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The law designates about 32,557 acres of the 71,199-acre Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System.

(File photo)

LANSING — Nearly half of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is preserved as wilderness under a law signed by President Barack Obama.

Obama on Thursday signed the bill sponsored by Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan to designate about 32,557 acres of the 71,199-acre lakeshore as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System.

The measure is the result of more than a dozen years of planning and discussions to update the park's general management plan. It's the first wilderness protection bill to pass both chambers since 2009.

"Today is a huge win for Sleeping Bear Dunes, our economy, and for the citizens of Northern Michigan," Rep. Dan Benishek, a Republican who represents the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, said in a statement.

The U.S. National Park Service supports the plan, which it said will not limit public access. Roads, highways, boat launches and other structures were excluded from the wilderness designation. Park visitors will continue to be able to hunt, fish, hike and camp in designated areas.

The park spans 35 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline in Benzie and Leelanau counties in northwest lower Michigan. It was named the "Most Beautiful Place in America" by "Good Morning America" in 2011, and visitation grew nearly 14 percent to a record 1.5 million in 2012. Visitation fell 12.5 percent in 2013, due in part to the federal government shutdown.

Email Melissa Anders at manders@mlive.com. Follow her on Google+ and Twitter: @MelissaDAnders. Download the MLive app for iPhone and Android.