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September 2004

State Roundups
Upper Peninsula

Tourism tour

At the beginning of the summer, with gasoline prices pushing $2.10 a gallon, many in the Upper Peninsula were worried this would be a major threat to their tourism-dependent summer economy.

That didn't seem a major deterrent; instead, the weather could be the culprit. Through midsummer much of the area saw overcast skies and cool temperatures, thanks in part to a mass of warm air over Alaska that forced cooler Canadian air south.

In June, average daily highs in Escanaba and Marquette were more than 2 degrees below averages from the previous year. Nighttime temperatures were frequently in the 40s. Generally in early July, measured rainfall was above average, while temperatures remained well below the annual average.

This summer's weather could especially affect the burgeoning sector of the tourist economy: ecotourism. That term refers to activities like hiking, camping and canoeing, which attract a different demographic than other outdoor activities like hunting and motor sports. And according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, while overall traffic on the bridge in June was down about 4 percent from the same period last year, recreational traffic (RVs and motor homes) was down about 25 percent.

Putting wild back in the rice, and rice back in the wild

Wild rice used to cover lakes all over the U.P., and if a new initiative is successful, someday it will again.

In the 20th century, the area's wild rice almost disappeared due to development, logging and dams. Much of the “wild” rice now sold in stores is actually farmed in places like California.

But a little rice still grows on Indian reservation lakes. Tribal communities, along with the Cedar Tree Institute, now plan to reintroduce the rice into area lakes. They have 400 pounds of seed and have begun to test which waters will be best for growth. The program will also make use of the memories of tribal elders to identify lakes where the rice used to flourish.

For now, the program is more environmental than commercial. The rice will provide a better habitat for fish and may decrease salinity in the lakes.

Only Native Americans will be allowed to harvest the rice. It will take several years for the rice beds to develop, at which point the tribes may decide to turn the project into a business venture.