The effort needed to strike the balance between human and nature's uses is profound. Most coastal wetlands and nearshore aquatic habitats have been eliminated or degraded. The effect of natural forces on sand transport and shoreline development has been greatly reduced or eliminated entirely in some areas. Fish populations have changed dramatically since settlement. Original keystone predator species have been replaced with stocked species.
Native species are subject to extreme stresses as a result of exotic species invasions.
Lake Michigan's fisheries represent a strong potential economic, recreational, and environmental benefit for the Illinois - Indiana area. Significant work is required to develop healthy, sustainable populations of fish species in degraded habitats, including mitigating human impacts and preventing further exotic species invasion. Federal policy tools may prove most helpful in achieving these ends. Former and working industrial sites in the Chicago area are beginning to serve as habitats for viable fish and bird populations, suggesting that conditions are favorable for urban habitat recovery. It is essential to preserve rare habitats that cannot feasibly be replaced, such as the dune and swale systems of northwestern Indiana.