Indiana Dunes Administrative History

Support from the Great Lakes Area Field Office

In the early post—1966 period, Northeast Associate Regional Director George Palmer was the preeminent Park Service heralder of Indiana Dunes. The native Hoosier loved the dunes and in his position of coordinating day—to—day Northeast Region operations, Palmer kept intensely involved in Indiana Dunes affairs. Palmer, supported by Regional Director Lemuel (Lon) Garrison, headed an office which was almost totally unenthusiastic about the new Great Lakes parks, which experienced little activity following their authorization. With the exception of popular Isle Royale National Park, the Northeast Regional Office staff, in the absence of appropriations for the Great Lakes parks, concentrated its attention on parks in its eastern states. [25] Regional Director Garrison never visited the park. Garrison and his successors, Henry G. Schmidt and Chester L. Brooks, abdicated all Indiana Dunes—related matters to Palmer. Telephone calls from Sylvia Troy, for example, were automatically referred to George Palmer. [26]

Perhaps to counterbalance this attitude, upon the urging of Senator Phillip A. Hart (Democrat—Michigan) an auxillary office opened in East Lansing, Michigan, on July 3, 1967. The Great Lakes Area Office primarily served to help organize the two national lakeshores authorized by the 89th Congress, Indiana Dunes and Pictured Rocks, as well as to help administer Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior. While the Philadelphia Office still held sway over the entire sixteen—state Northeast Region, the East Lansing Office was better equipped geographically to oversee the five Great Lakes States to the west: Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. The Great Lakes Area Office was also established to help with the other Congressionally—pending National Lakeshores (notably Apostle Islands and Sleeping Bear Dunes). Adding to the significance of this office, within these five states were twenty—four existing, authorized, or proposed National Park Service units.

With the concurrence of Director George Hartzog, Regional Director Lon Garrison chose Allen T. Edmunds to head the Great Lakes Area Office. Edmunds, who held the title of Associate Regional Director, possessed extensive credentials in the planning of the Tennessee and Cumberland River basins and establishing shoreline parks. Because of the great distance from Philadelphia, Edmunds operated like a director of a sub—Region. Edmunds was a native of Michigan and an alumnus of Michigan State University, where the Park Service office was headquartered. Edmunds counted the Governor of Michigan among his wide circle of friends; a former classmate was Michigan's Director of the Department of Natural Resources. With his intimate familiarity with the region garnered through the Great Lakes Survey, Edmunds was indeed an ideal choice.

Additional duties of the Great Lakes Area Office included coordination with other agencies in the on—going River Basin studies and the Registered National Historic Landmark Program. In Indiana and Michigan, the office inspected recreation areas relinquished to the states under the former Recreation Demonstration Area Program. Edmunds also became State Coordinator for Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, reporting to Philadelphia significant events and contacts with these states. Edmunds oversaw a small support staff: Management Assistant James L. McLaughlin and Secretary Barbara J. Jenkins. [27]

One of the Great Lakes Area Office's earliest duties involved review of the State of Indiana's Outdoor Recreation Plan as it related to the Indiana Dunes State Park. One troubling provision was the future goal of expanding the boundaries to the east to connect with Beverly Shores,* conflicting with the national lakeshore's authorized boundaries. The Park Service criticized the lack of action to correct the deficiency in camping sites in the Dunes State Park. The Service disagreed with Indiana's desire for it to assume stewardship of camping activities, even to the extent of taking over the state park's campground. The position was in keeping with an early draft of the National Lakeshore's Master Plan which called for camping in the Tremont area. Director George Hartzog, however, vetoed the proposal, thus establishing the Park Service's no camping policy in the national lakeshore. [28]

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*The proposed expansion of the Dunes State Park to abut Beverly Shores had some local residents up in arms. The National Park Service received numerous offers to donate land in the area to the national lakeshore in order to block the move.

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Park Service meetings with Indiana officials were held in the spring of 1968 to discuss these concerns. On the camping issue, both sides agreed to look to private enterprise to furnish camping facilities. As for the expansion of the Dunes State Park, Department of Natural Resources Director John Mitchell indicated the plan had low priority and probably would be reassessed. Negotiations on the donation of the Dunes State Park, however, were fruitless. Indiana was not interested in discussing it, [29] but Director Mitchell privately predicted that a favorable atmosphere for such a transfer would some day materialize.

