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ALGER COUNTY -- The city of Munising received a visit from a U.S. senator this afternoon to celebrate a major achievement for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  Senator Carl Levin was on hand for a dedication ceremony for the Beaver Basin Wilderness Area.

The Michigan senator received a warm welcome at Tuesday's ceremony, but the true star of the show was the Beaver Basin Wilderness Area.  It was recently designated as a national wilderness area, one of only two in the state.

Under the Omnibus Land Management Act, 11,740 acres of national lakeshore were designated as the Beaver Basin Wilderness.  What this means is this area will now receive permanent legal protection.  That protection will ensure that the area will be maintained as a completely natural setting, however, public access will not be restricted and is, in fact, encouraged.

"It'll be protected more than any other area here against certain activities," said Senator Levin.  "Most of the regular activities will continue.  The hiking, the boating, the kayaking--that'll continue."

Motorized activities in other parts of Pictured Rocks won't be affected by the designation, since the Beaver Basin Wilderness occupies only a small part of the area.

"It's about 16 percent, about one-sixth of the Pictured Rocks area is now designated wilderness," Levin said.

At the designation ceremony, the senator also rewarded the National Parks Service for their hard work in getting the designation passed through the legislature.  A framed copy of the act that designates Beaver Basin as a formal wilderness was presented to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore superintendent, Jim Northup. 

And, despite a cold and rainy day, the beauty of the area makes Beaver Basin an obvious choice as a protected wilderness that will be preserved for years to come.