A national park is envisioned in an area of Lake Michigan with islands and maritime history/Friends of Grand Traverse Islands

Beautiful shorelines, historic lighthouses, Native American archaeological sites, and maritime history held in a chain of islands in Lake Michigan are among the attributes of a proposed national park in Wisconsin. It sounds very similar to an existing unit of the National Park System, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, which could make this effort particularly challenging.

It likely doesn't help that most previous studies for recreational destinations in this part of Wisconsin overlooked the islands and mainland proposed for Grand Traverse Islands National Park, or that efforts to create a state park encompassing some of these locations failed. One exception was a 1970 study by the now-defunct U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation. It called the "Green Bay Islands" "an exceptional wilderness land group ... The Green Bay Islands have attractive beaches, and, although the water is cool for swimming, recreation possibilities for boating and other water sports are excellent."

Still, there have been complaints that the United States is not doing enough to provide and preserve recreation areas, and that the National Park System needs to be enlarged. With just four national lakeshores -- Apostle Islands, Pictured Rocks, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and Indiana Dunes -- another freshwater-based unit would be an attractive addition to the park system. At least that's what those behind this proposal are hoping.

"Critically important habitat for the threatened and endangered plants and animals found on the islands is dwindling throughout the region --- with no coordinated plan to ensure their survival throughout the chain," those behind Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands claim in their content-rich website. "And some of the historic buildings located there are among the nation’s most endangered maritime structures. This is neither what people who live here want nor what such a geologically, ecologically, and historically significant area deserves."

The proposal includes a chain of islands that runs from Door County in Wisconsin to upper Michigan's Garden Peninsula. It's an area rich in wildlife, historic lighthouses, and a unique U.S. Life-Saving Service station. Since there is so much publicly owned land in the area, there's no need to acquire private property, the friends group says.

Islands envisioned as part of the park include Plum Island, Pilot Island, Rock Island, St. Martin Island, Poverty Island, a small section of Washington Island.

"What makes this a great proposal is that there's not only incredible recreational opportunities, there's historic resources that you can recreate to, as well as just being part of a natural environment," David Hayes, director of legislative affairs for the Friends of Grand Traverse Islands, told WBAY.com.

Sea kayaking, birding, fishing, and hiking are among the activities already enjoyed in the region, the group notes.

Of course, before the project gets much farther off ground the National Park Service must study the proposal that includes 7,047 acres and give it a thumbs up. However, the Trump administration so far has opposed most expansions of, and additions to, the park system.

The friends group is worried that time is running out to preserve some aspects of the proposed national park.

"The integrity on some of the cultural resources is very close to removing its significance, so we need to get the National Park Service involved, get the designation approved and then we can start talking about the preservation and stability of some of the resources," Hayes told the television station.