U.S. Sen. Joe
Donnelly, R-Ind., and U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-1st--with the support of
the entire Indiana Congressional delegation--have introduced respective
legislation in the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House to designate the Indiana
Dunes National Lakeshore as a National Park. Specifically, the legislation
would retitle the “Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore” as the “Indiana Dunes
National Park, which would become the first national park in Indiana and the
60th in the U.S., according to a joint statement released on Thursday.
Renaming the park,
the statement said, would “give greater recognition to the natural beauty of
the Dunes and potentially draw more visitors and boost the local economy.”
The “vast
biological diversity and geological features of the Northwest Indiana
lakeshore” in fact prompted the first director of the National Park Service,
Stephen Mather, to proposed designating Lake Michigan’s southern shore as
the “Sand Dunes National Park” in 1916. “Unfortunately, this proposal was
abandoned at the onset of World War I, but the Indiana Congressional
delegation is again pushing for that designation,” the statement said.
“The Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore is one of Indiana’s and the Great Lakes Region’s most
beautiful natural resources,” Donnelly said. “Designating the Dunes as a
national park would give the area the recognition it deserves and help
preserve the natural beauty of the dunes. And by placing it in the same
category as the other jewels of the National Park System, we hope it will
attract more visitors to explore and enjoy all of the recreational
activities the dunes offer, further stimulating the economy in Northwest
Indiana.”
“The recognition of
being a National Park would complete an effort that began a century ago,”
Visclosksy said. “It is past time that the rest of the nation recognizes the
environmental wonder and significance of the Indiana Dunes. I thank Senator
Donnelly and Senator Young for supporting companion legislation in the U.S.
Senate, and I also thank my Indiana House colleagues and all the Northwest
Indiana community leaders and officials for their steadfast support for this
initiative that will ultimately attract more visitors and create more
economic opportunities in our region.”
“Many Hoosier
families have fond memories of times spent together at the Indiana Dunes,”
U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., said. “Changing its designation to a National
Park will give families who live outside our great state the opportunity to
know about, and enjoy, one of Indiana's most beautiful places.”
“The Indiana Dunes
National Lakeshore is a treasured source of beauty and recreation for
Hoosier families,” U.S. Rep Jackie Walorski, D-2nd, said. “Making it our
state’s first National Park will boost the Indiana economy by drawing more
tourists from across the country who want to explore the Dunes.”
“The Indiana Dunes
clearly deserve top recognition as a National Park because of its
unparalleled biodiversity and cultural heritage,” Save the Dunes Executive
Director Natalie Johnson said. “By retitling the Indiana Dunes National
Lakeshore to the Indiana Dunes National Park, we hope to see increased
awareness and appreciation of this beautiful landscape.”
“People love to
visit our national parks and many travelers include visiting all of the
national parks on their bucket lists,” said Lorelei Weimer, excutive
director of Indiana Dunes Tourism. “Many potential new visitors will add the
Indiana Dunes National Park to their travel to do list because they will now
know we are one of the national parks.
“Millions of
visitors are drawn to the Indiana Dunes each year, and a national park
designation has the potential bring in additional visitors and increase the
economic impact of the dunes for our region,” said Speros Batistatos,
President and CEO of the South Shore Convention and Visitors Authority.
“This designation
will allow us to greatly increase the economic impact of tourism in our
state and build upon marketing the Indiana Dunes National Park as a national
destination,” said Jack Arnett, Executive Director of the LaPorte County
Convention and Visitors Bureau.
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