managed by the Leelanau 

County and Benzie County road commissions. 

Scenic Road Corridors 

The National Park Service is authorized to 

construct and administer, as part of the 

National Lakeshore, a scenic road within a 

specified zone (Crystal Ridge) in Benzie 

County. It is also authorized to acquire, by 

donation or purchase, limited lands for this 

purpose (1970 park enabling legislation). 

Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping 

Hunting and fishing are permitted in the 

National Lakeshore (1970 park enabling 

legislation). Trapping is not allowed in the 

park (1991 decision by the U.S. Court of 

Appeals). 

13 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

National Historic Landmark — North 

Manitou Island Life-Saving Service 

Complex 

The National Lakeshore includes one national 

historic landmark, the North Manitou Island 

U. S. Life-Saving Service Complex, which is 

the highest designation afforded to a cultural 

resource. National historic landmarks are 

governed by Section 110(f) of the National 

Historic Preservation Act.

1836 Treaty 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is in 

the area ceded by the Treaty with the Ottawa, 

etc. March 28, 1836, between the United States 

and regional Ottawa and Chippewa peoples. 

Five federally recognized tribes are in this 

area. A Consent Decree on the U.S. v. 

Michigan 1836 Inland Treaty Rights case was 

signed in November 2007. The Consent 

decree recognizes a treaty-retained right for 

tribal members to engage in certain hunting, 

fishing, and gathering activities in the ceded 

territory (including the National Lakeshore). 

The five Michigan Indian tribes involved in 

the agreement are the Bay Mills Indian 

Community, the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of 

Chippewa Indians, the Little Traverse Bay 

Bands of Odawa Indians, the Grand Traverse 

Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, and 

the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. This 

plan in no way restricts these rights. How 

those rights may be exercised with the 

National Lakeshore will be determined 

through consultation among the affected 

tribes and the National Park Service. 

SERVICEWIDE LAWS AND POLICIES 

Many park management directives are 

specified in laws and policies guiding the 

National Park Service and are therefore not 

subject to alternative approaches. For 

example, there are laws and policies about 

managing environmental quality (such as the 

Clean Air Act, the Endangered Species Act, 

and Executive Order 11990 “Protection of 

Wetlands”); laws governing the preservation 

of cultural resources (such as the National 

Historic Preservation Act and the Native 

American Graves Protection and Repatriation 

Act); and laws about providing public services 

(such as the Americans with Disabilities Act) 

— to name only a few. In other words, a 

general management plan is not needed to 

decide that it is appropriate to protect 

endangered species, control exotic species, 

protect historic and archeological sites, 

conserve artifacts, or provide for access for 

disabled persons. Laws and policies have 

already decided those and many other things 

for us. Although attaining some conditions set 

forth in these laws and policies may have been 

temporarily deferred in the park because of 

funding or staffing limitations, the National 

Park Service will continue to strive to 

implement these requirements with or 

without a new general management plan. The 

General Management Plan is critical in 

providing guidance on how we comply with 

laws and policies. 

There are other laws and executive orders that 

are applicable solely or primarily to units of 

the national park system. These include the 

1916 Organic Act that created the National 

Park Service; the General Authorities Act of 

1970; the act of March 27, 1978, relating to the 

management of the national park system; and 

the National Parks Omnibus Management Act 

(1998). 

The NPS Organic Act (16 United States Code,

Section 1) provides the fundamental 

management direction for all units of the 

national park system: 

[P]romote and regulate the use of the 

Federal areas known as national parks, 

monuments, and reservations . . . by 

such means and measure as conform to 

the fundamental purpose of said parks, 

monuments and reservations, which 

purpose is to conserve the scenery and 

14 
Foundation for Planning and Management 

15 

the natural and historic objects and the 

wildlife therein and to provide for the 

enjoyment of the same in such manner 

and by such means as will leave them 

unimpaired for the enjoyment of future 

generations. 

The National Park System General Authorities 

Act (16 United States Code [USC] Section 1a-1 

et seq.) affirms that while all national park 

system units remain “distinct in character,” 

they are “united through their interrelated 

purposes and resources into one national park 

system as cumulative expressions of a single 

national heritage.” The act makes it clear that 

the NPS Organic Act and other protective 

mandates apply equally to all units of the 

system. Further, amendments state that NPS 

management of park units should not 

“derogat[e] . . . the purposes and values for 

which these various areas have been 

established.” 

The National Park Service also has established 

policies for all units under its stewardship. 

These are identified and explained in a 

guidance manual entitled NPS Management 

Policies 2006. The “action” alternatives 

considered in this document (the preferred 

alternative, plus alternatives A, B, and C), as 

well as the no-action alternative (current 

management), incorporate and comply with 

the provisions of these mandates and policies. 
DESIRED CONDITIONS AND STRATEGIES 

This section focuses on desired conditions 

and strategies to guide management of 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in all 

alternatives, including the no-action alternative. They guide actions taken by NPS staff 

on such topics as natural and cultural resource 

management, park facilities, and visitor use 

management. Each topic discussed below has 

two parts: (a) desired conditions for that topic 

(in italics), and (b) broad strategies that may 

be used to achieve those desired conditions. 

Desired conditions articulate the ideal 

conditions the National Park Service is 

striving to attain. The term desired conditions 

is used interchangeably with goals. Desired 

conditions provide guidance for fulfilling the 

park’s purpose and for protecting the park’s 

fundamental resources and values on a 

Lakeshore-wide basis. 

The strategies describe actions that could be 

used by the National Park Service (and/or its 

partners) to achieve the desired conditions. 

Most of these strategies are already being 

implemented. Those not already being 

implemented are consistent with NPS policy, 

are not believed to be controversial, and 

require no analysis and documentation under 

the National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969 (or analysis and documentation would 

be completed separately from this General 

Management Plan / Wilderness Study / 

Environmental Impact Statement). This is not 

an exhaustive list of strategies. As new ideas, 

technologies, and opportunities arise, they 

will be considered if they further support the 

desired condition. 

The Lakeshore-wide desired conditions and 

strategies in this section, combined with the 

management actions that are specific to the 

management alternative ultimately selected 

for implementation (see chapter 2) , will form 

the complete general management plan for the 

National Lakeshore. 

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT 

National Lakeshore staff demonstrates leadership in resource stewardship and conservation 

of ecosystem values. The dunes, forests, and 

aquatic systems are managed from an ecosystem perspective, considering both internal and 

external factors affecting visitor use, environmental quality, and resource stewardship. 

Management decisions about ecosystems are 

based on scholarly and scientific information. 

Resources and visitation are managed in 

consideration of the ecological and social 

conditions of the National Lakeshore and 

surrounding area. NPS managers adapt 

management strategies to changing ecological 

and social conditions and are partners in 

regional land planning and management. 

