3 Parks Designated Wildlife Sanctuaries

Three Ann Arbor parks have been designated as wildlife sanctuary areas with limits placed on permitted activities there by City Council. The designations were given to Gallup Park, across the Huron River from Huron High School, Dolph Park, in the westside Lakewood subdivisión, and Bird Hills Park located in northern Ann Arbor off Newport Road. The wildlife sanctuary designations means no hunting or trapping of animals or waterfowl will be allowed. Also, in all three parks council prohibited group picnicking or any other use by groups of more than 10, except for natural history interpretation, to protect the areas. In Gallup Park, the new regulations designated the small lake there as a "youth fishing pond", meaning only youths and accompanying adults can fish here. In Dolph Park, family picnicking has been restricted to designated picnic areas. Also, use of the First and Second Sister Lakes has been restricted to fishing and motorless boating. Family Picnicking in Bird Hills Park has also been limited to designated areas. The Parks and Recreation Department had also suggested that swimming and wading be expressly prohibited at both Gallup and Dolph Parks. However, this was altered by council to permit the department to ban swimming via signs in any park where it is found to be physically dangerous. By physically dangerous, council indicated could mean either that there is soft bottom, currents or other such condition to make swimming dangerous, or that the condition of the water makes it unfit for total body contact.