GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSES.

SEC. 345. GREAT LAKES LIGHTHOUSES. (a) Findings.—The Congress finds the following: (1) The Great Lakes are home to more than 400 lighthouses. One hundred and twenty of these maritime landmarks are in the State of Michigan. (2) Lighthouses are an important part of Great Lakes culture and stand as a testament to the importance of shipping in the region’s political, economic, and social history. 116 STAT. 2107 (3) Advances in navigation technology have made many Great Lakes lighthouses obsolete. In Michigan alone, approximately 70 lighthouses will be designated as excess property of the Federal Government and will be transferred to the General Services Administration for disposal. (4) Unfortunately, the Federal property disposal process is confusing, complicated, and not well-suited to disposal of historic lighthouses or to facilitate transfers to nonprofit organizations. This is especially troubling because, in many cases, local nonprofit historical organizations have dedicated tremendous resources to preserving and maintaining Great Lakes lighthouses. (5) If Great Lakes lighthouses disappear, the public will be unaware of an important chapter in Great Lakes history. (6) The National Trust for Historic Preservation has placed Michigan lighthouses on their list of Most Endangered Historic Places. (b) Assistance for Great Lakes Lighthouse Preservation Efforts.—The Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating, may— (1) continue to offer advice and technical assistance to organizations in the Great Lakes region that are dedicated to lighthouse stewardship; and (2) promptly release information regarding the timing of designations of Coast Guard lighthouses on the Great Lakes as excess to the needs of the Coast Guard, to enable those organizations to mobilize and be prepared to take appropriate action with respect to the disposal of those properties.