Strategies 

 Continue to participate in and 

encourage ongoing partnerships with 

local, state, and federal agencies, and 

nongovernmental organizations in 

programs that have importance within 

and beyond park boundaries. Partnerships important to the long-term 

viability of critical natural resources 

include the following: 

3⁄4 Monitoring water quality of local 

water bodies and Lake Michigan. 

3⁄4 Managing wildlife across humancreated boundaries (such as jurisdictions, property lines, and fences). 

3⁄4 Managing nonnative invasive 

species. 

3⁄4 Managing wildland fire. 

 Central to ecosystem management is 

long-term monitoring of changes in the 

condition of cultural and natural resources and related human influences. Improvement or degradation of resources 

and visitor experience cannot be determined with any certainty without a 

monitoring program. To protect, 

restore, and enhance park resources and 

to sustain visitor use and enjoyment 

16 
Desired Conditions and Strategies 

within and around the National Lakeshore, NPS staff would do the following: 

3⁄4 Initiate or continue long-term 

monitoring of resources and visitor 

use, including use of the visitor 

experience and resource protection 

framework or other user capacity 

process, as appropriate. (See “User 

Capacity (Carrying Capacity)” 

discussion in chapter 2.) 

3⁄4 Promote research to increase understanding of National Lakeshore 

resources, natural processes, and 

human interactions with the 

environment, with emphasis on 

fundamental resources and values. 

3⁄4 Practice science-based decisionmaking and adaptive management, 

incorporating the results of resource 

monitoring and research into NPS 

operations. 

3⁄4 Identify lands/waters outside the 

National Lakeshore where ecological processes and human use affect 

park resources or are closely related 

to park resource management 

considerations; initiate joint 

research, monitoring, management 

actions, agreements, or partnerships 

to promote resource conservation. 

3⁄4 Provide education and outreach 

programs to highlight conservation 

and management issues facing the 

park and related lands and 

encourage partners who are able to 

assist with ecosystem stewardship. 

 Continue the disturbed site restoration 

program. 

 Strive to control invasive nonnative 

species in coordination with adjacent 

landowners, inholders (those owning 

lands within the park boundary), other 

agencies, and NPS staff specialists; 

consider control of native species that 

threaten ecosystem health. 

NATURAL RESOURCES 

(GENERAL) AND DIVERSITY 

The resources and processes of the National 

Lakeshore retain a significant degree of 

ecological integrity. Natural wind, sand, and 

water processes function as unimpeded as 

possible. Management decisions about natural 

resources are based on scholarly and scientific 

information and on the National Lakeshore’s 

identified fundamental resources and values. 

Park resources and values are protected 

through collaborative efforts with neighbors and 

partners. Visitors and employees recognize and 

understand the value of the park’s natural 

resources. Human impacts on resources are 

monitored, and harmful effects are minimized, 

mitigated, or eliminated. 

Biologically diverse native communities are 

protected and restored when possible. 

Particularly sensitive communities are closely 

monitored and protected. Endemic species and 

habitats are fully protected; nonnative species 

are controlled, and native species are reintroduced when conditions allow. Genetic integrity 

of native species is protected. Threatened and 

endangered species are protected to the greatest 

extent possible and are generally stable or 

improving. Natural fire regimes are 

investigated and supported where possible. 

Strategies 

 Continue to inventory biotic and abiotic 

resources in the National Lakeshore and 

assess their status and trends. 

 Continue long-term systematic monitoring of resources and processes to detect 

natural and human-caused trends, 

document changes in species or communities, evaluate the effectiveness of 

management plans and restoration 

projects, and mitigate impacts where 

possible. 

 Continue research that furthers understanding of the geology, sand, wind, and 

water processes that underlie the dune 

system. 

 Implement and keep current a cooperative wildland fire management plan that 

17 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

includes interagency participation to 

maintain conditions within the natural 

range as much as possible. 

 Work in consultation with American 

Indian tribes to identify, evaluate, and 

determine appropriate treatment for 

natural resources used by American 

Indians throughout the National 

Lakeshore. 

 Inventory human-made structures and 

modifications, and remove those that do 

not contribute to the purposes or 

management of the park or are judged to 

be unsafe provided they have been 

determined not to have cultural 

significance. 

 Provide information to adjacent homeowners and private landowners on 

natural processes, wildlife, critical 

habitats, and threats to resources. 

 Conserve and restore habitats for 

threatened and endangered species and 

species of special concern (e.g., piping 

plover, Pitcher’s thistle, and Michigan 

monkey flower). 

 In conjunction with other NPS offices, 

continue to expand the park’s data 

management systems for analyzing, 

modeling, predicting, and testing trends 

in resource conditions. 

 Continue to regularly update the park’s 

resource stewardship strategy. 

 Apply mitigation techniques to minimize 

impacts of construction and other 

activities on park resources. 

 Continue to educate staff, visitors, and 

the public about the significance of 

natural resources and major threats to 

these resources. 

AIR QUALITY 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a 

Class II area under the Clean Air Act (this 

designation allows for limited amounts of new 

air emissions). The air quality of the National 

Lakeshore is enhanced or maintained. 

Strategies 

 Continue to monitor and record air 

pollution levels and analyze changes 

over time. 

 Monitor and reduce emissions, when 

possible, from activities within the 

National Lakeshore boundaries. 

 Continue to participate in regional air 

quality planning and research and 

implementation of air quality standards. 

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s 

water quality and quantity reflect natural 

conditions and support operational, and 

recreational uses. Outstanding water quality is 

protected and preserved. 

Strategies 

 Continue to monitor water quality and 

quantity within a local and regional context, and expand monitoring as needed 

to more fully understand the status and 

trends of ground and surface water. 

 Participate in local, state, and national 

water quality remediation and watershed planning programs. 

 Update strategies for water resources 

management as needed to reflect 

changing resources and management 

issues. 

 Continue to inventory wetlands so that 

important wetland communities can be 

identified and protected. 

 Continue to identify and address threats 

to wetlands, such as purple loosestrife 

and other exotic species. 

 Continue to assess human-related 

threats to water quality and quantity. 

 Continue to monitor E. coli at 

designated recreational beaches. 

WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 

Natural wildlife populations and systems are 

understood and perpetuated. Natural fluctuations in populations are permitted to occur to 

18 
Desired Conditions and Strategies 

the greatest extent possible. Natural influences 

are mimicked if necessary. National Lakeshore 

staff work with neighbors and partners to 

achieve mutually beneficial goals related to 

wildlife. 

Strategies 

 Continue cooperative management of 

threatened or endangered species within 

the National Lakeshore to stabilize or 

improve the status of these species. 

 Strive to identify species that have occupied the National Lakeshore in the past, 

and evaluate the feasibility and advisability of reintroducing extirpated 

species. 

