I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6291 

To retitle Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana Dunes National 

Park, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 

Mr. VISCLOSKY (for himself, Mrs. WALORSKI, Mr. STUTZMAN, Mr. ROKITA, 

Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana, Mr. MESSER, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. 

BUCSHON, and Mr. YOUNG of Indiana) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To retitle Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore as Indiana 

Dunes National Park, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘The Indiana Dunes 

5 National Park Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The Great Lakes form the largest fresh9 water system on Earth. Lake Michigan, by volume, 


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1 is the second largest Great Lake and the only Great 

2 Lake located wholly within the United States. 

3 (2) The southern shore of Lake Michigan in4 cludes some of the most geologically and biologically 

5 diverse areas in the United States. 

6 (3) The unique features that comprise the 

7 southern shore of the Lake Michigan, also known as 

8 the Indiana Dunes, were formed over the course of 

9 12,000 years by natural forces, including glaciers, 

10 wind, and water. Glacial melting and fluctuations in 

11 the water level resulted in the formation of as many 

12 as 7 shorelines. This process resulted in the bio13 logically diverse beaches, sand dunes, and inter-dune 

14 wetlands that can be seen today. 

15 (4) Native American peoples inhabited the Indi16 ana Dunes region for over 10,000 years, including 

17 the Miami and Potawatomi Indian tribes. 

18 (5) Local conservation efforts to preserve the 

19 Indiana Dunes began as early as 1899 when Henry 

20 Cowles, a botanist from the University of Chicago 

21 who is known for being one of the founders of con22 temporary ecological study and thought, published 

23 an article entitled ‘‘Ecological Relations of the Vege24 tation on Sand Dunes of Lake Michigan’’ in the BoVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:39 Oct 06, 2016 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6291.IH H6291

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1 tanical Gazette, bringing international attention to 

2 the intricate ecosystems existing on the dunes. 

3 (6) On October 30, 1916, one month after the 

4 establishment of the National Park Service, Stephen 

5 Mather, the first Director of the National Park 

6 Service, held hearings in Chicago, Illinois, to gauge 

7 public sentiment on a ‘‘Sand Dunes National Park,’’ 

8 which would have established much of the southern 

9 shore of Lake Michigan as one of the United States 

10 first national parks. 

11 (7) Four hundred people attended this hearing 

12 and 42 people, including Henry Cowles, spoke in 

13 favor of the park proposal. There were no oppo14 nents. However, plans for a ‘‘Sand Dunes National 

15 Park’’ were delayed because the United States en16 tered World War I and national focus shifted away 

17 from national parks to national defense. 

18 (8) Local conservation efforts to preserve the 

19 Indiana Dunes persisted after World War I and cul20 minated in the establishment of the Indiana Dunes 

21 State Park in 1925 and the Indiana Dunes National 

22 Lakeshore in 1966, established by Public Law 89– 

23 761. 


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1 (9) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was 

2 subsequently expanded in 1976, 1980, 1986, and 

3 1992. 

4 (10) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 

5 and the adjacent Indiana Dunes State Park are 

6 comprised of over 15,000 acres of dunes, oak savan7 nas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and 

8 forests that are currently preserved for public enjoy9 ment. This includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan 

10 shoreline, spanning the distance from Gary, Indiana, 

11 to Michigan City, Indiana. 

12 (11) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 

13 one of the most biologically diverse National Park 

14 Service units, containing 2,336 unique species, in15 cluding 896 animal species and 1,407 plant species. 

16 (12) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 

17 a cherished cultural landmark, attracting millions of 

18 visitors each year. 

19 (13) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 

20 an especially important feeding and resting area for 

21 migrating land and water birds, boasting 350 unique 

22 species. 

23 (14) Institutions such as the Dunes Learning 

24 Center attract youth and other community members 

25 to the Lakeshore and provide them with insight on 


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1 the biodiversity and historical significance of the In2 diana Dunes. 

3 SEC. 3. INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE RETITLED 

4 AS INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Public Law 89–761 (16 U.S.C. 

6 460u et seq.) is amended— 

7 (1) by striking ‘‘National Lakeshore’’ each 

8 place it appears and inserting ‘‘National Park’’; and 

9 (2) by striking ‘‘lakeshore’’ each place it ap10 pears and inserting ‘‘Park’’. 

11 (b) NONAPPLICATION.—The amendment made by 

12 subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to the title of the map 

13 referred to in the first section of Public Law 89–761 (16 

14 U.S.C. 460u). 

Æ 


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