The National Park Service is midway through a planning process that will determine how Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore gets used in the future. A previous effort along the same lines was derailed when a local advocacy group, Citizens for Access to the Lakeshore, enlisted the support of powerful local and state politicians to argue for more recreational and motorized access to the park, according to this Record-Eagle article. Others feel equally strongly that the park should be preserved as wilderness as much as possible, but have not succeeded in attracting the attention that Citizens for Access to the Lakeshore has.

The complete newsletter where the Park Service outlines the GMP issues and alternatives is available at www.nps.gov/slbe. There you’ll also find background information, a link to submit your thoughts and comments, and a schedule of public meetings to discuss the issues.