Dear fellow lighthouse stewards and aficionados,

As you will see below, along with support from Senators Snow, Stabenow, Collins and Schumer, Michigan Senator Carl Levin formally announced his intention to introduce the National Lighthouse Stewardship Act of 2009 in the Senate yesterday. This Act serves as a compliment to NHLPA 2000, and proposes the establishment of a pilot program that would “enable state and nonprofit groups to apply for competitive grants to help with restoration and maintenance efforts. This pilot program would authorize the secretary to distribute $20 million a year for three years.”

This program would consist of direct grants requiring no matching funds, with the grants able to serve as a match for other grants. As such, there is no need for explanation how the passage of this Act would serve as an immense benefit to the nation’s nonprofit lighthouse stewards.

Since Senator Levin’s announcement in the Senate yesterday, the Bill has been assigned Senate Bill number s715.

We strongly recommend that you not only contact your appropriate Legislators as soon as possible to voice your support of the passage of Senate bill s715, but also make all of the lighthouse stewards and aficionados in your contact databases aware of this impending Bill and ask that they do likewise.

Pulling together, we can raise awareness of support for the passage of this legislation, and help ensure its successful passage. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone you feel may be interested and supportive in this cause.

Kind regards, and good luck.



Terry Pepper
Executive Director
------------------------------------------
Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association
PO Box 219
Mackinaw City, MI 49701-0219
tel: 231-436-5580
fax: 231-436-5466
eml: terry@gllka.com ]www.gllka.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2009

Contact: Senator Levin's Office
Phone: 202.224.6221
Senate Floor Statement on Introduction of the National Lighthouse Stewardship Act

Today, with Senators Snowe, Stabenow, Collins and Schumer, I introduce The National Lighthouse Stewardship Act. This legislation creates a three year competitive grant program at the Department of the Interior that will help to pay for the preservation and rehabilitation of historic lighthouses in Michigan and across the country. The grants will help nonprofit organizations, which serve as caretakers for these historic landmarks, to help them preserve and rehabilitate the historic lighthouses and keep them accessible to the public.

This legislation compliments a bill that was enacted in October 2000, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act, which I joined Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-AK) in offering. With the Coast Guard getting out of the light house business, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act helped facilitate the process of transferring historic lighthouses from the government to non-profit historical organizations who would take over the responsibility for their care. It established an expedited process through the Government Services Agency to help ease lighthouse transfers by helping to cut through the bureaucratic red tape. As a result of the law, 46 lighthouses to date --- nine in Michigan --- have been transferred to custodians who will preserve them and keep them accessible to the public.

Many of these lighthouse structures are in need of significant repair and rehabilitation, which is now the responsibility of their nonprofit custodians. Unfortunately, after obtaining custody of the lighthouses, many of the nonprofit organizations have struggled to raise the funds to adequately restore and maintain the lighthouses. To address this problem our legislation establishes a pilot program that would enable state and nonprofit groups to apply for competitive grants to help with restoration and maintenance efforts. This pilot program would authorize the secretary to distribute $20 million a year for three years.

Funding for Lighthouse restoration is important to Michigan and to the nation’s historic preservation efforts. There are approximately 740 lighthouses in 31 costal states. Michigan alone has over 120 lighthouses, more than any other state. They draw thousands of visitors to Michigan and other states each year and create jobs throughout our states. Michigan’s and the nation’s lighthouses are national treasures that beautify our shorelines. These historic lighthouses are part of our nation’s rich maritime heritage. The grants are needed to help nonprofit organizations, which serve as caretakers for the historic landmarks, to maintain the beauty of the lighthouses and keep them accessible to the public.

My office worked closely with lighthouse preservation groups in drafting this legislation. The Michigan Lighthouse Fund in my home state was invaluable in providing information on the needs of our nation’s lighthouses. This week in Washington, the American Lighthouse Coordinating Committee is meeting to coincide with the introduction of this Act. These funds are desperately needed by these groups who work tirelessly to preserve our Nation’s maritime heritage.

This funding would help ensure our lighthouses remain cultural beacons for generations to come. America’s lighthouses are national treasures that we cannot let deteriorate to the point beyond repair. I hope my colleagues will support the swift enactment of the National Lighthouse Stewardship Act.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to include in the Record the following letters from lighthouse organizations in support of this legislation.