Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, a series of 21 islands and 12 miles of shoreline in Lake Superior, is one of Wisconsin’s natural gems. If it became a national park, it would be Wisconsin’s first.
This week, lawmakers began the process to add the area to the national park system, but the measure is already sparking controversy. Here’s what you need to know.
What Is Apostle Islands National Lakeshore?
This series of 21 islands along Lake Superior is located in far northeastern Wisconsin, about 80 miles from Duluth, Minn. Highlights of the island include sea caves, sandy beaches, and the biggest group of lighthouses in the National Park Service (NPS) system. Kayaking, camping, fishing, and boating are popular activities. It became a national lakeshore in 1970.
The islands are home to a variety of wildlife, including the endangered American marten, a member of the same family as weasels, and the endangered Long Island Piping Plover, a type of bird.
Making It a National Park
National parks can only be created by an act of Congress. There is a long history of representatives introducing bills to make their local areas national parks to boost economic development and tourism dollars.
A California congressman (unsuccessfully) spent years in the 1970s trying to get the Santa Monica Mountains declared a national park. In 2025, Arizona’s two senators, Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego, introduced a bill to make Chiricahua National Monument a national park.
Apostle Islands cleared the first hurdle in the legal process this week. On Feb. 11, the Apostle Islands National Park Act advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources in a narrow 20-17 vote. Next, the bill will go before the entire House for a vote.
Though the U.S. currently has 63 national parks, lawmakers have shown openness to establishing new ones in recent years. The last new national park created was New River Gorge in 2020.
Those in Favor
The bill to create comes from Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI). “The Apostle Islands are one of Wisconsin’s greatest natural treasures. With their sandstone cliffs, historic lighthouses, and iconic ice caves, they are worthy of becoming our state’s first National Park,” Tiffany said in a press release.
“Upgrading them from a National Lakeshore to a National Park would honor our heritage, protect these Lake Superior gems, and strengthen local communities for generations.”
The measure has the support of several other Wisconsin representatives, including Bryan Steil, Derrick Van Orden, Congressman Scott Fitzgerald, Glenn Grothman, and Tony Wied, another press release stated.
Local entities that endorsed the redesignation include the Washburn County Board, Hayward Mayor Gary Gillis, the Superior Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Oma, the Sawyer County Board, the Burnett County Economic Development, and the Price County Board of Supervisors.
The Opposition
Tiffany first brought up this idea in July 2024, and it’s been sparking controversy ever since. Wisconsin Public Radio has documented a substantial amount of local opposition, particularly from Native American tribes.
“To the Tribe’s knowledge, there has been no environmental impact study; no economic impact study; no infrastructure impact study; no cultural and treaty rights impact study; and no mention of what specific federal fiscal resources this change would bring to the area,” the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa said in a press release.
In the announcement of the bill, Tiffany’s office said that “the legislation affirms all treaty rights and Tribal sovereignty.”
Other concerns surround the impact that a boost in tourism would have on housing costs and the environment. Together, two of the counties around the Apostle Islands, Ashland and Bayfield, have a population of about 33,000.
According to NPS data, the lakeshore saw 253,000 visitors in 2024 and 247,000 in 2023. Typically, an area being elevated to national park status boosts visitor numbers over time.
In August 2024, the Bayfield County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution opposing the legislation. “There were no local public informational meetings held to inform the public, the tourist industry, and park users about the proposal which would have allowed the public to ask questions, receive answers, and to offer their suggestions and input,” it stated. The City of Bayfield Common Council adopted a very similar resolution.
Wisconsin Green Fire, a conservation advocacy group, also criticized the idea of the islands becoming a national park. “Congressman Tiffany’s recent proposal to replace the Lakeshore with a National Park and Preserve is much more than a name change — there would also be significant ecological, economic, social, legal, and operational impacts,” it stated. The group also called for an independent review and study of potential effects.
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38 Comments
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The cost guidance is better than expected. If they deliver, the stock could rerate.
Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.
I like the balance sheet here—less leverage than peers.
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Good point. Watching costs and grades closely.