[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17963]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


                 RECOGNIZING THE DUNES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, November 5, 2015

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and tremendous 
pride that I recognize the 50th anniversary of the Indiana Dunes 
National Lakeshore. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is dedicated 
to preserving the lands along the southern shore of Lake Michigan that 
are protected within the park's boundary. Since its inception in 1966, 
the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has acquired and maintained over 
15,000 acres of land and, in doing so, it provides a home for 
endangered plants and animals to thrive as well as a rich natural 
resource for residents of, and visitors to, Northwest Indiana to enjoy. 
On November 5, 2015, the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore launched its 
50th anniversary celebration, which will run through the end of 2016.
  The Indiana Dunes long served as a destination for those weary of 
city life to escape and reconnect to nature at the turn of the 
twentieth century. Chicagoans in particular found respite among the 
shoreline, seeking peace among the valleys of the tranquil sand dunes. 
In 1896, University of Chicago botanist Henry Chandler Cowles traveled 
to Indiana and discovered the Indiana Dunes for the first time, where 
he found conditions to be an ideal location to study the relationship 
between plants and their environment. His observations documented the 
unique ecology of this region, laying the foundation upon which future 
organizations would base their arguments for protecting this resource 
from industrial development by designating it as a national park.
  Following the appointment of Stephen Mather as the first director of 
the National Park Service, hearings were held in Chicago in 1916 to 
weigh public opinion on the creation of ``Sand Dunes National Park.'' 
Over 400 people were in attendance at this meeting and forty-two people 
spoke in favor of the proposal. There were no opponents to the 
proposal, but the United States' entry into World War I changed 
national priorities, and plans for the park were shelved. The Great 
Depression followed the war, and many worried a national park that 
would allow for the preservation of the dunes would never come to 
fruition.
  Post World War II America saw much growth in industrial development, 
and Indiana moved to capitalize on this trend by seeking a deepwater 
port on Lake Michigan. Port construction would require the demolition 
of Central Dunes. In 1952, the Save the Dunes Council, now known as 
Save the Dunes, was created when a group of concerned citizens came 
together and took on the extraordinary task of establishing the Indiana 
Dunes National Lakeshore to protest the destruction of the dunes and 
protect the remaining dune complex along the shoreline. With support 
from then-Senator Paul Douglas, and through the tireless efforts of 
many, including the Council's founder, Dorothy Buell, and activists 
Herb and Charlotte Read, Ruth and Ed Osann, and Sylvia Troy, as well as 
countless others who championed the cause, the Indiana Dunes National 
Lakeshore was established in 1966 when the 89th Congress passed a bill 
authorizing the preservation of eight miles of shore and 8,330 acres of 
parkland along the lake.
  Throughout the last three decades, the Indiana Dunes National 
Lakeshore and Save the Dunes have worked tirelessly to secure the lands 
within the park boundary, increasing its holding to 15,000 acres. 
Today, people can enjoy a variety of landscapes inside the park such as 
dunes, wetlands, prairies, rivers, and forests. In the coming year, 
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will sponsor several events to 
celebrate its history, including a year-long lecture series, a science 
conference, and a youth poetry and art contest in honor of those 
citizens involved in the creation of the park.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask you and my other distinguished colleagues to join 
me in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Indiana 
Dunes National Lakeshore. Throughout the years, the staff and 
volunteers of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Save the Dunes, and 
other organizations have dedicated themselves to preserving the natural 
landscape of the Lake Michigan shoreline, and their passionate 
commitment to the park is worthy of the highest praise.




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