Marine sanctuary plan gains support in Algoma

ALGOMA - The idea of including Door County as part of a proposed Wisconsin-Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary gained support Monday night at a hearing in Algoma.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration last fall announced nomination of a more than 1,000 square miles area of Lake Michigan — off Ozaukee, Sheboygan and Manitowoc Counties — as a marine sanctuary. The agency website said the designation would, “conserve nationally significant shipwrecks and related maritime heritage resources in Wisconsin.”

At least 37 known shipwrecks are located in the waters off the three counties. An additional 80 sites are believed to exist.

An alternative proposal would include the Kewaunee County shore in the sanctuary. Doing so would add one confirmed wreck site and 15 potential sites, NOAA officials said.

The sanctuary would protect the wreck sites — prohibiting anchoring to the wrecks while allowing divers to explore them.

More than 100 people filled Algoma's community center at Knutson Hall for Monday night's hearing. About two dozen spoke, including three people associated with the Door County Maritime Museum who urged a further expansion to include Door County in the Sanctuary.

“Expand it to Death's Door,” museum archivist Rhys Kuzdas said.

Museum Director Amy Paul and Museum Curator Adam Gronke also spoke in favor of including Door County.

The Algoma session was the first of four. Others were scheduled for Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Port Washington.

Written comments can be submitted to NOAA until the end of March, officials said. Instructions can be found at the NOAA web page: sanctuaries.noaa.gov/wisconsin.