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The Return on Investment for Local Jobs & Economies


(Photos by Mark)

After my road trips to America’s national park areas, I am always asked “which was my favorite?” One stand-out on my list -- Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. It is a collective of 22 amazingly sculptured islands in Lake Superior along Wisconsin’s coast. According to the National Park Service (NPS) brochure, Apostle Islands is a “wild archipelago…formed by ice, wind and waves as a place to nourish life and renew the spirit.” 

Surrounded by the cold blue depth of Lake Superior, each island’s colorful sandstone bedrock layers can rise 50 feet above the water. Unrelenting waves – and time – dramatically carve fantastical formations. 

Once heavily logged, but now protected as a national park area, the islands’ forests of hemlock, white pine, birch, cedar, and sugar maple are nourished, renewed, and in significant recovery along with wildlife including predatory birds and black bear (who happen to be excellent swimmers).

Cultural resources include historic sandstone quarries, lumber and fish camps and the timeless influence of Native Americans. In 2004, Congress designated 33,000 acres of the Lakeshore to be forever protected as the Gaylord Nelson Wilderness. Forever means a long time in the Islands – as long as there are ice, wind, and waves – and people who value the meaning of wilderness.

These resources are also a big draw for visitors – some 247,000 in the latest available visitor stats (2023). Many are water enthusiasts with kayaks of all kinds. Not only that, those visitors returned $55.7 million of economic output back into regional Wisconsin economies. Picture this: in 2023, Apostle Island’s appropriated operations budget was $3.4 million – yet it generated 16 times that amount back to the regional economy. 

A financial look at the National Park System (433 areas) is similar. The 2023 operational appropriation for the System was $3.6 billion; yet the 433 park areas generated an eye-opening $55.6 billion to their regional economies nationwide. That’s an investment even the shark tank would vote for. 

But some others in the political arena do not consider it. The President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget calls for a massive $900 million cut to National Park System Operations. So how would the Executive Branch cut $900 million from America’s National Park System?

1) Based on the Interior Department’s own report, a total of no fewer than 310 of the lowest-funded NPS sites would have to lose their funding. Good-bye to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Or…

2) Just fund the areas designated a National “Parks” as suggested in the President’s FY 2026 Budget. Good-bye to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. 

3) Fund national park areas with the highest Return On Investment (ROI) and eliminate the “least profitable” units. Even with their $3.4 million operational cost, and their $55.7 million in economic output back to the local economies, say good-bye to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore because their ROI just is not high enough.. 

Project 2025 is moving right along..

Formed by Ice, Wind and Waves 

Historic Fish Camp
Water Enthusiasts 

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