Apostle Islands National Lakeshore consists of 12 miles of mainland and 21 islands in Lake Superior in Northern Wisconsin. The park previously owned a landing craft which was used to transport heavy equipment and large volumes of materials to and from the park’s islands, but the vessel was put out of service in 2012. Currently, the park uses a contractor with a LCM-6 landing craft (LCM) to bring materials and septic pumping equipment to the islands, but the park is bound to the contractor’s schedule and does not have a backup alternative if the vessel is not available.

The park has proposed purchasing a new landing craft to be used to transport heavy equipment, materials, and septic pumping equipment. Volpe analyzed various transportation options to support crucial park operations. The report presents the background of the study; describes the required missions for the transportation options; analyzes the costs and labor hours of the various transportation options; and presents the study’s findings and conclusions.

Final Report, October 2014
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Alternatives Analysis for LCM Replacement (PDF)