1.This Act may be cited as the
Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime
Heritage Act
.
2.Congress finds that—
(1)surrounded by the Great Lakes, the State of
Michigan gives the Midwest region a unique maritime character;
(2)the access of the Great Lakes to the
Atlantic Ocean has—
(A)given the shipping industry in the State of
Michigan an international role in trade; and
(B)contributed to industrial and natural
resource development in the State;
(3)the State of Michigan offers unequaled
opportunities for maritime heritage preservation and interpretation, based on
the fact that the State has—
(A)more deepwater shoreline than any other
State in the continental United States;
(B)more lighthouses than any other State;
and
(C)the only freshwater national marine
sanctuary in the United States;
(4)the maritime history of the State of
Michigan includes the history of—
(A)the routes and gathering places of the fur
traders and missionaries who opened North America to European settlement;
and
(B)the summer communities of people who mined
copper, hunted and fished, and created the first agricultural settlements in
the State;
(5)in the 19th century, the natural resources
and maritime access of the State made the State the leading producer of iron,
copper, and lumber in the United States; and
(6)the maritime heritage of Michigan is
evident in—
(A)the more than 120 lighthouses in the
State;
(B)the lifesaving stations, dry docks,
lightships, submarine, ore docks, piers, breakwaters, sailing clubs, and
communities and industries that were built on the lakes in the State;
(C)the hotels and resort communities in the
State;
(D)the more than 12 maritime-related national
landmarks in the State;
(E)the 2 national lakeshores in the
State;
(F)the 2 units of the National Park System in
the State;
(G)the various State parks and sites listed on
the National Register of Historic Places in the State;
(H)the database information in the State
on—
(i)1,500 shipwrecks;
(ii)11 underwater preserves; and
(iii)the freshwater national marine sanctuary;
and
(I)the Great Lakes, which have played an
important role—
(i)for Native Americans, fur traders,
missionaries, settlers, and travelers;
(ii)in the distribution of wheat, iron, copper,
and lumber;
(iii)providing recreational opportunities;
and
(iv)stories of shipwrecks and rescues.
3.In this Act:
(1)Maritime
heritage resourceThe term
maritime heritage resource includes lighthouses, lifesaving and
coast guard stations, maritime museums, historic ships and boats, marine
sanctuaries and preserves, fisheries and hatcheries, locks and ports, ore
docks, piers and breakwaters, marinas, resort communities (such as Bay View and
Epworth Heights), cruises, performing artists that specialize in maritime
culture, interpretive and educational programs and events, museums with
significant maritime collections, maritime art galleries, maritime communities,
and maritime festivals.
(2)The term Secretary means the
Secretary of the Interior, acting through the National Park Service Midwest
Regional Office.
(3)The term State means the State
of Michigan.
(4)The term study
area means the State of Michigan.
4.
(a)The Secretary, in
consultation with the State, the State historic preservation officer, local
historical societies, State and local economic development, tourism, and parks
and recreation offices, and other appropriate agencies and organizations, shall
conduct a special resource study of the study area to determine—
(1)the potential economic and tourism benefits
of preserving State maritime heritage resources;
(2)suitable and feasible options for long-term
protection of significant State maritime heritage resources; and
(3)the manner in which the public can best
learn about and experience State maritime heritage resources.
(b)In conducting the study under subsection
(a), the Secretary shall—
(1)review Federal, State, and local maritime
resource inventories and studies to establish the context, breadth, and
potential for interpretation and preservation of State maritime heritage
resources;
(2)examine the potential economic and tourism
impacts of protecting State maritime heritage resources;
(3)recommend management alternatives that
would be most effective for long-term resource protection and providing for
public enjoyment of State maritime heritage resources;
(4)address how to assist regional, State, and
local partners in efforts to increase public awareness of and access to the
State maritime heritage resources;
(5)identify sources of financial and technical
assistance available to communities for the conservation and interpretation of
State maritime heritage resources; and
(6)address ways in which to link appropriate
national parks, State parks, waterways, monuments, parkways, communities,
national and State historic sites, and regional or local heritage areas and
sites into a Michigan Maritime Heritage Destination Network.
(c)Not later than 18 months after the date on
which funds are made available to carry out the study under subsection (a), the
Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate
a report that describes—
(1)the results of the study; and
(2)any findings and recommendations of the
Secretary.
5.Authorization of
appropriationsThere is
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $500,000.
1.This Act may be cited as the
Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime
Heritage Act
.
2.In this Act:
(1)The
term Secretary
means the Secretary of the Interior.
(2)The
term State
means the State of Michigan.
3.
(a)The Secretary, in consultation with the State, the State
Historic Preservation Officer, and other appropriate State and local public
agencies and private organizations, shall conduct a special resource study of
resources related to the maritime heritage of the State.
(b)The
purpose of the study is to determine—
(1)suitable and feasible
options for the long-term protection of significant maritime heritage resources
in the State; and
(2)the manner in which the
public can best learn about and experience the resources.
(c)In
conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—
(1)review Federal, State,
and local maritime resource inventories and studies to establish the potential
for interpretation and preservation of maritime heritage resources in the
State;
(2)recommend management
alternatives that would be most effective for long-term resource protection and
providing for public enjoyment of maritime heritage resources;
(3)address how to assist
regional, State, and local partners in increasing public awareness of and
access to maritime heritage resources;
(4)identify sources of
financial and technical assistance available to communities for the
preservation and interpretation of maritime heritage resources; and
(5)identify opportunities
for the National Park Service and the State to coordinate the activities of
appropriate units of national, State, and local parks and historic sites in
furthering the preservation and interpretation of maritime heritage
resources.
(d)Not
later than 3 years after the date on which funds are made available to carry
out the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee
on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of
the House of Representatives a report that describes—
(1)the results of the study;
and
(2)any findings and
recommendations of the Secretary.
4.Authorization of
appropriationsThere are
authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this
Act.
April 20, 2006
Reported with an amendment