FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 3, 2025
Contact: Nora Naughton, nora.naughton@sierraclub.org, 248-345-1456
We are alarmed to learn that the capricious budget cuts, layoffs, and staff reductions dolled out by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE are threatening access to Michigan’s treasured Isle Royale National Park.
Amid hiring freezes in the National Parks Service, the two engineers employed by the National Parks Service who previously maintained the Ranger III ferry from Houghton to Isle Royale took a buyout offered by the administration to retire now and collect pay through the fall, according to a report from the National Parks Traveler.
Without the Ranger III, the island loses access to critical supplies including fuel, food for staff, and other major freight. If the Ranger III is not functional by the start of the season later this month, operations and access to the park are likely to be diminished or frozen altogether.
In the report, the National Parks Service in Washington said it does not currently anticipate disruptions this upcoming season, but the disruption to critical staffing is a sign of more problems to come for our public lands.
Visits to Isle Royale have been on the rise for the past five years, with more than 29,000 visitors in the 2023 season. Despite its remote location, it is the most revisited park in the system. Its unique landscape and ecosystem are a gem in our largest Great Lake.
Sierra Club Michigan’s Forest Ecologist and Upper Peninsula resident Marvin Roberson:
“If access to Isle Royale is impacted by these cuts, it’s an outrage. There is no good option. Either this administration knew losing these two positions could cripple the park and they cut them anyway, or they had no idea what they were doing. It’s either evil or incompetent, neither of which bode well for the future of our parks and public lands.”
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The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 4 million members and supporters nationwide, and over 150,000 in Michigan. In addition to creating opportunities for people of all ages, levels and locations to have meaningful outdoor experiences, the Sierra Club works to safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org.