According to the National Marine Sanctuary, at the 2015 Our Ocean Conference in Valparaiso, Chile, President Barack Obama announced that, for the first time since 2000, two new marine areas have been identified by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) for possible designation as national marine sanctuaries.
In Wisconsin, an 875-square-mile area of Lake Michigan, with waters extending from Port Washington to Two Rivers, was identified for possible designation. The nominated area contains a collection of 39 known shipwrecks including the Rouse Simmons (pictured) and 15 of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Following this comment period, NOAA will develop a draft environmental impact statement, draft management plan and potential regulations for each site, which will then be available for public review.
For more information, visit sanctuaries.noaa.gov.
Photo courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society, Maritime Preservation and Archaeology Program.
