NATIONAL HISTORIC LIGHTHOUSE PRESERVATION ACT 20112011 PROGRAMPROGRAM HIGHLIGHTSHIGHLIGHTS REPORTREPORT NHLPA 2011 Program Highlights Report NHLPA Program Overview National NHLPA Program Accomplishments The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA), P.L. 106-355 amended the National Since enactment of NHLPA in 2000*, 84 light stations Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). The have been conveyed to new public and private Department of Homeland Security’s United States stewards through no-cost transfers and public sales. Of Coast Guard (USCG), the Department of Interior’s the 84 light stations conveyed, 56 light stations have National Park Service (NPS), and the General Services been conveyed through no-cost transfers, and 28 light Administration (GSA) implement the NHLPA program stations were sold to private entities (Table 1). through a unique federal partnership aimed at preserving the historical and cultural significance of Table 1: Total No-Cost Transfers, and Public Sales America’s historic light stations. See Appendix A for a summary of the light stations that NHLPA gives priority to public entities and non-profit No-Cost Transfers 56 organizations to acquire a historic light station at no- Public Sales 28 cost (i.e. conveyed without monetary consideration) Total 84 through a competitive application process administered by NPS. If a potential steward cannot be have been conveyed in the NHLPA program as of identified through this process, NHLPA authorizes GSA December 2011. The aggregate number of no-cost to conduct a public sale of the light station. Figure 1 transfers and public sales peaked in 2011, when 14 below summarizes each of the three Federal agency’s light stations were transferred through the NHLPA roles and responsibilities in the NHLPA process. program each year (Figure 2). One contributing factor to the increase was the implementation of submerged land occupancy agreements between new stewards and the state of Michigan, which expedited no-cost transfers of offshore light stations in that state. *For the purposes of this report, NHLPA conveyances are tracked on a calendar year basis. Figure 1: Federal Agencies’ Roles and Responsibilities in the NHLPA Process • USCG identifies which • Review and acceptance • NPS Forwards the historic light stations of ROEs provided by NHLPA application to all are excess to its needs. USCG. eligible entities that • USCG submits Reports • GSA announces the expressed interest of Excess (ROEs) to GSA. availability of the during the NOA period. • USCG evaluates historic light stations to • NPS evaluates the suitability of an eligible Federal, state and local applications received applicant’s care and government from the interested preservation plans for organizations and non- parties and determines historic Fresnel lenses profit organizations the most suitable associated with the through the issuance of applicant for each transfer of historic light Notices of Availability historic light station. stations. (NOAs). • The Secretary of the • Determine if an agency Interior notifies GSA of or non-profit is eligible its recommended by obtaining necessary steward, or informs GSA documentation such as that there were no articles of incorporation. (NPS) Service Park National suitable applicants for • In the event there are the property. United States Coast Guard (USCG) Guard Coast States United United States Coast Guard (USCG) Guard Coast States United no responses to the NOA, no applicants, or no suitable applicants, GSA conducts a sale of the property. P a g e 2 NHLPA 2011 Program Highlights Report Figure 2: No-Cost Transfers and Public Sales Figure 4: Public Sales In 2005, GSA sold the first three lights through public The number of no-cost transfers was the highest in sales under NHLPA (Figure 5). In 2007, public sales 2004 (Figure 3) when 9 light stations were transferred exceeded no-cost transfers. In 2011, GSA conveyed its to non-profit organizations and government bodies. greatest number of lights (14) in a single year. The number of public sales was the highest in 2011 (Figure 4) when 7 light stations were sold to public entities. Figure 5: No-Cost Transfers vs. Public Sales No-Cost Transfers and Public Sales on a Calendar Year Basis 10 9 9 8 7 7 7 7 7 6 6 6 6 6 5 5 4 4 4 Cost Transfers and Public Sales and Public Transfers Cost - 3 3 3 2 2 1 1 Count of No Count 1 0 0 0 0 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 No-Cost Transfers Public Sales Information about specific light stations in the NHLPA Figure 3: No-Cost Transfers program is available at: Pursuant to NHLPA, GSA is authorized to conduct http://www.nps.gov/maritime/ltsum.htm public sales of light stations if no suitable public applicants are identified during the application review http://www.nps.gov/history/maritime/nhlpa/ process. During the first five years of the program, all nhlpa.htm lights were conveyed through no-cost transfers. As of December 2011, gross public sales of light stations in the NHLPA Program totaled over $2.9 