 Continue to cooperate with the 

Michigan Department of Natural 

Resources (MDNR) Fisheries and 

Wildlife management staff to better 

understand populations and determine 

appropriate management actions for 

game and nongame species. 

 Work with MDNR Fisheries and 

Wildlife management staff to address 

conflicts between hunters and other 

recreational users of the Lakeshore. 

CULTURAL RESOURCES (GENERAL) 

Cultural resources are identified, evaluated, 

managed, and protected within their broader 

context. Management decisions about cultural 

resources are based on scholarly research and 

scientific information, fundamental resources 

and values, and consultation with the Michigan 

state historic preservation officer and with 

American Indians, as appropriate. The historic 

integrity of properties listed in (or eligible for 

listing in) the National Register of Historic 

Places is protected. Visitors and employees 

recognize and understand the value of the 

park’s cultural resources. Human and natural 

impacts on cultural resources are monitored, 

and adverse effects are minimized or 

eliminated. 

Strategies 

 Continue to collect information to fill 

gaps in the knowledge and understanding of the National Lakeshore’s 

cultural resources, to assess status and 

trends, and to effectively protect and 

manage cultural resources. 

 In accordance with the National 

Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 

amended, continue to locate, identify, 

and evaluate cultural resources to 

determine if they are eligible for listing 

in the National Register of Historic 

Places (national register). 

 Prepare and update national register 

nominations as appropriate. 

 Update and keep current the National 

Lakeshore’s cultural landscape inventory and List of Classified Structures 

(the NPS inventory of evaluated historic 

and prehistoric structures that have 

historical, architectural, and/or 

engineering significance) 

 Work in consultation with the Michigan 

state historic preservation officer, 

American Indian tribes as appropriate, 

and other interested parties to identify, 

evaluate, and determine appropriate 

treatment for historic structures, sites, 

and cultural landscapes throughout the 

park. 

 Conduct scholarly research and use the 

best available scientific information and 

technology for making decisions about 

management of the park’s cultural 

resources. 

 Build a partnership program that considers appropriate adaptive use to assist 

in maintaining historic buildings and 

cultural landscapes throughout the park. 

 Continue to initiate and regularly update 

plans and prioritize actions needed to 

protect cultural resources. 

 Continue to research, document, catalogue, exhibit, and store the Lakeshore’s 

museum collection according to NPS 

standards. 

19 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

 Continue to educate staff, visitors, and 

the public about cultural and historic 

issues relating to the park. 

 Treat all cultural resources as eligible for 

the national register pending formal 

determination. 

HISTORIC STRUCTURES 

The character of historic structures is preserved 

in good condition to retain a high degree of 

integrity. Whenever possible, adaptive use of 

historic structures for park needs is considered 

before building new infrastructure. 

Strategies 

 Prepare historic structure inventories 

and reports, and amend them as needed. 

Implement actions identified in historic 

structure reports and add a record of 

treatment to the reports. 

 Prepare and update national register 

nominations as appropriate. 

 Monitor, inspect, and manage identified 

and evaluated historic structures to 

enable long-term preservation of 

historic features, qualities, and materials. 

 Use historic structures as they were 

historically used, or adaptively use them 

in ways that are compatible with park 

purpose and that maximize retention of 

historic materials, features, spaces, and 

spatial relationships. 

 Consider historic buildings for appropriate adaptive use by other public and 

private entities to assist in preservation 

of the structures. 

 Create design guidelines and/or historic 

structure reports for specific areas in the 

Lakeshore to preserve architectural and 

character-defining features. Include 

provisions for design review to ensure 

the compatibility of new planning, 

design, and construction. 

 Aggressively pursue basic preservation 

maintenance activities to maintain 

historic materials in good condition. 

 Monitor and regulate use impacts to 

minimize both immediate and long-term 

damage to structures. 

 Involve historical architects and other 

professionals in work that could affect 

historic structures. 

CULTURAL LANDSCAPES 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore’s 

cultural landscapes are preserved in good 

condition to retain a high degree of integrity. 

(Cultural landscapes reflect human adaptation 

and use of natural resources and are often 

expressed in the way land is organized and 

divided, patterns of settlement, land use, systems 

of circulation, and the types of structures that 

are built.) 

Strategies 

 Prepare cultural landscape inventories 

and reports, and amend existing reports 

as needed. 

 Monitor, inspect, and manage identified 

and evaluated cultural landscapes to 

enable long-term preservation of 

historic features, qualities, and materials. 

 Implement actions identified in cultural 

landscape reports, and add a record of 

treatment to the reports. 

 Create design guidelines and/or cultural 

landscape reports for specific developed 

areas in the Lakeshore to preserve 

landscape-defining features. Include 

provisions in the guidelines for design 

review to ensure the compatibility of 

new planning, design, and construction. 

 Have cultural landscape specialists (e.g., 

historical landscape architects) prepare 

plans and specifications for preservation, rehabilitation, and restoration, in 

consultation with the park’s Natural 

Resources Division staff. 

ARCHEOLOGICAL RESOURCES 

Archeological resources in the National Lakeshore are identified and preserved. (Archeological resources are the remains of past human 

20 
Desired Conditions and Strategies 

activity and records documenting the scientific 

analysis of these remains. Archeological features 

are typically buried, but may extend above 

ground. Although archeological resources are 

commonly associated with prehistoric peoples, 

they may be products of more contemporary 

society.) 

Strategies 

 Conduct sufficient research to identify 

and evaluate park archeological 

resources and assess condition and 

potential threats. 

 Continue long-term monitoring of 

archeological sites to measure 

deterioration from natural and human 

sources and to evaluate the effectiveness 

of management actions to protect 

resources and mitigate impacts. 

 Preserve and protect archeological 

resources by eliminating and avoiding 

natural and human impacts, stabilizing 

sites and structures, monitoring 

conditions, and enforcing protective 

laws and regulations. 

 Make decisions that promote the 

preservation of archeological resources 

in place. 

 Carry out required consultation and 

legal compliance, and consider concerns 

raised. 

 Include information about archeological 

resources, as appropriate, in interpretive 

and educational programs for the 

public. 

ETHNOGRAPHIC RESOURCES 

Ethnographic resources, the cultural and 

natural features of a park that are of traditional 

significance to traditionally associated peoples, 

are identified and protected to the fullest extent 

possible. These resources may be objects, beliefs, 

or places, and may have attributes that are of 

great importance to the group but not 

necessarily associated with the reason the park 

was established or appropriate as a topic of 

park interpretation. 

 

Strategies 

 Identify and document, through studies 

and consultations, ethnographic 

resources, traditionally associated 

people and other affected groups, and 

such groups’ cultural affiliations to park 

resources. 

 Recognize the sensitivity of ethnographic resources and associated data 

and provide confidentiality to the extent 

possible under the law. 

