Posted by Brendon Baillod on October 02, 1999 at 17:16:02:
I have posted the recently released State business plan for the Thunder Bay National
Shipwreck Sanctuary on this website at: http://www.execpc.com/~bbaillod/thndrbay.html
I have done so at the request of Ken Vrana of the Center for Maritime and Underwater
Resource Management. Your discussion and ideas may be posted on the newsgroup.
The following is Mr. Vrana's introduction to the plan:
Brendon:
I want to thank you again for posting the Business Plan for the proposed Thunder Bay Underwater
Park and National Shipwreck Sanctuary to your website. The business plan was released recently by
the Office of the Governor to community stakeholders in the Thunder Bay region for their review and
input. It will be considered along with the proposal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) to establish a Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
(www.glerl.noaa.gov:80/glsr/thunderbay/).
The business plan recommends: (1) direct involvement of the State of Michigan in management and
development of the park/sanctuary, (2) more emphasis on the enhancement of recreation and tourism for
both scuba divers and non-diving visitors, (3) reduction of the area managed to nearly half the size of the
proposed sanctuary, and (4) a name that recognizes Great Lakes shipwrecks as a focus for recreation
and management.
I encourage recreational scuba divers and historians with an interest in Great Lakes and maritime
heritage to read the business plan and post comments and suggestions to your newsgroup. I applaud
your efforts in developing a great website as a forum for recreational scuba divers and other Great
Lakes enthusiasts!
Ken Vrana
Director
Center for Maritime & Underwater Resource Management
Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism Resources
Michigan State University