Agreement Reached on Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve

A nationally significant collection of shipwrecks in the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve in Alpena, Mich. will be protected by an agreement reached by NOAA and Michigan Governor John Engler. On June 19 at the Alpena Yacht Club, NOAA's Jeff Benoit and Governor Engler announced the two parties had reached agreement on the terms of sanctuary designation.

Thunder Bay will become the 13th national marine sanctuary. NOAA is designating Thunder Bay because of its historical significance and the collection of over 100 shipwrecks, including the Issac M. Scott. A steel-hulled propeller driven vessel, the Issac M. Scott was one of eleven vessels lost in the "Great Storm of 1913". That storm has been described as the most disastrous storm that has ever swept the Great Lakes region.

For the past six months, NOAA and Governor Engler's office engaged in detailed discussions on various aspects of the proposed sanctuary including the size and name, funding levels, and staffing arrangements. NOAA agreed to a number of changes in response to the State's concerns. A NOAA/State joint management committee will be created to ensure equal governance of the sanctuary/preserve. NOAA agreed to reduce the size of the boundary by almost half, from 808 square miles to 448 square miles. NOAA also agreed to the name "Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve" to reflect the State underwater preserve. The State has agreed to commit one million dollars over a five-year peiod.

In response to State and Sanctuary Advisory Council concerns, NOAA had previously agreed to other "safeguards" that were reflected in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, published in 1999. In particular, after an initial five-year period, providing an opportunity for both parties to determine the success of the partnership, NOAA will re-propose the sanctuary/preserve reflecting mutual concerns. NOAA also agreed to obtain approval from the Governor on changes to the scope of management, promulgation of emergency regulations, and imposition of user fees.

The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve was designated on October 7, 2000. This designation is the thirteenth sanctuary and the first entirely devoted to cultural resources. The mission of the National Marine Sanctuary Program is to conserve, protect and enhance the biodiversity, ecological integrity, and/or cultural legacy of selected marine and Great Lakes areas. For more information on national marine sanctuaries visit, http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov/.