 Have researchers formally collaborate 

with traditional cultural experts to 

develop a park strategy for dealing with 

ethnographic resources. 

 Monitor effects of use on ethnographic 

resources and effects of park plans on 

authorized uses and traditional users. 

VISITOR USE AND EXPERIENCE 

Visitors from diverse backgrounds can experience a range of opportunities consistent with the 

purpose, significance, and fundamental 

resources and values of the National Lakeshore. 

Most visitors understand and appreciate the 

purpose and significance of the National 

Lakeshore and value their stewardship role in 

preserving natural and cultural features. They 

actively contribute to the park’s preservation 

through appropriate use and behavior. Park 

programs and services are accessible to all, and 

conflicts between different user groups are 

minimized. 

Visitor use levels and activities are consistent 

with preserving park purpose, significance, and 

fundamental resources and values, and with 

providing opportunities for recreation, education, and inspiration. Management decisions 

are based on scholarly and scientific information. When such information is lacking, managers make decisions based on the best available 

information, adapting as new information 

becomes available. Regional recreational 

opportunities continue to be coordinated among 

agencies for public benefit and ease of use. 

21 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

Strategies 

 Work towards providing programs and 

facilities that are effective in reaching 

and serving diverse communities. 

 Collect data over time to monitor visitor 

experiences as part of an overall effort 

to protect desired resource conditions 

and visitor experiences. 

 Address threats to resources and the 

visitor experience by means other than 

limiting or restricting use (e.g., through 

education programs). If necessary, 

however, implement more restrictive 

methods. 

 Base restrictions on visitor use on a 

determination by the park superintendent that such measures are consistent with the park’s enabling legislation and NPS policies, are necessary to 

prevent degradation of the purposes and 

values for which the park was 

established, will minimize visitor use 

conflicts, or will provide opportunities 

for quality visitor experiences. 

VISITOR INFORMATION, 

INTERPRETATION, AND EDUCATION 

Interpretive and educational services/programs 

at the National Lakeshore facilitate intellectual 

and emotional connections between visitors and 

park resources, foster understanding of park 

resources and resource stewardship, and build a 

local and national constituency. Outreach 

programs through schools, organizations, and 

partnerships build connections to the park. 

Curriculum and place-based education inspire 

student understanding and resource stewardship. Visitors receive adequate information to 

orient themselves to the park and possible 

opportunities for a safe and enjoyable visit. 

Strategies 

 Develop and implement a 

comprehensive interpretive plan, with 

emphasis on providing information, 

orientation, and interpretive services in 

the most effective manner possible. Use 

both personal (involving authorized 

staff) and nonpersonal (not involving 

staff) services (including state-of-the-art 

technologies) as appropriate. 

 Stay informed of changing visitor 

demographics and preferences to 

effectively tailor programs for visitors. 

Develop interpretive media supportive 

of park purpose, significance, interpretive themes, and fundamental resources 

and values. 

 Continue to promote improved pre-trip 

planning information and orientation 

for park visitors through the park’s 

website and other media. Work with 

local communities and other entities to 

provide services outside park 

boundaries, where appropriate. 

 Cooperate with partners, other 

governmental agencies, educational 

institutions, and other organizations to 

enrich interpretive and educational 

opportunities locally, regionally, and 

nationally. 

 Create and implement an education 

strategy plan, which outlines goals and 

actions for providing curriculum and 

place-based education programs. 

 Continue to regularly update plans and 

prioritize actions needed to serve visitors and provide effective interpretation. 

 Continue to educate staff, visitors, and 

the public about park interpretation/ 

education programs. 

VIEWSHEDS 

The visual quality of the natural vistas and 

cultural landscapes provide park visitors with 

an immediate and lasting sensory experience 

that strongly conveys the character of the 

National Lakeshore. Key scenic vistas are 

identified and protected. Park managers work 

with neighbors, local communities, and land 

managers to preserve scenic values. 

Strategies 

 Identify and document key vistas and 

viewpoints in the park. 

22 
Desired Conditions and Strategies 

 Work with neighboring landowners, 

communities, conservancy groups, and 

management agencies to develop 

preservation goals for identified 

viewsheds, identify potential threats, 

and establish a sense of communal 

stewardship for important visual 

resources. 

 Work with neighboring communities 

and partners to preserve the scenic 

character of park entrance areas and 

corridors and complement the park’s 

key viewpoints and vistas. 

NIGHT SKY 

The naturally dark night sky is preserved. 

Artificial light sources in and outside the park do 

not hinder opportunities to see the moon, stars, 

planets, and other celestial features. Park staff 

and partners continue to work with local 

communities to encourage protection of the 

night sky. To the greatest extent possible, NPS 

staff work within a regional context to protect 

the quality of the night sky and the experience 

thereof. 

Strategies 

 Establish baseline data for the dark night 

sky through NPS programs. 

 Determine if light sources in the 

National Lakeshore exceed appropriate 

levels. Study and implement ways to 

reduce or minimize artificial and 

unnecessary light. 

NATURAL SOUNDS 

Natural soundscapes are preserved, and sounds 

of modern society are minimized. Visitors to the 

National Lakeshore have opportunities in most 

parts of the park to hear natural sounds. 

Strategies 

 Strive to collect baseline data on park 

soundscapes to understand characteristics and trends in natural soundscapes. 

 Continue to control existing and 

potential land-based noise sources: 

3⁄4 Enforce existing noise regulations. 

3⁄4 Require bus tour companies to 

comply with regulations that reduce 

noise levels (e.g., turning off engines 

when buses are parked). 

3⁄4 Limit use of generators. 

3⁄4 Maintain quiet hours in 

campgrounds. 

 Continue to work with the Federal 

Aviation Administration, commercial 

businesses, and general aviation entities 

to minimize noise and visual impacts of 

aircraft on the park. Continue to 

discourage pilots of conventional 

aircraft and ultralights from flying low 

along the National Lakeshore. If 

demand for commercial air tours 

develops, develop a commercial air tour 

management plan to address tours and 

their effects on the park. 

 Minimize noise generated by NPS use of 

noise-producing machinery such as 

motorized equipment. Consider noise 

potential when procuring and using 

park equipment. 

FACILITIES AND SERVICES 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore facilities and related development are the minimum 

necessary to serve visitor needs and protect park 

resources. Visitor and administrative facilities 

are as compatible as possible with natural 

processes and surrounding landscapes, 

aesthetically pleasing, and functional. Historic 

structures and properties are adaptively used 

when practicable and appropriate. Commercial 

services in the park are limited to those that are 

necessary and compatible with the park purpose. If possible, commercial support services 

are based outside the park rather than inside. 

