Management

Piping Plovers being released after banding

NPS Photo

Sleeping Bear Dunes is one of the most scenic and publicly accessible portions of the Lake Michigan shoreline. We believe deeply in the National Park Service mission of preserving our nation's natural and cultural treasures for future generations. Some of the most prominent features of this Lakeshore includes forests, beaches, lakes, dune formations, and ancient glacial phenomena. These resources are of global importance due to their relatively unimpacted state, the variety of features, their proximity to each other, and their protected status.

Protecting wild places and the animals living in those places has a long history in our country. In 1916 Congress passed the Organic Act. This Act created the National Park Service. Yet even before that we had many national parks, including Yellowstone, the first, in 1872. However, before the creation of the National Park Service, management of our national parks was haphazard and unorganized.

With the creation of the National Park Service the purpose for our parks became defined "… to conserve the scenery, the natural and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner … to leave them unimpaired for future generations."

Protecting a national park goes beyond setting the lands aside. While it is wonderful to watch the waves crash against the shore from the breathtaking view atop a dune, the behind-the-scenes effort to protect that and other scenes is a complex combination of research, public involvement, and resource management.

It is the responsibility of the park's Resource Management Division to determine the best methods to protect these natural resources. This resource team provides scientific expertise, research, and in-depth analysis of information that provides direction for managing the park. These specialists study or coordinate the study of such things as the effects of exotic plants on native vegetation, risks to endangered species populations, and collect baseline information about small mammals, birds, insects, and plants.

Using this information, management plans are written to protect the animals, plants, and our shoreline habitats. An important part of the development of these plans is a comment period allowing the public and outside experts an opportunity to provide input.

The goal is to ensure that park resources are managed in a scientifically sound manner. This work is integral to protecting our National Parks. Maintaining and conserving the scenery and all the other special aspects of the park is a complex task, but knowing that we and future generations will always be able to enjoy Lake Michigan or hike up a dune makes it worth the effort.

 

Park Management includes:

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Foundation Statement
Laws and Policies
Superintendent's Compendium
Park Planning
Wildland Fire Management

For information about Special Use Permits, and a description about what activities require a permit visit the Special Use Permits page.