million (Figure 6). GSA generated the largest amount from public sales in 2010, when proceeds totaled almost one million dollars. The Baltimore Lighthouse— located in Maryland—generated the largest amount of proceeds for a single light in 2006, when it sold to a local partnership for $260,000. P a g e 3 NHLPA 2011 Program Highlights Report Figure 6: Public Sales Proceeds Figure 8: No-Cost Transfers and Public Sales by Grantee $1,000,000 $901,569 $900,000 Federal $800,000 Transfer 7% $700,000 $534,010 $600,000 $612,000 6 Local Public Sales $511,000 Government $500,000 33% $400,000 28 18 21% $300,000 $266,000 $200,000 $80,000 $100,000 $66,501 $0 Public Sales Proceeds in US $ Sales Public Proceeds State 3 Government 30 Year 4% Non-Profit Grand Total Public Sales Proceeds = $2,971,080 35% The 84 light stations conveyed in the NHLPA Program Light station grantees have used light stations in many are located in 21 states (Figure 7). Eighteen percent creative ways to comply with conditions under the (18%) of the light stations conveyed as of December NHLPA Program. Mini-case studies are provided 2011 are located in the state of Michigan. All of the throughout the report to give examples of successful light stations conveyed in Michigan were no-cost outcomes of the NHLPA Program. transfers to non-profit organizations and government entities. Case Study 1: Newport News Middle Ground Figure 7: No-Cost Transfers and Public Sales by Lighthouse State Location: Chesapeake Bay, VA Conveyance Mechanism: Public sale Owner: Robert Gonsoulin Reutilization: While Newport News Middle ground Lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation, the current owners have renovated the light for use as a vacation home. Picture 1: Newport News Middle Ground Lighthouse More lights have been conveyed through the NHLPA program via no-cost transfers (56) than public sales (28) (Figure 8). Of the 56 light stations transferred at no-cost to public entities, the majority of these light stations were conveyed to not-for-profit organizations. Approximately 24% of light stations were conveyed to state and local governments; six light stations were conveyed to other Federal agencies, namely NPS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. P a g e 4 NHLPA 2011 Program Highlights Report Determinations of Eligibility and National Register Table 4: Expressions of Interest Listings: In order to be eligible for the NHLPA Program, light stations must receive a “historic” Light Stations State Expressions designation through a listing on the National Register of Interest of Historic Places (the Register) or being formally Determined Eligible for listing by NPS’s Keeper of the National Register (the Keeper). There were seven (7) 1 Moose Peak Light ME 5 light stations listed on the Federal Register in 2011. The Keeper also issued two determinations for 2 Huntington Harbor Light NY 2 eligibility for the National Register, but these were not included in the final list for 2011. Frankfort North Break- 3 water Light MI 2 Table 2: 2011 Light Stations on the Federal South Haven South Register 2 4 Pierhead Light MI Light Stations State Cleveland Harbor West 3 5 Pierhead Light OH 1 Alligator Reef Light Station FL 2 American Shoal Light Station FL NHLPA Recommendations by the Secretary of the 3 Fowey Rocks Light Station FL Interior: In 2011, the Secretary of the Interior made ten (10) recommendations to GSA about historic light 4 Highland Light Station MA stations in the NHLPA Program. The Secretary recommended seven (7) no-cost transfers to 5 Port Austin Light Station MI designated public entities (Table 5) and four (4) 6 Plum Island Light Station NY recommendations indicating no suitable applicants (Table 6). GSA conducts public sales for light stations 7 Milwaukee Breakwater Lighthouse WI with no suitable applicants. Table 5: Recommendations for No-Cost Transfers Notices of Availability (NOAs): GSA issued ten (10) NOAs in 2011 for historic light stations located in seven Light Station State (7) different states and one territory (Table 3). Each NOA includes instructions for expressing interest in the 1 Huntington Harbor Light Station NY lighthouse and a fact sheet about the property. 2 Frankfort North Breakwater Light MI Table 3: 2011 Notices of Availability 3 Waugoshance Light Station MI 4 Middle Island Light Station MI Light Stations State South Haven South 1 Alpena Breakwater Light MI 5 Pierhead Light MI 2 Port Austin Reef Light MI 6 Baker Island Light Station ME 3 Ile Aux Galets MI 7 Kewaunee Pierhead Light WI 4 Miah Maull Shoal Light NJ 5 Brandywine Shoals Light NJ Table 6: Recommendations Indicating No Suitable 6 Ship John Shoal NJ Applicants 7 Punta Tuna Light PR 8 Orient Point Light NY Light Stations State 9 Race Rock Light NY 10 Milwaukee Breakwater Light WI 1 Moose Peak Light Station ME 2 Little Gull Light Station NY Expressions of Interest: In 2011, fourteen (14) 3 Romer Shoal Light Station NJ expressions of interest were received for historic light 4 Great Beds Light NJ stations in the NHLPA Program (Table 4).