Aspects of the Omnibus Public Lands Act

cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (photo by JHY)

based in part on a news article in the Grand Rapids Press, "Federal act to protect Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior, other public lands creates buzz," by Howard Myerson, April 4, 2009

Monday, President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Act, and their was a collective sigh of relief from all who have been waiting a long time for various provisions of the 160 bills that made up the Act.

Along the North Country Trail, the closest determination about a parcel of land is the 11,740-acre Beaver Basin Wilderness at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior. The trail does not actually traverse this particular section, although it is nearby. And there won't be any change in the way the Beaver Basin is managed. It's actually been managed as wilderness since 2004 when it was identified as potential designated wilderness.

President Lyndon Johnson signed the federal Wilderness Act in 1964. It was a landmark legislation that defined the term for the American public and created the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The North Country Trail passes through four such designated wilderness areas: McCormick in Michigan's UP, Rainbow Lake and Porcupine in Wisconsin, and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota. The Rock River Canyon Wilderness, also in the UP, is directly in the route of the NCT, but the NCT has been denied passage there, and must officially bypass it. Hikers, however, often choose to hike through rather than follow a road walk.

Of course, the biggest effect of the new Act is Willing Seller Authority for the National Park Service. Bruce Mathews, NCTA Executive director, said that provision long has been needed. "It's the first of two steps," he said. Getting Congress to authorize funding comes next.

See North Country Trail Gains Willing Seller Authority
See Michigan Rep Wants to Remove Beaver Basin from Wilderness Proposal

Bridal Veil in WInter

ice climber on Bridal Veil falls in Pictured Rocks, Michigan (photo by Lars Jensen)

The Pictured Rocks of Michigan are certainly one of the best known places along the North Country Trail. However, a few of the features really need a winter trip to be seen best.

hiker at the top of a waterfall- look on the far left to see water trickling down the slope (photo by JHY)

Several of the waterfalls like Bridal Veil just don't look like much in the summer from the trail. The falls in this picture is farther west than Bridal Veil, but they look very much alike from the top. When things are drier in the summer there isn't much water sliding over the top of the cliff. And you just can't see much of the falls from the top either. However, in winter the difference is amazing.

ice climber on Bridal Veil falls in Pictured Rocks, Michigan (photo by Lars Jensen)

Lars Jensen visits Pictured Rocks regularly, with many of his adventures taking place in the winter. Bridal Veil is Michigan's highest waterfall at 140 feet.

See Ice Climbing at Pictured Rocks 2009

Michigan Rep Wants to Remove Beaver Basin from Wilderness Plan

Beaver Basin area, which is just east of Chapel Rock (from NPS map)

based on a news article in The Mining Journal

U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, plans to introduce an amendment to the omnibus lands bill to remove a provision designating the Beaver Basin area within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore as wilderness.

"I have an amendment to strike out the wilderness designation for Beaver Basin area in the Pictured Rocks," Stupak said Friday during a taping of WNMU's "Media Meet" which will air next weekend. "Hopefully, I can get my amendment through. If not, I don't know what I'll do. It's a massive bill."

Another Upper Peninsula area is included in the bill, benefitting Keweenaw National Historical Park. Stupak supports that provision. However, he feels quite differently about the 11,739 acres within Pictured Rocks. He says that he supports Pictured Rocks, but does not want to see any more designated wilderness there because it imposes restrictions on use.

"I have a real aversion to restricting access to property. And when you start going from national park -there's some restrictions on you there - into a wilderness area, then they really do restrict trails, snowmobiles, four-wheelers, some kind of camping, no motorized vehicles," Stupak said. "I'm just not ready to go there. We have enough of those areas in the U.P. we don't need more." He adds that neither Alger County nor the city of Munising support the designation.

The Beaver Basin area is about 16% of the total 71,000 acres of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Park officials say that nothing about the management of the area will change if the designation is made, but Stupak says that because the management plans are renewed every five years there are no guarantees.

Stupak did say that he is not likely to vote against the bill even if he cannot get the Beaver Basin provision removed. Often, in considering amendments, other lawmakers will defer to the judgment of local legislators.

Although the North Country Trail runs through Pictured Rocks, the most important provision in the Public Lands Bill is that it would authorize the federal government to purchase land from willing sellers for the North Country National Scenic Trail. Since the 1990's several of the National Trails have been trying to get this bill through Congress. In many years it passed one congressional body, but not the other. In one year both houses passed a bill, but did not include the same language, so it did not become law.

The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the bill next week. It was recently passed by the Senate. If it passes, this will be one of the most significant milestones for the NCT.

See Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
See Representative Bart Stupak

Senate Passes Omnibus Public Lands Act

Indian Head at Pictured Rocks (photo by J Young)

compiled from several souces

On January 15 the Senate passed S-22, the Omnibus Trails Bill. The North Country Trail was a big winner, as the legislation known as "Willing Seller" is a part of that bill. If the bill is now passed by the House, the National Park Service would for the first time, be allowed to purchase land to complete the trail. Purchases can only be made from willing sellers.

Also in the bill is protection as wilderness of 11,739 acres in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore along Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The NCT also traverses Pictured Rocks.

The package of more than 160 bills now moves to the House of Representatives, which is expected to consider it in the coming weeks. It must pass both houses before becoming law. If it is enacted the law will be the greatest increase of the National Wilderness Preservation System in 15 years, adding 2.1 million acres to the wilderness system.

Many of the provisions protect lands in the western United States, where the bill met with some stiff opposition. The bill passed 73-21.

How NCT state senators voted:
New York: Clinton- Yes, Schumer- Yes
Pennsylvania: Casey- Yes, Specter- Yes
Ohio: Brown- No Vote, Voinovich- Yes
Michigan: Levin- Yes, Stabenow- Yes
Wisconsin: Feingold- Yes, Kohl- Yes
Minnesota: Klobuchar- Yes, (other seat still undetermined)
North Dakota: Dorgan- Yes, Conrad- Yes


You can read the full text of the bill and check on its status at Thomas.gov

See Senate Votes 'Yes' on Public Lands Protection Package
U.S. Senate Breaks Blockade of Public Lands Bills by Dr. No

Program - Trail Through Pictured Rocks

from Roy Krantz of the Midland Hiking Club

Speaker and Midland Hiking Club member, Jim Knarr, will present a program on hiking the Lakeshore Trail at Pictured Rocks (incidently rated the number one backpack in Michigan by Jim DuFresne). This is also the route of the North Country Trail. Jim will also talk about dehydrating your own food for the trail.

Additionally, there will be discussion about PBLs (personal locator beacons) and anything else the group wants to talk about.

This Thursday, at the Little Forks Outfitters in Downtown Midland, Michigan, 7 pm.