Posted by Jim Callahan on July 30, 1999 at 16:21:03:
In Reply to: Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary posted by Jessica Pitelka on July 15, 1999 at 09:27:47:
If you read the sanctuary's regulations in the publicly available document, you would understand that the State of Michigan is not giving up any rights at all. NOAA can't "take over" the bottomlands - they belong to the state. The sanctuary regulations are identical to existing state laws protecting shipwrecks (do the reading - all of the laws are in the document). NOAA wants to help preserve these wrecks for our children and grandchildren - both divers and non-divers. Right now the state isn’t doing much of anything to protect or promote the wrecks because they don’t put any money into the underwater preserve system - and don’t plan to.
The purpose of this newsgroup is to discuss and promote the enjoyment, study, and protection of our historic shipwrecks. That is what NOAA is trying to do too. They aren’t a regulatory agency like the Environmental Protection Agency. NOAA promotes research and education for all citizens. They make nautical charts and weather reports and protect dolphins and whales.
Let’s keep this forum focused on its real purpose and discuss politics elsewhere.