Governor Tony Evers was in Manitowoc today to make an important announcement, “This morning, I sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to renew Wisconsin’s support for the designation for a National Maritime Sanctuary.” He went on to say, “The Wisconsin-Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary would be the second of its kind in our country. It will provide educational benefits to families across the state and is projected to attract thousands of additional tourists each year, boosting tourism and economical growth in our beautiful coastal cities”
Governor Evers made the announcement at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum where several local state and federal officials were in attendance.
Mayor Justin Nickels has been a staunch supporter of the sanctuary from the beginning in 2014, before it was delayed in February of last year. “This is the final resting place of many of the people who built our communities. This National Marine Sanctuary will not only put us on the map but it will educate future generations as to how we got here and that is why I personally want to thank Governor Evers. He saw that right away, the opportunities that this Marine Sanctuary has for our entire area.”
The Sanctuary would encompass the Lake Michigan Coastline from Port Washington to Algoma. Kewaunee and Algoma were not in the original designation.
US Senator Tammy Baldwin is a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and has pushed for federal money to ensure that NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has the resources necessary to support this project. “Because of the tireless work of local leaders up and down our shoreline and with the backing of our Governor, this proposal will move forward,” Baldwin said.
The next step is to get the sanctuary onto the Federal Registry. NOAA must send a completed nomination form to the Office of Management and Budget. Congress will then have 30 days from the time of receipt to comment. If no objections are raised, two public notices will be filed and the sanctuary designation becomes official.
