Time to Step Up to Protect Thunder Bay Sanctuary

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron is the nation's only freshwater marine sanctuary. It's popular — attracting tourists and school children interested in Great Lakes maritime history and learning more about "Shipwreck Alley" where more than 100 ships met their tragic fate. It has spurred economic growth in Alpena which hosts the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center. Boat tours running from Alpena and up the shoreline to Mackinac City enable visitors to see preserved shipwrecks and the scenic bays and islands. Adventurous scuba divers can explore many wrecks. The Environmental Law & Policy Center and 14 Great Lakes groups filed joint comments with the U.S. Department of Commerce urging that it not cut the size of this popular National Marine Sanctuary. Michigan Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow and bipartisan Representatives Jack Bergman, Debbie Dingell, Daniel Kildee, Brenda Lawrence, Dave Trott and Fred Upton sent a joint letter to Ross stating: "We write to express our strong opposition to reducing the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary … The expansion of this sanctuary in Lake Huron in 2014, which was the result of a rigorous approval process with extensive public input, is critical to Michigan's economy and heritage."