Lime Island Recreation Area General Management Plan
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Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division 9/17/2020 Intentionally left blank Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Plan Approvals The project was directed by Deborah Jensen, Management Plan Administrator, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division Plan Approvals: ________________________________________ 8-28-2020 Chief, Parks and Recreation Division Date ________________________________________ 8-28-2020 Natural Resources Deputy Date _______________________________________ 9-17-2020 Director, Department of Natural Resources Date Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan LIME ISLAND STATE RECREATION AREA GENERAL MANAGEMENT PLAN PLAN APPROVAL RECOMMENDATIONS: PRD – SECTION CHIEFS: Date: 10/28/2019 DNR – RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BUREAU: Date: 11/13/2019 MSPAC – STEWARDSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE: Date: 1/23/2020 NRC – MICHIGAN STATE PARKS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Date: 5/26/2020 Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Resolution Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Intentionally left blank Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Table of Contents Executive Summary Chapter 1: Core Values & Guiding References 1.1 Mission Statements and Goals 1.2 Guiding References 1.3 Summary of Legal Mandates Chapter 2: Plan Process Overview 2.1 Planning Objectives 2.2 Planning Process 2.3 Planning Team 2.4 Summary of Public Input Survey Chapter 3: Purpose & Significance 3.1 Park Purpose 3.2 Statements of Significance 3.3 Public Affirmation of Lime Island’s Significance 3.4 Relationship to the Community Chapter 4: Management Zones 4.1 Primitive Zone 4.2 Natural Resource Recreation Zone 4.3 History Education Zone 4.4 Cultural Landscape Zone 4.5 Developed Recreation Zone 4.6 Cultural Landscape Overlay 4.7 Seasonal Ecologically Sensitive Overlay Chapter 5: 10-Year Action Goals Chapter 6: Implementation Strategy 6.1 Implementation Toolbox 6.2 Documentation of Changes 6.3 Documentation of Accomplishments 6.4 Five-year Review Process Appendices Appendix A: Supporting Analysis Appendix B: Public and Stakeholder Input Appendix C: Opinion of Probable Costs Appendix D: Caretaker O&M Plan for Lime Island Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Intentionally left blank Lime Island State Recreation Area General Management Plan Executive Summary Lime Island State Recreation Area (SRA) encompasses over 938 acres, including the entire 932-acre Lime Island - located in the St. Mary’s River off the eastern tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula - plus about 6.5 acres on the mainland in the community of Raber, Chippewa County. Visitors to the island must charter or navigate a boat more than two miles across the St. Mary River. Lime Island’s location has helped shape its rich history as an industrial complex and ship refueling depot. Structures that once supported the island’s industrial use and past residents have largely been restored and re-purposed as a recreational boat dock and harbor of refuge, rental cabins, and administrative or interpretive buildings. Lime Island, which came into state ownership in 1982, was initially managed by the Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Forest, Mineral and Fire Management Division (now the Forest Resources Division), before becoming Michigan’s 99th state park in 2011. Lime Island offers a rare blend of educational, historical and recreational opportunities. Visitors to the island can enjoy activities such as hiking, shore and boat fishing, swimming and hunting, along with visiting the historical sites and watching the large freighters pass by in the major shipping lane. Lime Island offers a boat dock, rustic cabins for lodging and Camping platform overlooking the harbor tent camping on wooden platforms. The park is managed out of Brimley State Park to the north. The purpose of this General Management Plan (GMP) is to guide the future long-term management of Lime Island State Recreation Area. Overall, the GMP seeks to uphold the Parks and Recreation Division’s Mission Statement: “to acquire, protect, and preserve the natural and cultural features of Michigan’s unique resources, and to provide access to land and water based public recreation and educational opportunities.” The plan defines the following for the park: • Purpose and significance that captures the unique identity of Lime Island State Recreation Area. • 20-year Management Zone Plan reflecting the resource protection goals and level of development appropriate for each area of the park. • 10-year Action Goals that address the desired future condition within the park as a whole, and each of the