The greatest amount of time the Great Lakes Area Office committed itself to was resolving land acquisition problems at Indiana Dunes. Local residents provided tremendous assistance in this regard. Whenever public meetings were announced in the local media—particularly zoning board sessions in hostile Porter County—prompt telephone calls to East Lansing brought Al Edmunds driving south to protest any zoning changes. [30] In Porter, for example, Edmunds repeatedly protested the zoning board's approval of petitions to rezone tracts within the authorized boundaries from residential to industrial. Written requests from the Secretary and the Director and pleas from Edmunds before the town planning commission and town board still resulted in unanimous votes against the Park Service position. In private discussions, Edmunds learned of the town's deep resentment that the Service gave priority to purchasing the Inland Steel tract rather than the 180 acres within Porter. [31] Edmunds reported:

The petitions for rezoning of properties within the Lakeshore from residential to industrial or commercial will continue. They will be based on a hope for increased values, quicker purchase through condemnation, and a continuing hard core resentment of the action taken by Congress. The strength of the Service will be tested many times in the immediate future and I sincerely hope we will have the "financial muscle" available to meet the tests. [32]

By October 1968, Edmunds' hard work began to pay off. A new spirit of cooperation emerged in Portage in Porter County. Unfavorable rezoning petitions were rejected. [33] The Michigan Office also sponsored numerous public meetings. Edmunds or other park planners were present to keep the public informed of progress on appropriations, Service plans, and to answer landowners' questions. [34]

Another controversy Al Edmunds helped resolve was in Beverly Shores, a town whose core was omitted from the lakeshore under the 1966 Act. Known as "the Island" because the park surrounded the small enclave, Beverly Shores' tax base was heavily impacted. It even lost its town hall and fire station which fell within the boundaries. The park's legislative history indicates the Congressional subcommittees wanted an uninterrupted eleven—mile stretch of shoreline from the west end of Dune Acres to Michigan City upon which visitors would not trespass on private property. Whereas a series of dunes separated Lake Michigan from Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres, no barriers existed at Beverly Shores. Homes appeared on the front line of dunes, some even were built over the beach. The boundary designation in the beach areas, "from the toe of the dune to the water's edge," was not feasible at Beverly Shores and therein lay the controversy.

A sizeable number of homeowners with properties north of Lake Front Drive faced losing possession of their homes under the Park Service policy to establish the unimpeded stretch of public beach. Thirty—two homes were along the beach north of Lake Front Drive. In a November 15, 1968, meeting with 150 Beverly Shores residents, Edmunds listened to the homeowners' complaints. They asserted that during the years prior to park authorization, many proponents, including Senator Paul Douglas, assured them that all residents could sell and lease back their homes for a retention of fifteen years. (Douglas informed the Service that this was indeed his understanding which, when conveyed to the people of Beverly Shores, helped blunt opposition to the park bill.) To allay their fears, Edmunds promised to recommend to Director Hartzog that the property owners along Lake Front Drive be permitted to sell their homes to the government and select a use and occupancy reservation for a period of up to fifteen years on homes where construction began prior to January 4, 1965. In fact, Edmunds believed, the action was advantageous to the government. The area was not needed immediately for development; considerable savings could be realized through the lease backs as well as eliminate potential condemnation actions; and public perceptions of an unyielding Park Service could be allayed. [35]

Edmunds' proposal met with Director Hartzog's and Secretary Udall's approval. Through mitigating adverse public tensions, the event marked yet another example of the wisdom of opening the Great Lakes Area. [36]

Birth of the Indiana Dunes Advisory Commission

One of the provisions of the 1966 act was for the convening of an "Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore Advisory Commission" to assist the Secretary of the Interior in carrying out the wishes of Congress. According to the bill, specified state and local governments submitted nominees to the Secretary for his consideration. To the considerable dismay of the Save the Dunes Council and other conservation groups, five of the seven Commission members were originally opposed to the national lakeshore. The two members who helped in the pre—park lobbying effort were Chairman Thomas Dustin and William Lieber. [37] The other members were John R. Schnurlein, William J. Tobin, John Hillenbrand II, Mrs. Celia Nealon, and Harry Frey.