Staff housing is sufficient to ensure an adequate 

level of protection for park resources, visitors, 

employees, and government property, and to 

provide necessary services. Adequate response 

(equipment and people) for visitor, resource, 

and facility protection; search-and-rescue; fire 

management; and safety is available. Decisions 

regarding park operations, facilities manage23 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

ment, and development at the National 

Lakeshore — from initial concept through 

design and construction—reflect principles of 

resource conservation and sustainability. 

Strategies 

 Build, locate, and/or modify facilities 

according to the Guiding Principles of 

Sustainable Design (NPS 1993) or 

similar guidelines. Establish architectural guidelines to ensure sustainability 

and compatibility with the natural and 

cultural environment. Properly maintain 

and upgrade existing facilities using 

sustainability principles, where possible, 

to serve the park mission. 

 Consider the availability of existing or 

planned facilities in nearby communities 

and on adjacent lands, as well as the 

possibility of joint facilities with other 

agencies, when deciding whether to 

pursue new developments in the park. 

This will ensure that any additional 

facilities in the park are necessary, 

appropriate, and cost-effective. 

 Integrate NPS asset management 

practices into decision-making and 

planning. Build, modify, and/or maintain facilities according to projected 

funding levels and defined park priorities. Consider removal of facilities that 

do not meet minimum NPS criteria and/ 

or are not cost-effective to maintain. 

 Continue to strive to provide affordable 

housing within the park for emergency 

response staff, seasonal and entry-level 

employees, volunteers, and to support 

other park needs (housing for 

researchers, etc.). 

 Provide commercial visitor services (for 

example services provided through 

concessioners) that are necessary and 

appropriate for visitor use and enjoyment through the use of concession 

contracts and commercial use authorizations. Ensure that concession 

operations are consistent with the 

protection of park resources and values 

and demonstrate sound environmental 

management and stewardship. 

ACCESSIBILITY TO THE 

NATIONAL LAKESHORE 

New and renovated facilities are designed and 

constructed to be universally accessible in 

accordance with the Americans with Disabilities 

Act of 1990 and the Architectural Barriers Act 

Accessibility Standards (2006). Visitors with 

limited mobility have opportunities to experience the dunes, surrounding sands and waters, 

historic structures and cultural landscapes and 

to enjoy representative portions of the 

backcountry. 

Strategies 

 Identify and modify existing facilities to 

meet accessibility standards as funding 

permits, or as facilities are replaced or 

rehabilitated. Design new facilities to 

meet accessibility standards. 

 Consider providing public information 

about ease of access for various facilities 

and trails. 

 Periodically consult with disabled 

persons or their representatives to 

increase awareness of the needs of the 

disabled and to determine how to make 

the park more accessible. 

 Continue to provide boardwalks and 

human-powered over-sand wheelchairs 

for visitors with special accessibility 

needs. 

 Develop park interpretive programs per 

accessibility standards and needs. 

RELATIONS WITH PRIVATE AND 

PUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS, ADJACENT 

LANDOWNERS, AND 

GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES 

The National Lakeshore is managed holistically, 

as part of a greater ecological, social, economic, 

and cultural system. Positive relations are 

maintained with inholders (those owning 

property within the park boundary), adjacent 

landowners, surrounding communities, and 

private and public groups that affect, and are 

affected by, the National Lakeshore. The 

National Lakeshore is managed proactively to 

24 
Desired Conditions and Strategies 

ensure that NPS values are effectively 

communicated and understood. 

Strategies 

 Continue to establish and foster 

partnerships with public and private 

organizations such as Friends of 

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Preserve Historic 

Sleeping Bear, and Manitou Islands 

Memorial Society to achieve the 

purposes and mission of Sleeping Bear 

Dunes National Lakeshore. 

 Foster a spirit of cooperation with 

neighbors, and encourage compatible 

uses of adjacent lands. Keep 

landowners, land managers, tribes, local 

governments, nongovernmental 

organizations, and the public informed 

about park management activities and 

issues. Consult periodically with 

landowners and communities that are 

affected by or potentially affected by 

park visitors and management actions. 

 Work closely with local, state, and 

federal agencies and tribal governments 

whose programs affect or are affected by 

activities in the National Lakeshore. 

 Continue to support and encourage 

volunteers who contribute to National 

Lakeshore programs. 

RELATIONS WITH 

AMERICAN INDIAN TRIBES 

The National Park Service recognizes that the 

Sleeping Bear dunes have long occupied a 

prominent position for American Indians in the 

Great Lakes Region and that the National 

Lakeshore is included in the Ceded Territory of 

the Treaty of 1836. Park staff work to ensure 

that traditional American Indian ties to the 

National Lakeshore are recognized; park staff 

also strive to maintain positive, productive, 

government-to-government relationships with 

tribes culturally affiliated with the park. The 

rights, viewpoints, and needs of tribes are 

respected, and issues that arise are promptly 

addressed. American Indian values are 

considered in the management and operation of 

the park. 

Strategies 

 To ensure productive, collaborative 

working relationships, consult regularly 

and maintain government-to-government relations with federally recognized 

tribes that have traditional ties to 

resources in the National Lakeshore. 

 Continue to identify and deepen the 

understanding of the significance of the 

National Lakeshore’s resources and 

landscapes to American Indian people 

through collaborative research. 

 Protect and preserve sites and resources 

that are significant to federally 

recognized tribes. 

 Create opportunities for and invite the 

participation of tribes in protecting 

natural and cultural resources of interest 

within the National Lakeshore. 

 Support the continuation of traditional 

American Indian activities in the park to 

the extent allowed by law and policy. 

 Work with tribes to conduct 

ethnographic studies that identify 

culturally significant resources. 

 Seek input from tribes during 

development of interpretive programs 

that relate to American Indians. 

 Consult with American Indians under 

the Native American Graves Protection 

and Repatriation Act for actions that 

affect or have the potential to affect 

burial remains or items of sacred or 

ceremonial significance. 

WILDERNESS 

Potential and proposed wilderness areas retain 

their wilderness characteristics and values. 

Visitors find opportunities for primitive 

recreation and solitude. Wilderness areas are 

affected primarily by the forces of nature, and 

signs of people remain substantially 

unnoticeable. 

25 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

26 

Strategies 

 Administer areas described in the 1981 

“Wilderness Recommendation” to 

maintain their existing wilderness 

character “until Congress determines 

otherwise,” as directed by Congress in 

1982. 

 Within five years after wilderness designation, if any, complete a wilderness 

management plan, to guide preservation, 

management, and use of wilderness 

areas. Ensure that management decisions affecting wilderness are consistent 

with the “minimum requirements” 

concept. In the meantime, and in 

keeping with established NPS policies 

and Director’s Order # 41 “Wilderness 

Preservation and Management,” 

continue to manage proposed 

wilderness areas as wilderness. 

