In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Superintendent Dusty Shultz is pleased to announce that the entrance fee to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) will be waived during the upcoming holiday weekend, beginning Saturday, January 14 and continuing through Monday, January 16.

The National Lakeshore, along with the other 397 units of the national park system, will waive the entrance fees as part of a nationwide initiative to encourage everyone to visit and experience the many wonders of their national parks acrossAmerica.  The other fee-free days this year include:  April 21-29 (National Park Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10-12 (Veterans Day Weekend).

Winter is a great time to explore the National Lakeshore.  Visit the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire (open 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daily) to learn about all the park has to offer in winter.  Bring your inner tube or saucer and enjoy the designated sliding hill at the Dune Climb, or cross-country ski/snowshoe one of the many trails in the park.  Also, don’t forget to join us for a Park Ranger-led snowshoe hike every Saturday. Hikes begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Visitor Center. Reservations are encouraged.  Park Ranger-led snowshoe hikes are limited to 30 participants.  Please call 231-326-5135, ext. 328, for details and to make reservations.

For more in-depth information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe.

Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

December 9, 2011

Empire, MI - Please join Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore on Saturday, December 17 at 1:00 p.m. for a shipwreck program presented by diver/historian Ross Richardson. Discover the legends and history of Sleeping Bear Point and learn about the shipwrecks that lie under her waters.  This program will last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.  Meet in the Visitor Center Auditorium in Empire.

Ross Richardson Measures Shipwreck

The shipwrecks of the Manitou Passage have attracted underwater explorers for decades.  Today, the underwater photography of these explorers allows landsmen to visit the shipwrecks from the comfort of a warm, dry chair.  JoinParkRangers as diver/historian Ross Richardson helps us explore some of the shipwrecks of Sleeping Bear Point and unravel some of the mysteries they hold.  He has spent the last decade searching for, and documenting, shipwrecks off the coast of west Michigan.  Richardsonis credited with discovering the location of the legendary steamer Westmoreland, which sank south of Sleeping Bear Point in 1854.

Offshore of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies the Manitou Passage.  Although this 36-mile long waterway offers some protection from the open waters ofLake Michigan, even the waters of the passage can be treacherous.  Many ships seeking shelter sank in this passage, hitting shoals and sandbars and running aground before being destroyed by the waves ofLake Michigan.  There are 16 known shipwrecks in the passage and around the Manitou Islands, but there may be as many as 45 wrecks still undiscovered on the bottom.  Many wrecks are well-preserved and offer clues on how they surrendered to the strength of the big lake in the days before advanced navigation when ships relied on basic tools like a compass, clock, and chart.  Please join us for this glimpse into the pre-railroad era when shipping on the Great Lakes provided the means for westward expansion to the upperMidwest.  There is still much to discover!

Contact:  Lisa Griebel, 231-326-5134, ext. 301, lisa_griebel@nps.gov

For more information, please call the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe.  Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

www.nps.gov/slbe/

About the National Park Service:  More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 396 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities.  Learn more at www.nps.gov.

Official Press Release of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

October 6, 2011

Sleeping Bear Dunes Confirms Type E Botulism in Recent Bird Die-off and Expects More This Fall

Four gull carcasses collected from beaches in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) have tested positive for type E botulism toxin (avian botulism). Type E botulism is a powerful neurotoxin that has been linked to large bird die-offs throughout several areas of the Great Lakes in past years. More than 200 birds have already been found dead on National Lakeshore beaches this summer, and based on trends from recent years, that number is expected to increase this fall.

Avian botulism is a paralytic, often fatal disease of birds that results when they ingest toxin produced by the native Clostridium botulinum type E; an anaerobic bacterium found in nutrient-rich lake bottoms. The bacterium spores rest in the gills and digestive tracts of fish living in many North American lakes. The spores can remain viable for years and are harmless until the correct environmental conditions prompt them to germinate. Type E botulism occurs only when the spores germinate and the bacteria multiply and produce toxin. Changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem have increased the growth of the botulism bacterium, which has led to an increase in birds poisoned by eating toxin-tainted fish or invertebrates.

The National Lakeshore is conducting a study of avian botulism to determine whether any steps can be taken to control outbreaks. Dead birds and fish are identified, counted, and collected for analysis. Dedicated National Lakeshore volunteers have helped discover that die-offs begin in the heat of the summer and reach their peak during the fall bird migrations. It is believed that the large flocks of migrating birds ingest the toxin in offshore waters, where it has been accumulating throughout the summer, resulting in the fall die-offs. These are usually detected when strong autumn storms blow the dead birds to shore. At this time last year, nearly 300 birds had been found dead, and then from early October to mid-November, another 385 birds washed ashore.