On November 4, 1967, the Indiana Dunes Advisory Commission first assembled in Washington, D.C., to receive instructions from Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall. Also present were key National Park Service officials from the Washington and Northeast Regional Offices. Secretary Udall told the Commission that Indiana Dunes was a pioneer, the first of many more National Park Service areas in the Midwest. Udall offered some advice of his own: "The best way to resolve our problems is not to create conflicts. You will find that there is a high degree of acceptability by the people as they see [the park] grow, as they see the way [the] National Park Service interprets it." [38] Director George Hartzog added:

You are going to be faced with hard choices on this Commission. We expect this Commission to be creative. Indiana Dunes was the very first area Director Stephen Mather recommended be established as a national park. It has great meaning to the National Park Service. We are glad to have the people of Indiana represented by you. As we work with you, we expect to seek your counsel, guidance, and advice. Advisory commissions are of great benefit to park management. [39]

Three principal topics were discussed which resulted in an equal number of recommendations to the Secretary. First, in considering the marshaling yard controversy, the Commission recommended the Indiana State Highway Department, South Shore Railroad, and National Park Service meet to consider alternatives in which park values and transportation needs could both be accommodated. Chairman Thomas Dustin supported an electrically—operated yard further west in the area bordering Bethlehem Steel and NIPSCO in an effort to lessen the encroachment on the national lakeshore. Second, it called for expedited funding for the orderly establishment of the national lakeshore. Finally, the Commission encouraged good relations between the Service, Department of Natural Resources, and local communities and utility companies in determining area land use. [40] Upon viewing the Advisory Commission in action, Edmunds later commented: "It would be difficult to find a more enthusiastic group than this Commission, and the feeling of responsibility for the role it is playing in effectuating the establishment of the National Lakeshore." [41]

The infant Commission floundered as members struggled to understand their individual and collective roles. Members like John Schnurlein perceived that he represented the constituency from whom he received his appointment, the Porter County Board of Commissioners. Therefore, Schnurlein acted as the Commission's spokesman for the business community of Porter County, not an advocate for the entire Indiana Dunes region. Schnurlein, a businessman, soon learned that the antagonism was not between the Park Service and area industry because he observed only a high level of professionalism and mutual respect. Animosities existed at the union, chamber of commerce, and environmental group level. While land acquisition concerns dominated most of the early meetings, answers were provided by Edmunds and/or Palmer. [42]

Conservation groups remained wary and critical of the Commission. Although it was a good tool for keeping the public informed, many viewed the Commission as a waste of time and thought it was slanted toward industry. Some grumbled [unfairly] that members like John Schnurlein served only to protect the interests of Bethlehem Steel, the principal employer in Porter County. [43]

During a September 1968 meeting in Indianapolis, the Commission discussed a proposed third Chicago regional airport to be built near Chesterton. The airport would be of prime importance to the Port of Indiana's development. With an approach over Lake Michigan, however, the passage of heavy jets over the national lakeshore would significantly diminish the visitors' park experience. The adverse noise factor would impact the entire lakeshore, but especially the West Beach and Cowles Bog areas where the jets would pass directly overhead. Substantial developments related to the airport would also impact the area. The Commission voiced its opposition to the proposed facility as damaging to both the state and national parks. [44]

The Advisory Commission's adamancy on the proposed Chesterton jetport bolstered the Department of the Interior's own position as the controversy continued through the following year. When the jetport planners proposed altering the runways to an east—west orientation with secondary routes pointed toward the lakeshore, Secretary of the Interior Walter J. Hickel appealed to Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe to use his influence to veto the Chesterton location: "We are fearful that planning of this jetport near the Lakeshore by the local authorities and sponsors may gain momentum and establish commitments in site selection and land acquisition similar to the situation related to Everglades National Park." [45]

The growing number of opponents stemmed the developer's enthusiasm. The jetport proposal never went beyond the drawing board stage.