VALPARAISO, CHILE (WTAQ) – Wisconsin has one of two waterways that may become the first national marine sanctuary in 14 years.
Speaking on video, President Obama announced at a conference in Chile that 875 square miles of Lake Michigan from Port Washington to Two Rivers is one of the areas being considered.
The site has 39 known shipwrecks, 15 of which are on the National Register of Historic Places.
The other finalist is Mallows Bay on the Potomac River in Maryland.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chose the two sites from a group of applicants. The agency will take public comments through January 15th.
Environmental impact statements and possible rules will then be drafted to protect each site. The NOAA will then make a final decision on designating them.
Both of Wisconsin’s U.S. senators praised the choice of Lake Michigan.
Republican Ron Johnson says the site could provide new educational, economic, and tourist benefits for generations to come. Democrat Tammy Baldwin calls it part of her effort to protect the Great Lakes.
(Story courtesy of Wheeler News Service)