In addition to actively monitoring the shoreline for sick and dead birds, the park is collaborating with scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the University of Michigan, and Northwestern Michigan College’s Water Studies Institute, to conduct studies in the Lake Michigan nearshore environment to better understand the mechanisms of toxin transmission. Many of these studies are funded through President Obama’s Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to assure that Great Lakes beaches, fish, and sources of public drinking water are safe, and that the ecosystems that fish and wildlife depend upon are healthy.

Lake Michigan beaches within the National Lakeshore remain safe for swimming and recreation, however, park visitors should exercise caution upon encountering bird or fish carcasses. Type E botulism is not an infectious disease. It is a poison. You must ingest the toxin, usually by eating an undercooked infected fish or animal, to become ill. You are not at risk for contracting botulism by swimming in Lake Michigan. Visitors bringing pets to the park should keep them leashed and away from dead animals on the beach. Pets may be poisoned if they eat dead birds or fish containing botulism.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe. Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 12, 2010

Empire, MI - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) will be hosting a presentation on Lyme disease and ticks on Thursday, September 15, from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m., in the auditorium of the National Lakeshore Visitor Center in Empire.  Visitors are encouraged to come and learn about tick identification, their life cycles, the diseases they transmit, and the measures used for prevention.

Ticks are significant vectors of pathogens that cause human disease.  Tick-borne diseases do occur inMichigan, and can be serious or fatal if not properly diagnosed and treated.  There have been two reported cases of Lyme disease that the individuals affected believe were contracted while camping on North Manitou Island.  Evidence of similar problems has also been found on the mainland portions of the National Lakeshore.

Michigan State Universityand the Michigan Department of Community Health are working together at the National Lakeshore to research the emergence of Lyme disease and the associated ticks that transmit the disease.  Erik Foster of the Michigan Department of Community Health will be presenting the program on ticks and Lyme disease at no cost to the visitors.

For additional information about this presentation or its location, please contact National Lakeshore Chief of Natural Resources Steve Yancho at 231-326-5134.

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 9, 2011

In mid-June, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) staff identified an ash tree near Little Glen Lake infested with Emerald Ash Borer (EAB).  This was the first time EAB had been confirmed within the National Lakeshore.  National Lakeshore staff is working with partners and visitors to assess and mitigate the damage caused by these invasive pests.

Emerald Ash Borer (Glen Lake)

Since the initial EAB discovery, National Lakeshore staff have been working with the Michigan Department of Agriculture to assess its spread.  It appears that up to 90% of the ash trees on the mainland in the National Lakeshore may be infested.  With the rapid rate at which the spread has occurred, all of the ash trees on the mainland in the National Lakeshore are at imminent risk.  The highest level of known infestation occurs at the north end of the park in the Good Harbor area. 

EAB was first discovered in the U.S. in Detroit in 2002; however, it is thought to have been introduced in the early 1990s in wooden packing material that originated in Asia.  Since its discovery in Detroit, EAB has been found in 13 states.  Although the insects are only able to travel about one mile per year on their own, EAB has spread far more rapidly through transport of firewood.  It is estimated that 80% of the infestations in Michigan are the result of firewood transport.

Superintendent Dusty Shultz notes, “The National Lakeshore is saddened by the news that this destructive insect has been found here.  We are in the process of working with other agencies to explore our options for control, but the outlook for the ash trees is bleak.”  EAB kills all species of ash (Fraxinus spp.) found in Michigan by feeding on the cambium layer that transports nutrients in the tree.  The feeding effectively girdles the tree, restricting nutrient transport and eventually killing the tree.  

In addition to EAB, area forests are threatened by numerous other pests, including Asian longhorn beetles (affecting maples), beech bark disease, oak wilt, and hemlock woolly adelgid.  In an effort to slow or prevent the spread of forest pests, the National Lakeshore instituted a partial firewood transport ban in its campgrounds in 2011, and plans to expand that to a full ban in 2012.  All firewood used in the campgrounds would have to be purchased onsite from the National Lakeshore’s approved vendors, or collected by camping permit holders as dead and down wood within designated areas of the National Lakeshore.  EAB may be here to stay, but visitors can help stop the spread of other invasive pests by not moving firewood. 