LAND PROTECTION 

The National Park Service works actively with 

private landholders and reservation of use and 

occupancy holders to ensure that National 

Lakeshore resources and values are protected 

and preserved. Park staff work with 

government agencies and nongovernmental 

organizations to support efforts to protect 

adjacent lands that are important to preserving 

the resources within the Lakeshore. 

Strategies 

 Continue to recognize private property 

and water rights within the National 

Lakeshore. Continue to communicate 

with private property owners to 

understand and address each others’ 

values and concerns. 

 Use various techniques to protect 

National Lakeshore values, including 

general agreements, acquisition of 

conservation and access easements, land 

exchanges, donations, and fee-simple 

acquisition. Inholdings may be acquired 

from willing sellers or right-of-firstrefusal properties, assuming conditions 

for transfer are acceptable and 

compatible with the purposes of the 

National Lakeshore. 

 Carefully site any new telecommunication structures so as to not jeopardize 

the park’s purpose, significance, and 

fundamental resources and values 

(including viewsheds); also consider the 

park’s management zones. Permit new 

rights-of-way only with specific statutory authority and approval by NPS 

managers, and only if there is no practicable alternative to such use of NPS 

lands. 

 Continue to support the efforts of 

others to protect adjacent lands that are 

important to preserving Lakeshore 

resources through appropriate planning, 

zoning, and other protection methods. 

RESEARCH 

The National Park Service works with partners 

to learn about natural and cultural resources 

and associated values. Research priorities for 

the National Lakeshore are aligned with its 

purpose, significance, and fundamental 

resources and values. 

Strategies 

 Encourage and support basic and 

applied research through various 

partnerships and agreements to enhance 

understanding of resources and 

processes or to answer specific 

management questions. 

 Mitigate impacts of research conducted 

on natural and cultural resources, as 

needed to preserve those resources for 

future generations to enjoy and study. 

 Develop and implement criteria to 

determine whether requested research 

supports Lakeshore purpose and 

significance, or other park goals. 

 Develop/update list of research issues 

that are important to the National 

Lakeshore. 
BOUNDARY ADJUSTMENTS 

As part of general management planning, the 

National Park Service is required to identify 

and evaluate boundary adjustments that may 

be necessary or desirable to carry out the 

purposes of the park unit. Boundary 

adjustments may be recommended to 

1) protect significant resources and values, 

or to enhance opportunities for public 

enjoyment related to park purposes, 

2) address operational and management 

issues, such as the need for access or the 

need for boundaries to correspond to 

logical boundary delineations such as 

topographic or other natural features or 

roads, or 

3) otherwise protect park resources that are 

critical to fulfilling park purposes. 

Additionally, all recommendations for 

boundary changes must meet the following 

two criteria: 

4) The added lands will be feasible to 

administer considering their size, 

configuration, and ownership; costs; the 

views of and impacts on local 

communities and surrounding 

jurisdictions; and other factors such as 

the presence of hazardous substances or 

exotic species. 

5) Other alternatives for management and 

resource protection are not adequate. 

During scoping for this General Management 

Plan, some members of the public suggested 

specific areas to consider including within the 

boundaries of Sleeping Bear Dunes National 

Lakeshore. For these boundary adjustments 

to be recommended, at least one of criteria 1–

3 above must be met, and both criteria 4 and 5

must be met. NPS staff did a preliminary 

evaluation of properties that appeared to have 

the potential to meet the criteria above. 

However, none of the properties or areas 

evaluated fulfill these requirements (see 

appendix B for more information), so they are 

not included as additions to the boundary in 

any of the alternatives in this plan. 

However, one alternative does propose the 

deletion of the Benzie Corridor, which would 

be a boundary adjustment requiring congressional legislation. The establishment of a 

scenic southern entrance road to the park was 

included in the National Lakeshore’s 

establishing legislation, and the park 

boundary includes the Benzie Corridor for 

that reason. Land has become increasingly 

expensive in this area, however, and private 

development continues to take place in the 

corridor, raising questions as to whether 

acquiring enough land for a scenic southern 

entrance is still feasible. The planning team 

felt that there were valid reasons for 

considering the removal of the Benzie 

Corridor and thus included the removal of the 

corridor in alternative A. 

27 
RELATIONSHIP OF THE GENERAL MANAGEMENT 

PLAN TO OTHER PLANNING EFFORTS 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore does 

not exist separately from its surroundings. 

Several plans for areas within or near the 

National Lakeshore could influence or be 

influenced by actions presented in this 

General Management Plan / Wilderness Study / 

Environmental Impact Statement and must be 

considered. These relevant plans and studies 

are listed below. 

NPS MANAGEMENT 

PLANS AND STUDIES 

Scenic Road Feasibility Study 

The “Scenic Road Feasibility Study, Sleeping 

Bear Dunes National Lakeshore” (NPS 1982) 

assessed the feasibility of developing a scenic 

road within the Benzie Corridor. The study 

consists of two parts. The first part describes 

the road (alignment, engineering specifications, estimated cost, and scenic aspects) and 

supporting facilities such as picnic sites, associated trails, and parking areas. The second 

part evaluates engineering feasibility, projected need for the road, and environmental and 

socioeconomic impacts that would be 

associated with constructing the road. 

The no-action alternative and alternative B in 

this General Management Plan / Wilderness 

Study / Environmental Impact Statement

include the Benzie Corridor scenic road 

concept as envisioned in the 1982 feasibility 

study. For the no-action alternative (continuation of current conditions and activities), the 

NPS planning team assumed that the scenic 

road would not be built within the life of this 

General Management Plan, so road construction is not assessed for this alternative. For 

alternative B, the planning team assumed that 

the road would be constructed within the life 

of this plan, so road construction is assessed 

for this alternative. The preferred alternative 

in this plan retains the option for either the 

scenic road concept as envisioned in 1982 or 

for a hike/bike path — to be decided at a 

future date. Because the decision would be 

based on a separate environmental document 

using up-to-date information at an unknown 

time in the future, the preferred alternative 

assumes that construction of either option 

would not occur within the life of this plan. 

Alternatives A and C in this plan explore 

scenarios for the Benzie Corridor other than 

that envisioned in the 1982 feasibility study 

(see “Chapter 2: Alternatives, Including the 

Preferred Alternative” for more information). 

Platte River Management Plan 

The “Platte River Management Plan” (NPS 

1992b) provided management guidance for 

the Platte River corridor, including the 

developed area near the river mouth. 

Elements of the “Platte River Management 

Plan” have been implemented. Actions in the 

General Management Plan alternatives are 

consistent with the “Platte River Management 

Plan.” 

