I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 3946

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

sites in the State of Michigan. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 11, 2004

Mr. CAMP (for himself, Mr. MCCOTTER, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. 

UPTON, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. EHLERS, Mr. STUPAK, Mr. CONYERS, and Mr. 

KILDEE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 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 the following: 
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1 (1) Surrounded by the Great Lakes, the State 

2 of Michigan gives the Midwest region a unique mari3 time character. 

4 (2) The access of the Great Lakes to the Atlan5 tic Ocean has—

6 (A) given the shipping industry in the 

7 State an international role in trade; and 

8 (B) contributed to industrial and natural 

9 resource development in the State. 

10 (3) The State offers unequaled opportunities 

11 for maritime heritage preservation and interpreta12 tion, based on the fact that the State has—

13 (A) more deepwater shoreline than any 

14 other State in the continental United States; 

15 (B) more lighthouses than any other State; 

16 and 

17 (C) the only freshwater national marine 

18 sanctuary in the United States. 

19 (4) The maritime history of the State includes 

20 the history of—

21 (A) the routes and gathering places of the 

22 fur traders and missionaries who opened North 

23 America to European settlement; and 

24 (B) the summer communities of people 

25 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. 

7 (6) The maritime heritage of Michigan is evi8 dent 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 (7) The work and investment of businesses, 

17 coastal communities, private non-profit organiza18 tions, universities, and State agencies has advanced 

19 the awareness, research, public interpretation, edu20 cation, stewardship, and preservation of Michigan’s 

21 maritime heritage. 

22 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

23 In this Act: 

24 (1) MARITIME HERITAGE RESOURCE.—The 

25 term ‘‘maritime heritage resource’’ includes light-
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1 houses, lifesaving and coast guard stations, maritime 

2 museums, historic ships and boats, marine sanc3 tuaries and preserves, fisheries and hatcheries, locks 

4 and ports, ore docks, piers and breakwaters, mari5 nas, resort communities (such as Bay View and 

6 Epworth Heights), cruises, performing artists that 

7 specialize in maritime culture, interpretive and edu8 cational programs and events, museums with signifi9 cant maritime collections, maritime art galleries, 

10 maritime communities, and maritime festivals. 

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

12 the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Na13 tional Park Service Midwest Regional Office. 

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

15 of Michigan. 

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

17 means the State of Michigan. 

18 SEC. 4. STUDY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in cooperation 

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

21 historical societies, State and local economic development, 

22 tourism, and parks and recreation offices, and other ap23 propriate agencies and organizations, shall conduct a spe24 cial resource study of the study area to determine—
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1 (1) the potential economic and tourism benefits 

2 of preserving State maritime heritage resources; 

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

4 protection of significant State maritime heritage re5 sources; and 

6 (3) the manner in which the public can best 

7 learn about and experience State maritime heritage 

8 resources. 

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

10 subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

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

12 resource inventories and studies to establish the con13 text, breadth, and potential for interpretation and 

14 preservation of State maritime heritage resources; 

15 (2) examine the potential economic and tourism 

16 impacts of protecting State maritime heritage re17 sources; 

18 (3) recommend management alternatives that 

19 would be most effective for long-term resource pro20 tection and providing for public enjoyment of State 

21 maritime heritage resources; 

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

23 local partners in efforts to increase public awareness 

24 of and access to the State maritime heritage re25 sources; 
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1 (5) identify sources of financial and technical 

2 assistance available to communities for the conserva3 tion and interpretation of State maritime heritage 

4 resources; and 

5 (6) address ways in which to link appropriate 

6 national parks, State parks, waterways, monuments, 

7 parkways, communities, national and State historic 

8 sites, and regional or local heritage areas and sites 

9 into a Michigan Maritime Heritage Destination Net10 work. 

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

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

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

14 the Committee on Resources of the House of Representa15 tives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Re16 sources of the Senate a report that describes—

17 (1) the results of the study; and 

18 (2) any findings and recommendations of the 

19 Secretary. 

20 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

21 There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

22 this Act $500,000.

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