II 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1850

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study of maritime 

sites in the State of Michigan. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

NOVEMBER 12, 2003

Ms. STABENOW (for herself and Mr. LEVIN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL

To direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study 

of maritime sites in the State of Michigan.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Michigan Lighthouse 

5 and Maritime Heritage Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds that—

8 (1) surrounded by the Great Lakes, the State 

9 of Michigan gives the Midwest region a unique mari10 time character; 
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1 (2) the access of the Great Lakes to the Atlan2 tic Ocean has—

3 (A) given the shipping industry in the 

4 State of Michigan an international role in 

5 trade; and 

6 (B) contributed to industrial and natural 

7 resource development in the State; 

8 (3) the State of Michigan offers unequaled op9 portunities for maritime heritage preservation and 

10 interpretation, based on the fact that the State 

11 has—

12 (A) more deepwater shoreline than any 

13 other State in the continental United States; 

14 (B) more lighthouses than any other State; 

15 and 

16 (C) the only freshwater national marine 

17 sanctuary in the United States; 

18 (4) the maritime history of the State of Michi19 gan includes the history of—

20 (A) the routes and gathering places of the 

21 fur traders and missionaries who opened North 

22 America to European settlement; and 

23 (B) the summer communities of people 

24 who mined copper, hunted and fished, and cre-
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1 ated the first agricultural settlements in the 

2 State; 

3 (5) in the 19th century, the natural resources 

4 and maritime access of the State made the State the 

5 leading producer of iron, copper, and lumber in the 

6 United States; and 

7 (6) the maritime heritage of Michigan is evident 

8 in— 

9 (A) the more than 120 lighthouses in the 

10 State; 

11 (B) the lifesaving stations, dry docks, 

12 lightships, submarine, ore docks, piers, break13 waters, sailing clubs, and communities and in14 dustries that were built on the lakes in the 

15 State; 

16 (C) the hotels and resort communities in 

17 the State; 

18 (D) the more than 12 maritime-related na19 tional landmarks in the State; 

20 (E) the 2 national lakeshores in the State; 

21 (F) the 2 units of the National Park Sys22 tem in the State; 

23 (G) the various State parks and sites listed 

24 on the National Register of Historic Places in 

25 the State; 
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1 (H) the database information in the State 

2 on—

3 (i) 1,500 shipwrecks; 

4 (ii) 11 underwater preserves; and 

5 (iii) the freshwater national marine 

6 sanctuary; and 

7 (I) the Great Lakes, which have played an 

8 important role—

9 (i) for Native Americans, fur traders, 

10 missionaries, settlers, and travelers; 

11 (ii) in the distribution of wheat, iron, 

12 copper, and lumber; 

13 (iii) providing recreational opportuni14 ties; and 

15 (iv) stories of shipwrecks and rescues. 

16 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

17 In this Act: 

18 (1) MARITIME HERITAGE RESOURCE.—The 

19 term ‘‘maritime heritage resource’’ includes light20 houses, lifesaving and coast guard stations, maritime 

21 museums, historic ships and boats, marine sanc22 tuaries and preserves, fisheries and hatcheries, locks 

23 and ports, ore docks, piers and breakwaters, mari24 nas, resort communities (such as Bay View and 

25 Epworth Heights), cruises, performing artists that 
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1 specialize in maritime culture, interpretive and edu2 cational programs and events, museums with signifi3 cant maritime collections, maritime art galleries, 

4 maritime communities, and maritime festivals. 

5 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

6 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Na7 tional Park Service Midwest Regional Office. 

8 (3) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the State 

9 of Michigan. 

10 (4) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

11 means the State of Michigan. 

12 SEC. 4. STUDY. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in consultation 

14 with the State, the State historic preservation officer, local 

15 historical societies, State and local economic development, 

16 tourism, and parks and recreation offices, and other ap17 propriate agencies and organizations, shall conduct a spe18 cial resource study of the study area to determine—

19 (1) the potential economic and tourism benefits 

20 of preserving State maritime heritage resources; 

21 (2) suitable and feasible options for long-term 

22 protection of significant State maritime heritage re23 sources; and 
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1 (3) the manner in which the public can best 

2 learn about and experience State maritime heritage 

3 resources. 

4 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—In conducting the study under 

5 subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

6 (1) review Federal, State, and local maritime 

7 resource inventories and studies to establish the con8 text, breadth, and potential for interpretation and 

9 preservation of State maritime heritage resources; 

10 (2) examine the potential economic and tourism 

11 impacts of protecting State maritime heritage re12 sources; 

13 (3) recommend management alternatives that 

14 would be most effective for long-term resource pro15 tection and providing for public enjoyment of State 

16 maritime heritage resources; 

17 (4) address how to assist regional, State, and 

18 local partners in efforts to increase public awareness 

19 of and access to the State maritime heritage re20 sources; 

21 (5) identify sources of financial and technical 

22 assistance available to communities for the conserva23 tion and interpretation of State maritime heritage 

24 resources; and 
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1 (6) address ways in which to link appropriate 

2 national parks, State parks, waterways, monuments, 

3 parkways, communities, national and State historic 

4 sites, and regional or local heritage areas and sites 

5 into a Michigan Maritime Heritage Destination Net6 work. 

7 (c) REPORT.—Not later than 18 months after the 

8 date on which funds are made available to carry out the 

9 study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to 

10 the Committee on Resources of the House of Representa11 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re12 sources of the Senate a report that describes—

13 (1) the results of the study; and 

14 (2) any findings and recommendations of the 

15 Secretary. 

16 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

17 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

18 this Act $500,000.

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