Fire Management Plan 

The “Fire Management Plan” (NPS 2005a) for 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was 

prepared to address U. S. Department of the 

Interior and NPS policies related to wildland 

fire management. The plan: (1) presents goals 

for preparedness and suppression, hazard 

fuels management, vegetation management, 

and public use/awareness; (2) identifies fire 

management units; and (3) identifies actions 

for fire suppression, wildland fire use, 

prescribed fire use, and non-fire treatments to 

reduce hazard fuels. Implementation of the 

Fire Management Plan will help the National 

Lakeshore achieve the desired conditions 

28 
Relationship of the General Management Plan to Other Planning Efforts 

related to natural resource management and 

cultural resource preservation presented in 

this plan. 

Strategic Plan 

The “Strategic Plan” (NPS 2005b) for Sleeping 

Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a five-year 

plan that contains a mission statement born 

out of the NPS Organic Act and the specific 

legislation that established the National 

Lakeshore. It includes mission goals for the 

Lakeshore that closely parallel NPS mission 

goals. It also includes objectives, measurable 

targets to be achieved over a five-year time 

frame. Achievement of these targets 

demonstrates progress toward meeting the 

Lakeshore’s mission goals. The desired 

conditions identified in this General 

Management Plan provide information 

necessary to update the Strategic Plan.

Port Oneida Rural Historic District 

Environmental Assessment 

The Port Oneida Rural Historic District (Port 

Oneida) is representative of late 19th and early 

20th century farm landscapes of the upper 

Midwest and includes 19 farms and more than 

3,400 acres of land. The need for the proposed 

project is driven by the deterioration of 

cultural resources, with approximately 35 of 

the 110 historic structures in poor to fair 

condition and requiring immediate work. 

Visitation is increasing at Port Oneida and the 

area currently lacks visitor support services. 

There are no basic facilities such as public 

restrooms, a visitor contact station, picnic 

shelters, or adequate parking areas. The Port 

Oneida Rural Historic District Environmental 

Assessment assessed four action alternatives 

that would provide for a visitor contact station 

and employee housing (in rehabilitated 

historic structures), improved circulation, 

rehabilitation and stabilization of historic 

structures, and stabilization of cultural 

landscapes. The action alternatives would 

provide physical improvements to Port 

Oneida by creating visitor amenities, 

rehabilitating or stabilizing historic structures, 

and restoring or stabilizing historic landscape 

features. As of late 2007, funding for the Port 

Oneida improvements had not been obtained. 

Actions in the General Management Plan

alternatives are consistent with the “Port 

Oneida Environmental Assessment.” 

COUNTY AND REGIONAL PLANS 

Leelanau General Plan 

The “Leelanau General Plan” (Leelanau 

County 2005) for Leelanau County, Michigan, 

was first adopted in 1995, and updates were 

approved by the Leelanau County Planning 

Commission in 2000 and 2005. The “Leelanau 

General Plan” is intended to serve as the 

foundation for planning within Leelanau 

County. The principal goal of the “Leelanau 

General Plan” is to 

establish a strategy for guiding growth 

that protects and, where possible, 

enhances the unique character of life 

on the peninsula. To that end, the 

General Plan focuses on balancing 

environmental protection, resource 

management, and economic development so as to provide a foundation for 

a suitable economy that permits long 

term prosperity for all present and 

future Leelanau County residents. The 

balance so achieved should not sacrifice environmental quality when 

reasonable and prudent development 

alternatives exist. This plan recognizes 

that a healthy economy depends on a 

healthy environment. Achievement of 

this goal means protecting the integrity 

of the land base for use by present 

generations without unnecessarily 

compromising the options of future 

generations. 

29 
CHAPTER 1:INTRODUCTION

Management alternatives for the National 

Lakeshore assessed in this document are 

consistent with the principal goal of the 

“Leelanau General Plan.” 

Benzie County 2020 Comprehensive Plan 

The purpose of the “Benzie County 2020 

Comprehensive Plan” (Benzie County 2000) is 

to provide policy and guide decision-making 

for land and infrastructure development 

decisions within Benzie County. The plan 

identifies key planning issues; describes the 

community’s character; outlines a community 

vision for the year 2020; identifies goals, 

policies, and actions for achieving the 2020 

vision; describes and maps existing and future 

land uses; establishes public facility standards; 

identifies transportation improvements; and 

recommends specific implementation 

measures. The plan identifies the Benzie 

Corridor as a “sensitive environment” 

(sensitive environments include “wetlands, 

steep slopes, floodplains, dunes, and others”). 

The plan indicates that the preferred future 

land use for the Benzie Corridor is primarily 

“rural residential” (average residential density 

is less than one dwelling unit per 10 acres) 

with some “farm preservation” (overall 

development density is less than one dwelling 

unit per 40 acres and the purpose is to preserve large, contiguous areas for farming) in 

the eastern portion of the corridor. The alternatives in this General Management Plan / 

Wilderness Study / Environmental Impact 

Statement propose various options for the 

Benzie Corridor. Management alternatives for 

the National Lakeshore assessed in this 

document are consistent with the principal 

goal of the “Benzie County 2020 

Comprehensive Plan.” 

Benzie County Open Space and 

Natural Resources Protection Plan 

The “Benzie County Open Space and Natural 

Resources Protection Plan” (Benzie County 

2002) identifies county lands that are high 

priority for protection and explains why they 

are a high priority. The plan suggests that 

some of the most important open space and 

natural resource lands should be purchased if 

the owners are willing to sell all or part of their 

development rights. The plan also provides 

tools for property owners to use in transferring development rights to local government 

or conservation organizations in ways that 

benefit the property owners and are practical 

for the community. The plan identifies the 

Benzie Corridor as a high priority scenic 

corridor protection area based on concerns 

about preserving views of the natural ridgeline 

from surrounding areas. The alternatives in 

this General Management Plan / Wilderness 

Study / Environmental Impact Statement propose various options for the Benzie Corridor. 

All the management alternatives assessed in 

this document except alternative A would be 

consistent with the principal goal of the 

“Benzie County Open Space and Natural 

Resources Protection Plan.” Alternative A 

recommends removing the Benzie Corridor 

from the National Lakeshore boundary, 

which would likely mean less protection of 

scenic and natural qualities. 

COOPERATIVE PLANS 

Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route Trailway 

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is 

working with the Leelanau Scenic Heritage 

Route Committee on planning for a 27-mile 

nonmotorized trailway. The route would 

generally follow M-22 and M-109 through the 

National Lakeshore from the Lakeshore's 

northern boundary at County Road 651 to the 

Leelanau–Benzie County line at Manning 

Road south of Empire, Michigan. The trailway 

would connect visitor sites and facilities, 

including campgrounds, historic sites, 

beaches, trailheads, and other points of 

interest within the National Lakeshore. It 

would also provide a nonmotorized trail 

connection between the villages of Empire 

30 
Relationship of the General Management Plan to Other Planning Efforts 

31 

and Glen Arbor. The trailway would be on 

public land (either Michigan Department of 

Transportation right-of-way or National 

Lakeshore property).Where possible, the 

trailway would also be separated from the 

roadway to provide safe, alternative recreation 

and transportation opportunities for 

Lakeshore visitors and residents. 

