tanical Gazette, bringing international attention to 
the intricate ecosystems existing on the dunes. 
(6) On October 30, 1916, one month after the 
establishment of the National Park Service, Stephen 
Mather, the first Director of the National Park 
Service, held hearings in Chicago, Illinois, to gauge 
public sentiment on a ‘‘Sand Dunes National Park’’, 
which would have established much of the southern 
shore of Lake Michigan as one of the United States 
first national parks. 
(7) Four hundred people attended this hearing 
and 42 people, including Henry Cowles, spoke in 
favor of the park proposal. There were no oppo-
nents. However, plans for a ‘‘Sand Dunes National 
Park’’ were delayed because the United States en-
tered World War I and national focus shifted away 
from national parks to national defense. 
(8) Local conservation efforts to preserve the 
Indiana Dunes persisted after World War I and cul-
minated in the establishment of the Indiana Dunes 
State Park in 1925 and the Indiana Dunes National 
Lakeshore in 1966, established by Public Law 89– 
761. 
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(9) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore was 
subsequently expanded in 1976, 1980, 1986, and 
1992. 
(10) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore 
and the adjacent Indiana Dunes State Park are 
comprised of over 15,000 acres of dunes, oak savan-
nas, swamps, bogs, marshes, prairies, rivers, and 
forests that are currently preserved for public enjoy-
ment. This includes 15 miles of Lake Michigan 
shoreline, spanning the distance from Gary, Indiana, 
to Michigan City, Indiana. 
(11) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 
one of the most biologically diverse National Park 
Service units, containing 2,336 unique species, in-
cluding 896 animal species and 1,407 plant species. 
(12) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 
a cherished cultural landmark, attracting millions of 
visitors each year. 
(13) The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is 
an especially important feeding and resting area for 
migrating land and water birds, boasting 350 unique 
species. 
(14) Institutions such as the Dunes Learning 
Center attract youth and other community members 
to the Lakeshore and provide them with insight on 
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the biodiversity and historical significance of the In-
diana Dunes. 
SEC. 3. INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE RETITLED 
AS INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL PARK. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Public Law 89–761 (16 U.S.C. 
460u et seq.) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘National Lakeshore’’ each 
place it appears and inserting ‘‘National Park’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘lakeshore’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘Park’’. 
(b) NONAPPLICATION.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a)(1) shall not apply to the title of the map 
referred to in the first section of Public Law 89–761 (16 
U.S.C. 460u). 
Æ 
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