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By ALEXANDRA NEWMAN Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Superintendent Constantine Dillon is on a mission to educate the public about the national park - its history, strengths and limitations in order to make improvements and create a partnership of responsibility for preservation of the natural wonders in Northwest Indiana. Dillon recently addressed the Porter County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission with his power point presentation. The IDNL was established in 1966, after many years of activists lobbying congress to create a national park here. For decades activists pursued congress to create a national park here because of the unique dunes and many other attributes. Supporters included The Prairie Club, Professor Henry Chandler Cowles, Dorothy Buell and Illinois Sen. Paul Douglas. Today, Herbert and Charlotte Read are well known for their continuing fight for its preservation. “The mill (Bethlehem Steel) being built was the straw that broke the camel’s back. What was lost is heart breaking. It would have been phenomenal” if the dunes had been kept intact, Dillon lamented. According to Dillon, when people understand where the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is located, the issues it faces, progress can be made to make it more visitor friendly and more local residents most likely will take initiative in volunteering their time to help preserve it. Within the 15,177 acres are four national landmarks, archeological artifacts, 15 miles of shoreline, 45 miles of trails, 48 mammals, one of the best birding places in the country and 28 species of orchids. (Hawaii only has three orchid species). It also includes an environmental learning center and has a sister park in Poland. “It has been 42 years since the park was established and the public does not have a clear image of the park,” he said. “We share a name with the State Park. Only four national parks have the name of a state in the name. This causes confusion,” he said. Confusion exists because jurisdictions are bewildering and boundaries are irregular, and even detached. Dillon gave the example of parking lots for the Town of Porter, National Lakeshore and State Park. It is illegal to park in the National Park and go to the State Park under state law. Yet, people park in the National Lakeshore Parking lot and walk from Porter Beach to the State Park. “The national lakeshore campground is a fine facility, but is not attached to the rest of the park. It is so confusing,” he continued, adding that the campground located off U.S. Hwy 12 is obscure because it is located off the highway and one does not find directions until reaching the arrow to St. Ann of the Dunes Church. Most people are unaware that they go through the National Park to get to the Indiana Dunes State Park. Dillon said the National Park Service thought the state of Indiana would turn over the State Park to the federal government, but the state operates the park primarily with money collected to get into the state park. “We operate on 99 percent from the federal budget,” he said. The National Lakeshore depends upon its volunteer staff. The National Lakeshore is located in three counties, eight townships and 13 cities and towns. Dillon showed a map of the individual areas located in the three counties, which emphasizes the reason people have difficulty identifying the National Park. “Sometimes people can’t find West Beach, which is in the city of Portage,” he said. The Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk are part of the National Lakeshore, but will be operated by the City of Portage and that is confusing too.” “Why does all this matter?” he asked. “We can’t get messages of preservation and safety if people can’t understand the park. Lack of support leads to damage to resources and visitor injury.” Locally, Friends of the Indiana Dunes last year provided $2,000 in donations. They have been long-time supporters, but more volunteers and donations are needed here, he said. “The public is not owning the park they way they do in other parks,” Dillon said. Dillon said some of the roadblocks, if changed, could make a difference to the preservation of the park. For example, the light rail systems proposed, never happened. The National Park does not own the roads. U.S. Highway 12 has not become a scenic roadway. There are only 1,000 parking places on 12 miles of shoreline. In Beverly Shores, a small area of parking is available for visitors of the National Lakeshore and the shoreline is public, but Beverly Shores has its own beach which prohibits parking for visitors. The “Century of Progress” houses also are located in Beverly Shores. Again, parking is a problem. Also, RVs are not permitted in Central Beach. Mt. Baldy doesn’t have a buffer zone to adequately protect it. According to Dillon, initially Beverly Shores wanted to be included in the park, but Congress did not include the town. “If Beverly Shores had been included in the park,” we’d be sitting pretty,” he said, recalling the lack of necessary access to the beach property. In the 1980s many Beverly Shores residents bitterly opposed expansion of the park. Increased development will affect the park, he continued. “There are more than 120 miles of boundary, which is more than the Rocky Mountain National Park,” he said. An example of difficulty protecting the park land locally is the 300 foot area just north of Ameriplex in Portage. Rangers have to patrol the parking lots there in order to protect the national park property. Even farther detached is Gaylord Prairie, in Lake County which is bigger than half the national parks. Dillon said he will be having a workshop to get input as to where to go from here to solve problems. He said protecting land next to the park boundary with agricultural easements is a possible solution. Vegetables could be grown for local restaurants. The National Park would not have to own the farmland, but it would protect the Park from being encroached by housing development.
Posted 10/1/2008
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