Chuck Feltner
DeTour Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society
38456 South Seajay Row
De Tour Village, MI 49725
As you know . . .
. . the Great Lakes are an inseparable part of Michigan's identity and cultural history. One of our symbols of that identity are the over 120 lighthouses that define our shorelines – more lighthouses than any other state in the United States.
As a leader in the historic preservation of Michigan lighthouses or as a community leader interested in the important impact of lighthouses on Michigan tourism, I am writing to update you on a recent legislative initiative of mine to preserve Michigan lighthouses and promote tourism.
Late last year, I introduced legislation in the Senate (S. 1850) called the Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act to promote and preserve Michigan's Great Lakes history, including its lighthouses and maritime museums. This bill has strong bipartisan support from all of Michigan's members of Congress. I invited Representative Dave Camp to join me in this effort and on March 11, 2004, he introduced an identical "companion" bill in the U.S. House of Representatives with a bipartisan group of co-sponsors.
As you know, there are many obstacles that make the preservation of Michigan lighthouses especially challenging--inadequate funding; lack of comprehensive planning; and many times, poor coordination between local, state, and federal governments. The Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act addresses these issues.
The bill would help develop federal, state and local partnerships by requiring the National Park Service to work with the State of Michigan and local communities to study and make recommendations to Congress on the best ways to promote and protect Michigan's lighthouses and maritime resources. These recommendations would include specific legislative proposals for the preservation of lighthouses and maritime history. For example, they may call for the creation of a statewide trail highlighting the historical features of our shorelines and lighthouses. The recommendations would also include the identification of funding sources for Michigan communities, which as you know, are critical to this effort.
The Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act has been referred to the
Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. If you are interested in
this legislation, you can share your support by contacting the Chairman of
the Energy Committee, Senator Pete Domenici, to urge him to take up and pass
S. 1850, the Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act. Please also share
copies of your letters with my office. You can direct your letters of support
and copies
to:
Senator Pete Domenici, Chairman
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
U.S. Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510
Senator Debbie Stabenow
U.S. Senate
702 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
The oldest Michigan lighthouses are over 180 years old, dating back to the 1820's. Michigan is also home to the country's only fresh water marine sanctuary, the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, and numerous maritime museums and lighthouse museums which are located throughout the state. This legislation will help preserve some of Michigan's greatest historical treasures.
Thank you for your leadership and support. If you have any questions, please
feel free to
contact my Legislative Director, Noushin Jahanian, at (202) 224-4822.
Sincerely,
Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator