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From Authorization to Reality Last month, we highlighted March 3, 1931, as the day Congress authorized the establishment of Isle Royale National Park and the park’s history. But authorization was just the beginning. It wasn’t until April 3, 1940, that President Franklin D. Roosevelt officially designated Isle Royale as a national park. Why the delay? Like many things in government, the process was anything but simple. After Congress authorized the park, the government had to define its boundaries, acquire land, and put the necessary infrastructure in place. This took time, especially considering Isle Royale’s remote location and the interests of… Read More »

A Bold Experiment That Paid Off On April 2, 1966, a golden bucket full of coho salmon was ceremoniously poured into the Platte River in Benzie County, Michigan. It may have seemed like an ordinary wildlife release, but this moment marked the beginning of one of the most ambitious and successful fishery experiments in history. Howard Tanner, the Michigan Department of Conservation’s new fish chief, had a bold vision: introduce salmon to the Great Lakes to control invasive alewives and create a thriving sport fishery. What followed was nothing short of spectacular. Michigan Outdoors did an episode about the salmon… Read More »