<strong>Parks</strong> and <strong>Recreation</strong> Master <strong>Plan</strong> Update 2011 <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marquette</strong> Northern Michigan (Upper Peninsula) Lifestyle Large tracts <strong>of</strong> public land, plus the scenic beauty <strong>of</strong> the lakeshore and several major historical sites, provide the basis for year-round activities for residents in the Upper Peninsula <strong>of</strong> Michigan (the U.P.). Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is sparsely populated, just over 310,000 in 1996 spread over 15 counties in an area larger than that <strong>of</strong> Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Delaware combined. Thanks to a well developed and growing tourism industry, the area abounds in restaurants, motels, resorts, campgrounds, parks, and sites honoring early explorers and its colonial, copper and iron mining, logging, and maritime history. The U.P. is home to an emerging cluster <strong>of</strong> high-technology firms spun <strong>of</strong>f by Michigan Technological University in Houghton, one <strong>of</strong> the world’s and nation’s leading technical and engineering schools. Sister-city Hancock is home to Suomi College, the nation’s only Finnish-American college. Peninsula Pleasures The Upper Peninsula <strong>of</strong>fers much for the outdoors person. There is over one million acres <strong>of</strong> land for hiking, bird watching, and hunting in Hiawatha National Forest, while others enjoy white water rafting at Piers Gorge. The region, lying along the rugged coastline <strong>of</strong> Lake Superior, is carpeted with lakes, rivers and virgin hardwood forest, old mines and historical sites. Mineral-stained sandstone cliffs, shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves, rise sharply from Lake Superior at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, stretching along the shore for 42 miles from Grand Marais to Munising. Visit the 100,000-acre Seney National Wildlife Preserve by canoe, pedal the 100-mile bike trail, or ski over the nine-mile cross-country trail. Go scuba diving in the crystal-clear waters <strong>of</strong> Superior at Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve to explore shipwrecks over a 376-square-mile area, or experience the Superior Circle dog sled race. North Central Upper Peninsula (U.P.) These three counties located along the shore <strong>of</strong> the largest <strong>of</strong> the Great Lakes - Alger, <strong>Marquette</strong>, and Baraga - comprise the northern tier <strong>of</strong> central counties. Only in a very sparsely populated region could a city the size <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marquette</strong>, with 22,000, hold the title <strong>of</strong> largest city; but since trees and critters, which far outnumber people, aren’t counted, that indeed is the case. <strong>Marquette</strong> County with 1.2 million acres is also the state’s largest county. The region, lying along the rugged coastline <strong>of</strong> Lake Superior, is carpeted with lakes, rivers and virgin hardwood forest, old mines and historical sites. Mineral-stained sandstone cliffs, shaped by wind, ice and pounding waves, rise sharply from Lake Superior at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, stretching along the shore for 42 miles from Grand Marais to Munising. <strong>Marquette</strong> County <strong>Marquette</strong> County is home to Northern Michigan University, a regional health care industry, and numerous manufacturers. Over 75 miles <strong>of</strong> Lake Superior shoreline and the Huron Mountains add scenic beauty to the county. Mining and lumbering first drew settlers to <strong>Marquette</strong>. Two iron mines still operate in the county, employing over 1,500, and a new copper/nickel mine is in development. The wood products industry also remains a significant employer in the area. The retail and service sectors employ thousands <strong>of</strong> additional people. The <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marquette</strong> is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Highway, rail, air, and waterborne transportation connect <strong>Marquette</strong> County to the rest <strong>of</strong> the Midwest and to national and international markets. The conversion <strong>of</strong> K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base provides extensive industrial capacity in <strong>Marquette</strong>, adding several hundred thousand square feet <strong>of</strong> industrial buildings and about 1,000 acres to the county's network <strong>of</strong> industrial sites -Source: Michigan Economic Development Corporation 7
Population Projections <strong>Parks</strong> and <strong>Recreation</strong> Master <strong>Plan</strong> Update 2011 <strong>City</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Marquette</strong> Population Projections indicate that the <strong>City</strong> will grow by about 3,500 people in the next twenty years and achieve its 1980 population. 24000 23000 22000 21000 20000 19000 18000 17000 16000 15000 17,202 19,824 21,967 8 23,288 21,977 19,661 22,661 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 23,234
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