Contact:  Noel Mac Neil, 231-334-7685, ext. 227

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

September 2, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Lisa Griebel, 231-326-5134

Empire, MI – Visit Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) on Saturday, September 10 at 9:00 p.m. for an evening under the stars.  Recently, Good Morning America announced that the National Lakeshore was voted the “#1 Most Beautiful Place in America.”  Park Rangers and members of the Grand Traverse Astronomical Society invite you to the Dune Climb to take a closer look at the night sky; a very important part of this beautiful place!  Learn some new constellations, view Jupiter, and find the Milky Way with the help of experienced astronomers.  The Grand Traverse Astronomical Society will bring several telescopes to take a closer look at one of the National Lakeshore’s often forgotten resources – the night sky.

The National Lakeshore and Grand Traverse Astronomical Society are partnering for this event.  The Society has been in existence for 29 years and its members regularly share their knowledge and enthusiasm with the public at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Rogers Observatory in Traverse City.  More recently, the Society has branched out to locations from street corners to national parks, sharing the wonders of the universe with the public.  The park’s first joint Star Party was this past October on the 40th anniversary of the National Lakeshore.  The last monthly Star Party for 2011 will be in October.

The public is invited to join the park on this fun and educational night.  Meet the Park Ranger at the Dune Climb on Saturday, September 10.  The event will begin at 9:00 p.m. and society members will have their telescopes out until 11:00 p.m.  Dress for the weather and bring a flashlight for the walk back to your car.

All Park Ranger-led programs are free.  Participants need only purchase the park entrance pass or have an annual pass displayed on their vehicle to join in the fun.  Please call 231-326-5134, ext. 328, for details or log onto www.nps.gov/slbe.  Also, check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

August 23, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Lisa Griebel, 231-326-5134

Empire, MI – Join Park Rangers for another Families United with Nature (FUN) day at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) and this time compete in the FUN Summer Olympics!  Meet Park Rangers at Esch Beach (south of Empire) on Saturday, August 27 at 2:00 p.m.  Families will make their own team flags and compete in a variety of fun summertime games!  Be sure to dress in clothes and shoes you do not mind getting wet and sandy.  Reservations are not required, but are recommended by contacting Park Ranger Lisa Griebel at 231-326-5134 or Lisa_Griebel@nps. gov.

FUN is a free outdoor activity club for all types of family groups (no matter the size and composition) hosted by the National Lakeshore.  The club provides a fantastic opportunity for families to get outdoors together and try their hand at something new, breathe a little fresh air, and meet other families who enjoy being outside.  FUN meets monthly, with additional special events held throughout the year.

When you join the club at any FUN event, you receive a free journal to document your outdoor activities and have the opportunity to earn rewards as a family for active participation.  All FUN activities are free; however, a Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park Entrance Pass is required to be displayed on the dashboard of your vehicle.  The Entrance Pass costs $10 and is good for a full week, or an Annual Park Entrance Pass may be purchased for only $20.  Both passes can be purchased at the Philip A. Hart Visitor Center in Empire.

For more information, please call the National Lakeshore at 231-326-5134 or visit their website at www.nps.gov/slbe.  Also, check out their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sbdnl.

Heritage Trail

Official Press Release from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, TART Trails, Inc. and NWMCOG

August 3, 2011

For Immediate Release

Contact:

• Pam Darling, Marketing and Outreach Director for TART Trails, Inc., (231) 941-4300 or pam@traversetrails.org
• Patty O’Donnell, Regional Planner for NWMCOG. (231) 929-5039 or pattyodonnell@nwm.cog.mi.us
• Tom Ulrich, Deputy Superintendent for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, (231) 326-5135 or tom_ulrich@nps.gov

Groundbreaking to Celebrate Trail August 12, 2011

GLEN ARBOR – The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is officially being launched with a groundbreaking ceremony at the Dune Climb on Friday, August 12, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.  When completed, the 27-mile trail will run from the southern edge of Leelanau County through the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to Good Harbor Bay.  The groundbreaking celebrates the upcoming construction of nearly five miles of trail between Glen Arbor and the Dune Climb. Construction is scheduled to begin this fall and be completed next year.

