House votes to expand National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Huron, near Alpena

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday extending the boundary of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (in Lake Huron). The expanded boundaries will include waters off Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle Counties in Michigan and east to the international boundary with Canada. U.S. Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) introduced H.R. 905, which passed the House 286 to 107. The bill was co-sponsored by Michigan Congressmen Dale Kildee (D-Flint), Thaddeus McCotter (R-Livonia) and Vernon Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids).

"Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is a place dedicated to highlighting and honoring our state’s rich Great Lakes shipping history," Stupak said. "This expansion will help protect and preserve this Michigan treasure, while providing communities with the benefits of increased tourism, a key source of economic growth in our state. I was pleased to work with my colleagues in the House to pass this legislation and ensure continued success of the sanctuary."

Kildee, a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, noted the Sanctuary is a resource for families from across the country to learn about Michigan’s rich history.

"By authorizing an expansion to the sanctuary, we will help preserve this local treasure as well as improve its draw for tourists, helping to boost our local economy," Kildee noted. "I am committed to preserving the Great Lakes so that our families can enjoy them for years to come and I am proud to have joined my colleagues to introduce this legislation."

Both McCotter and Ehlers said they were happy to work with Stupak in this preservation effort.

H.R. 905 expands the area covered by the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary to 3,722 square miles of water and 226 miles of shoreline, up from 448 square miles of water and 115 miles of shoreline. The expansion adds an additional 180 shipwrecks to the sanctuary. The legislation also directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to produce updated charts of the newly designated areas and apply the protection and preservation provisions in the existing management plan to the newly added areas.

Thunder Bay on Lake Huron was declared Michigan’s first Great Lakes Bottomland Preserve in 1981, and in 2000 became the Great Lakes’ first National Marine Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a federal-state partnership with a focus on preserving the large collection of underwater cultural resources, consisting of more than 100 shipwrecks spanning more than 200 years of Great Lakes shipping history.

In 2005, NOAA and the state of Michigan established the Great Lakes’ Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena, Michigan, to allow visitors to learn about Great Lakes’ maritime history, explore shipwrecks via live satellite feed and see how archaeologists continue to preserve these historic sites.

To continue this positive outcome, the Thunder Bay Sanctuary Advisory Council -- a 15-member group representing local fishermen, business leaders, educators and government officials -- passed a resolution recommending the sanctuary be expanded. The sanctuary designation in no way impedes recreational boating or fishing in the area.

H.R. 905 now awaits consideration in the U.S. Senate, where Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) has introduced companion legislation.

For a map of the National Marine Sanctuary, showing shipwreck locations, click here.