designated management zones. The Parks and Recreation Division (PRD) of the DNR oversaw the planning process. The plan was developed with significant and valuable input from the planning team, which included representatives from all DNR resource divisions, the Michigan History Center and the State Archaeologist. The planning team in turn solicited input from stakeholders and the public. Furthermore, several existing planning Lime Island State Park General Management Plan 1 documents were used as guiding references, including the 2004 (rev. 2008) Master Plan for Lime Island. Other plans referenced include the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan, Michigan State Parks Outdoor Recreation Blue Ribbon Panel Report and the Managed Public Land Strategy. (See Chapter 1 for additional information on guiding references). The Supporting Analysis, included as Appendix A of this document, provides significant background information to inform this planning initiative. It includes a comprehensive review of the park setting, area demographics, history, land ownership, legal mandates, and cultural, natural and recreation resources. Significance of Lime Island State Recreation Area Each GMP developed by the PRD is built upon the property’s significant features that make it distinct from other parks in the state’s system. Following is a summary of the features that were determined significant for Lime Island State Recreation Area. The full statements of significance can be found in Chapter 3. Remote Island Park • Lime Island offers an isolated experience and a peaceful retreat for visitors. • Difficult to access. • Scenic views of the river, neighboring islands and the mainland. Diverse History • People have lived and worked on Lime Island for over 4,000 years. • The people all left evidence of an incredibly diverse history on a relatively small island. • Many local residents trace their family heritage to the island. Historical Industrial Landscape • Lime Island provides a significant representation of early 20th-century industrial and maritime history not found in other Michigan state parks. • The schoolhouse, superintendent’s house, cottages, and fruit trees remind visitors of island life for the workers that supported the refueling depot. Overnight Accommodation • Shoreline camping is available on wooden platforms overlooking the harbor or at the quieter south end of the island. • Six cabins, built as houses for workers in the 1940s, have been adapted for rustic recreational use. • Boaters may stay overnight in the harbor. Lime Island State Park General Management Plan 2 Lime Island Coal Dock and Harbor • The expansive Lime Island coal dock was constructed in 1910 as part of a refueling depot for coal powered ships. • The dock is now a sheltered harbor of refuge, offering day/overnight mooring for recreational boaters. • The wreck of the Rome, a 200-foot schooner that sank in 1909, lies within the harbor close to the surface. Freighter Watching • Freighters traveling through the St. Mary’s River pass close to Lime Island, allowing visitors to see, hear and feel the vibrations of the ships. • For those staying overnight on the island, night-time viewing of the lighted ships is a popular pastime. Common Terns • The coal dock provides nesting habitat for the state-threatened common tern (Sterna hirundo). • The colony was once recognized as the largest known tern colony in the Great Lakes and in some years supports more than 200 nesting pairs. Water-based Recreation • Boating is not only a means of getting to the island, but also for exploring Lime Island’s coastline and secluded beaches. • The St. Mary’s River is a renowned fishing destination for walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, and muskellunge, as well as a seasonally popular cisco (lake herring) fishery. Experiencing the freighters as they pass the island is a favorite pastime for visitors Lime Island State Park General Management Plan 3 Management Zones A key goal in the development of this General Management Plan is to continue to protect the park’s natural and cultural resources, while providing access to recreation and education opportunities. The planning team, with stakeholder and public input, established appropriate management zones for the park. From a palette of nine standard zones, five zones and two overlay zones were applied to Lime Island State Recreation Area. The Management Zone Map and a thorough review of each management zone are found in Chapter 4 of this plan. A condensed description of each management zone is as follows: Primitive Zone This zone is approximately 910 acres (96.8% of the park) covering the majority of the island. This area is dominated by boreal forest and limestone cobble shoreline. No development is proposed in this zone, which only permits foot traffic. Natural Resource Recreation