Grant funds and donations have been used to 

contract with an architectural, design, and 

engineering firm to conduct a pre-engineering 

study and environmental assessment to 

determine the trail route and alignment, 

design concept, probable cost and range of 

uses for a multipurpose trailway. The project 

falls under the umbrella of the Leelanau 

Scenic Heritage Route, designated in 2001 

under the Michigan Department of 

Transportation State Heritage Route Program 

and coordinated by the Northwest Michigan 

Council of Governments. The Leelanau 

Scenic Heritage Route committee appointed a 

Trailway Work Group, which includes the 

Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, the National Park Service, Friends of 

Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan Department 

of Transportation, Traverse Area Recreation 

and Transportation (TART) Trails, local 

governments, and citizens. After completion 

and review of the environmental assessment 

and pre-engineering study, in cooperation 

with the Michigan Department of Transportation and the National Park Service, the 

Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route committee 

hopes to apply for Federal Transportation 

Enhancement funds to design and construct 

the trailway. The Leelanau Scenic Heritage 

Route Trailway is included in each action 

alternative. The goals of the trailway support 

the desired conditions for visitor use and 

experience at the Lakeshore.
ONGOING NPS PROJECTS AND PROJECTS 

PLANNED FOR THE NEAR FUTURE 

Projects that are ongoing or that are funded 

and likely to be initiated (or even completed) 

before this GMP/WS effort is complete are 

listed below. These projects are not part of 

actions proposed in this General Management 

Plan / Wilderness Study / Environmental Impact 

Statement and will be (or have been) covered 

under separate environmental compliance 

documents. These projects are considered in 

the cumulative effects sections of this 

document. 

BEACH ACCESS IMPROVEMENTS — 

ENDS OF LEELANAU COUNTY ROADS 

651 AND 669 

In cooperation with the Leelanau County 

Road Commission, improvements will be 

made to beach access at the ends of Leelanau 

County Roads 651 and 669. The National Park 

Service will provide paved designated off-road 

parking areas (about 25 spaces each) to 

improve vehicular circulation and pedestrian 

safety and reduce damage to roadside 

resources that results from parking along the 

road shoulders. Each site will be provided 

with potable water service, picnic tables, 

visitor information panels, accessible parking 

spaces, and other accessible facilities. 

GLEN HAVEN VILLAGE 

IMPROVEMENTS 

This project will combine preservation and 

interpretation of the historic Glen Haven 

village with outdoor recreational use at one of 

the National Lakeshore’s busiest beaches. The 

National Park Service will preserve and 

stabilize historic structures and will provide 

interpretive information, audiovisual site 

history, boat exhibits, asbestos removal, 

housing, underground utility service, parking, 

sidewalks, and boardwalks and facilities for 

picnicking, visitor education, and recreation. 

Historic structures will be rehabilitated for 

visitor use facilities and interpretation and/or 

adaptive use by partners. This project will 

provide operational efficiencies and reduce 

visitor impacts on the adjacent dunes that 

provide critical habitat for the endangered 

piping plover. 

LAKE MICHIGAN OVERLOOKS 

IMPROVEMENTS—PIERCE 

STOCKING SCENIC DRIVE 

Lake Michigan Overlooks 9 and 10 on the 

Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive will be improved 

to address natural resource, scenic, safety, and 

maintenance concerns. The perched dune 

bluff at this location, which is one of the 

Lakeshore’s fundamental resources, is about 

450 feet above Lake Michigan. The path from 

the parking area to the overlooks takes visitors 

directly across the top of the bluff face, and 

despite signs discouraging visitors from 

descending in the sand toward Lake 

Michigan, many do so. Safety is a concern 

because some visitors are injured during the 

descent from missteps or falls or during the 

ascent from heart and heat-related illnesses. 

The heavy and concentrated foot traffic in this 

location has caused considerable erosion of 

the dune face. Finally, maintaining the current 

configuration of the path and overlooks is 

difficult and not cost-effective because of the 

need to frequently remove the blowing and 

shifting sand. 

RESTORE THE FORMER WATER 

WHEEL AND CASEY’S CANOE 

LIVERIES — PLATTE RIVER 

The Platte River banks at the former Water 

Wheel and Casey’s canoe liveries are being 

restored. Collapsing retaining walls at the sites 

32 
Ongoing NPS Projects and Projects Planned for the Near Future 

posed a visitor safety hazard and impaired the 

river channel’s natural function and 

appearance. An environmental assessment 

was completed in August 2007. The retaining 

walls and backfill have been removed, and 

restoration activities are underway. 

RESTORATION OF DISTURBED 

AREAS WITHIN THE NATIONAL 

LAKESHORE 

The National Park Service will continue to 

restore nonhistoric areas disturbed by past 

land uses to more natural conditions. Where 

cultural resources are probable, national 

register evaluation would occur before a 

decision as to final disposition is made. Such 

actions would, as always, be undertaken in 

consultation with the state historic preservation office. Structures on these properties may 

have deteriorated, presenting serious health 

and safety concerns. Many of these areas have 

nonnative vegetation, disturbed soils, and 

disturbed topographic and hydrologic 

patterns. Some of the areas are in statedesignated critical dunes. There is concern 

that threatened or endangered native plants 

such as Pitcher’s thistle and three-birds orchid 

will be overtaken by nonnative invasive 

species such as leafy spurge, garlic mustard, 

and Scotch pine. To restore these areas, the 

National Park Service will remove any 

nonhistoric structures, remove or otherwise 

mitigate any hazardous materials, and 

reestablish more natural landforms. Nonnative vegetation will be removed, and native 

vegetation will be reestablished using seeds, 

transplants, and cuttings from other areas of 

the National Lakeshore. The ultimate goal is 

restoration of natural habitats and processes. 

SOUTH MANITOU LIGHTHOUSE 

COMPLEX — EXTERIOR 

RESTORATION AND INTERIOR 

REHABILITATION 

The National Park Service will restore the 

exterior of the keeper’s quarters and 

connecting passageways. The structures’ 

interiors will be rehabilitated to allow for 

public access and displays. Work will include 

painting walls and trim, refinishing floors, and 

repairing some plaster walls. (See page 40 for 

cultural resources treatment definitions.) 

DUNE CLIMB PARKING AREA — 

PAVING AND OTHER MINOR 

IMPROVEMENTS 

The National Park Service will pave the Dune 

Climb parking area and make other minor 

improvements to alleviate vehicular 

circulation and drainage problems and 

improve access for the disabled. 

33