There are about 30,000 islands within the Great Lakes
ranging in size from small boulders to over a hundred thousand acres.
These islands
form the world's largest freshwater island system and are a unique
natural
resource. A large number of rare natural features are located on
the islands of the Great Lakes, including several species of plants
endemic
solely to Great Lakes islands. The extensive island shoreline epitomizes
the Great Lakes coastal ecology. The issue of Great Lakes island
protection
is timely in that pressures from invasive species and humans continue
to increase.
Island protection is also closely tied to the Service's mission. Great
Lakes islands serve as nesting sites for waterfowl and are important
stopover sites for many migratory and neo-tropical migrant species.
They provide habitat for endangered species and provide fish spawning
and nursery areas. At this time, a large portion of the double-crested
cormorant production also occurs on some of these islands. In short,
they provide an excellent potential for conserving the Great Lakes biodiversity
and the unique biological legacy of the Great Lakes basin.
The Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team has formed a Great Lakes Islands
Committee. The Committee completed an overall assessment of the islands
for protection and restoration efforts.
Refer
to Taking
Action to Protect the Globally Significant Islands of the Great Lakes:
A Draft Strategy. The Islands Committee has developed action
plans for FY 2005 - Great
Lakes Islands Committee Strategic Action Plan (pdf-62 Kb).
In
2003, members of the Island Committee drafted and presented
the paper "Tools
and Partnerships for the Conservation of Great Lakes Islands" (pdf-592
Kb
and
PowerPoint-1.55 Mb) at the annual meeting of the Society
for Conservation Biology in Duluth, Minnesota. In
2002, a Great Lakes
Islands/Coastal/GAP Workshop was held in Chicago, Illinois to discuss
and help formulate products, strategies, and actions to promote conservation
of Great Lakes islands and coastal near-shore habitats. View the poster
(pdf-872 Kb).
Specific near-term activities that will be undertaken include collecting
pre-existing information on the Great Lakes islands, implementing
a
Decision Support System to develop strategies
for conservation, and developing outreach materials to inform the
public
on the importance of islands and the Service's efforts in conserving
them. View the GIS/DSS
Fact Sheet.
Photo
courtesy of Wisconsin Division of Tourism.
