[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 168 (Thursday, November 1, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S13686-S13687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEVIN (for himself and Ms. Stabenow):
  S. 2281. A bill to expand the boundaries of the Thunder Bay National 
Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, today, I am introducing the Thunder Bay 
National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve Boundary Modification 
Act to expand the boundaries of the existing sanctuary.
  Created as a unique Federal-State partnership in October 2000, the 
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary has been a resounding success. It 
has preserved the proud maritime history of the Great Lakes, offered 
educational opportunities to children and researchers, and provided a 
fascinating site for divers and snorklers to explore. Expanding the 
sanctuary will bring even greater benefits.
  When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration originally 
considered the Sanctuary, it recommended an area that was twice as big 
as what was eventually established. That proposal was scaled back to 
address concerns raised by some state and local communities who wanted 
to begin cautiously. Some of the doubters and most cautious at the 
beginning have now become the biggest supporters of the sanctuary. 
Today, the expansion has broad support throughout the area.
  Specifically, this bill would extend the sanctuary's boundaries to 
include the waters off Alcona, Alpena and Presque Isle Counties in 
Michigan and

[[Page S13687]]

would extend the sanctuary east to the International boundary. This 
would be a significant increase in total area. The current sanctuary 
includes 448 square miles of water and 115 miles of shoreline, and the 
expansion would include 3,722 square miles and include 226 miles of 
shoreline.
  This expansion is needed to protect the maritime history of Michigan 
and the Great Lakes. Historically, this region was influenced by the 
demand for natural resources. Because local roads were so inadequate, 
the Great Lakes became an important passageway and trading route for 
settlement and industrialization. The geography of Thunder Bay and the 
weather patterns in the lakes, however, caused dozens of ships to 
perish in what mariners call ``Shipwreck Alley.'' Many of these 
shipwrecks are well-preserved because they are in freshwater and of 
great interest to researchers and students.
  The current sanctuary holds 116 shipwrecks though many, many more 
shipwrecks in this area have been mentioned in historical records. In 
addition to shipwrecks, the sanctuary protects and interprets the 
remains of commercial fishing sites, historic docks, and other 
underwater archaeological sites.
  Expanding the boundaries as provided for in this bill will protect an 
estimated 178 additional shipwrecks. For example, it would protect the 
Cornelia B. Windiate, which is a three-mast wooden schooner and one of 
the Great Lakes' most intact shipwrecks. The ship sank in December 1875 
when bound from Milwaukee to Buffalo with a cargo of wheat, and was 
featured in an episode of Deep Sea Detectives on the History Channel. 
Expansion would also cover the H.P. Bridge, a three-mast wooden 
barkentine, containing many artifacts such as pottery, clothing, and 
ship tackle and hardware.
  These shipwrecks are not only historically important, they are very 
popular with divers. Deep water wrecks are popular for technical 
divers, and because the sites are often well preserved in the cold 
freshwater, they contain many artifacts and provide a treasure of 
information about the past. Many of the shallow water wrecks are 
accessible by snorkelers, boaters and kayakers. These sites offer a 
tremendous amount of archaeological data on ship architecture and are 
generally easier to document.
  The sanctuary is also making important contributions to research and 
education. Using real-time video links, students in Alpena interact 
with divers exploring underwater worlds with people who are thousands 
of miles away. In the near future, students from around the country 
will be able to control remote submarines that allow them to explore 
the E.B. Allen or the steamship Montana. Visitors to Thunder Bay can 
also view artifacts and interpretive exhibits and watch films about 
Thunder Bay and all of our Nation's Maritime Sanctuaries. Scientists 
from around the world dock their vessels in the Thunder Bay River as 
they use the facility for their research.
  The sanctuary has also been a real asset for the local community, and 
the community has responded in kind. Since the establishment of the 
sanctuary, the community has worked with it to improve the Alpena 
County George N. Fletcher Library, to provide volunteers at festivals 
and outreach events, and to help digitize the Thunder Bay Sanctuary 
Research Collection.
  The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary deserves to be expanded. 
Doing so will preserve important maritime history and will continue the 
success of the current Sanctuary. It is a unique treasure that needs 
our support. I hope my colleagues will join me in supporting this bill.
                                 ______