The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is a project of the Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route Committee (LSHR).  Trail development is a partnership between the LSHR Committee, the Michigan Department of Transportation, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes, and TART Trails.  Funding for trail development comes from federal and state grants, foundations, and individual donations. “After five years, this amazing Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route project is taking physical shape.  By this time next year, we will be able to safely bike, walk, or wheel from the Dune Climb to Glen Arbor with the opportunity to stop at other park sites in between, ” said Patty O’Donnell, Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail Project Manager- Northwest Michigan Council of Governments

The trail was included in the National Lakeshore’s most recent management plan and garnered strong public support during the planning process. According to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Dusty Shultz the “The Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail is the single most exciting project to come out of our recently completed General Management Plan.  The trail will provide a wonderful way to explore and learn about the park, as well as become a meaningful alternative for visitors to travel between park sites and local businesses – without having to use their cars!”

Heritage Trail

Julie Clark, Executive Director of TART Trails is grateful for the strong collaboration between partners. “Many partners came together to make this trail a reality. We are very excited for the groundbreaking ceremony on August 12^th as it officially launches the public fundraising effort,” said Clark.

Campaign Tri-Chair, Karen Van Nort is excited about the groundbreaking, “We are thrilled that families will have a safe place to ride their bicycles.  We hope the public will join us as we kick-off this legacy trail.”

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PICTURES: Sleeping Bear Heritage Trail pictures may be downloaded and reproduced at http://www.flickr.com/photos/63844875@N04/  Click on a photo you would like, and click on “All sizes” to download. For more information about the trail visit www.sleepingbeartrail.org

 About the Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route Committee

The Leelanau Scenic Heritage Route is a program of the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments which is funded by the Michigan Department of Transportation.  The Committee is dedicated to promoting measures which protect and enhance the scenic, historical, and recreational characteristics of M-22, M-109, and M-204 as they traverse the rural countryside and unique communities of Leelanau County.

 About Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a unit of the National Park Service established in 1970.  The Lakeshore preserves the outstanding natural and cultural heritage of the area so that all may experience and appreciate it.  Significant resources of the Lakeshore include forests, beaches, dunes, and glacial landforms, as well as maritime, agricultural, and recreational historic features.

 About TART

Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation (TART) Trails, Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) organization formed in 1998 and located in Traverse City, Michigan. TART works to enrich the Traverse area by providing a network of trails, bikeways and pedestrian ways; and encouraging their use. TART Trails include a network of trail systems located in Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. It is estimated that the trails serve over 200,000 users annually while preserving valuable community green space. TART is working to integrate these trails into the community by advocating for interconnected bike lanes, bike routes and sidewalks, and is also working to extend these trails to connect with a developing regional trails system. For more information about TART Trails, please visit www.traversetrails.org

The National Park Service issued a press release today on their new firewood policy for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The official press release follows; however, we provided the links.

Camp fire wood

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (National Lakeshore) is announcing a new firewood program established to protect park forests from invasive insect and diseases commonly spread through the transport of firewood. Movement of firewood from one area to another can rapidly spread destructive pests such as emerald ash borer, hemlock wooly adelgid, beech bark disease, and oak wilt.  

As in the past, the National Lakeshore is requesting that visitors not bring firewood into the park, and instead burn pest-free firewood available for purchase in park campgrounds.  Dead and down wood may also be collected within the National Lakeshore boundaries.  New to the program this year is voluntary firewood bagging.  Campers unaware of the new policy who bring firewood into the campgrounds will be provided the option to store it in protective bags for the duration of their visit, and the park will provide them an equal amount of clean firewood at no cost.  Superintendent Dusty Shultz noted “Our campers want to do what they can to protect the beautiful forests that make the National Lakeshore so special.  By providing them with pest-free firewood alternatives, we expect the majority will plan to buy their firewood in the campgrounds or participate in the firewood bagging program.”  After this transition year, the National Lakeshore plans to formally ban any transport of firewood into park campgrounds.  This ban would be effective January 2012.

Emerald Ash Borer

Hemlock Wood Adelid

Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (close up)

Beech Bark Disease

Oak Wilt

This new firewood policy can help the National Lakeshore more effectively protect its trees from the fate of infected forests in other parts of the state.  In addition to the National Lakeshore’s new firewood policy, visitors should also be aware of the expanded quarantines the State of Michigan announced earlier this year.  Michigan now prohibits the movement of all hardwood firewood and ash materials from anywhere in Michigan to several Great Lakes islands, including North and South Manitou Islands within the National Lakeshore.  Quarantine violators can face fines and penalties.

New Firewood

For additional information, please contact Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Biologist Sue Jennings at 231-326-5134.