National Parks Conservation Association Praises Congressional Passage of Public Lands Bill

Legislation contains protections for national parks nationwide, including three in Michigan

Chicago - The nation’s leading voice for the national parks, the nonprofit National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today praised the U.S. Congress for passing the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act of 2009 (H.R.146), which included a number of bills important for the protection and interpretation of America’s national parks, including Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Keweenaw National Historical Park in Michigan. A new national park site in Michigan, River Raisin National Battlefield Park, was also created.

“Thanks to broad, local support and the patient leadership of the Michigan congressional delegation, especially Senator Carl Levin and Congressman John Dingell, these national parks will, at long last, be preserved and protected,” said National Parks Conservation Association Midwest Regional Director Lynn McClure.

The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 contains important bills that:
• Offer wilderness protection, while maintaining public access, to the Beaver basin in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan, preserving more than 11,000 acres within the National Lakeshore’s boundaries.
• Designate the new River Raisin National Battlefield Park in Michigan to honor the fallen soldiers in one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812. Their fate became a rallying cry for others and helped to forge America’s identity.
• Improve the National Park Service’s ability at Keweenaw National Historical Park to fully tell the inspiring story of the copper miners in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, who helped shape the Industrial Revolution and America’s history.

Other bills offer protections for national parks including Minute Man National Historical Park in Massachusetts, Zion National Park in Utah, Fort Davis National Historic Site in Texas, and Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

“Bipartisan support in the Congress has ensured that many of our national parks will be enhanced and preserved for our children and grandchildren,” said NPCA President Tom Kiernan.

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