Huron Islands Light Station Public Scoping December 2, 2019

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is conducting public scoping for development of a Cultural Resources Management Plan and Environmental Assessment for the Huron Islands Light Station within the Huron and Huron Islands Wilderness in (Marquette County, MI).

PURPOSE

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reaching out to consulting parties and the public to gather input on the full range of issues, concerns and suggestions to consider in the development of a cultural resource plan and environmental assessment. The cultural resource plan will lay out management direction for the structures that make up the Huron Islands Light Station. This plan will serve as a step-down plan from the 2013 Huron National Wildlife Refuge Comprehensive Conservation Plan and associated environmental assessment. The draft plan and environmental assessment will be available for public comment when completed.

BACKGROUND Huron National Wildlife Refuge (refuge) and Huron Islands Wilderness (wilderness) is comprised of eight Islands in Lake Superior – Lighthouse, McIntyre, Gull, Cattle and four small unnamed islands. The refuge was originally established in 1905 and serves as a breeding ground for migratory birds and to conserve other native wildlife and plants. Cumulatively the islands total 147 acres with Lighthouse (sometimes called West Huron) and McIntyre (sometimes called East Huron) islands being the largest. In 1970, the refuge was designated the Huron Islands Wilderness (P.L. 91-504). The refuge is situated in Lake Superior in the western Upper Peninsula region of , about three miles off the south shore of Lake Superior directly north of the Huron River inlet see Figure 1. Only Lighthouse Island is open to the public. There is a concrete dock that was constructed in 2006 that provides access onto the island.

Figure 1. Regional Location Map of Huron NWR, Marquette County, Michigan

The lighthouse was automated in 1972 and in 1975, the Huron Island Lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The Six other buildings (Assistant Keepers Quarters, Privy, Oil House, Boat House, Fog Signal Building and Barracks) are considered eligible for listing on the National Register and therefore have the same protections under the National Historic Preservation Act. There are several other remnant site features associated with the light station including a small tramway, fuel storage tanks, components of infrastructure from island utilities (phone, sewer and electric), a path with concrete footbridges and steps, as well as, a modern concrete dock.

RECENT PLANNING EFFORTS Service facility condition assessments from 2017 have identified many deficiencies regarding the structural integrity of several of the buildings and structures, although some, like the lighthouse, remain structurally sound.

A contract has been awarded for work to be done in 2020 to complete a hazardous material assessment and cleanup feasibility study. This study will further identify

2 structural and potential environmental hazards found within the Huron Island Lighthouse Station site. The results of the hazard assessment component will be taken into consideration for development of management strategies for the cultural resource management plan.

To further clarify what can be done to the buildings in a designated Wilderness Area, a minimum requirements analysis (MRA) was completed by the Service in April of 2019 to comply with the Wilderness Act of 1964. In it, the Service identified four possible alternatives for the future management of the Huron Islands Light Station: (1) Preserve all structures in place using only traditional (non- Photo by USFWS 1 Huron Lighthouse motorized) tools for maintenance; (2) Preserve all structures in place with the option of using motorized tools for maintenance; (3) Preserve the lighthouse, document and preserve/demolish other structures as determined using only traditional (non-motorized) tools for demolition and maintenance; and (4) Preserve the lighthouse, document and preserve/demolish other structures as determined with the option of using motorized tools for demolition and maintenance. After consideration, the Service chose Alternative four as the preferred management strategy. The Service determined that this alternative would provide the most positive permanent benefits to Wilderness Photo by USFWS 2 Asst. Keepers Quarters character from benchmark conditions while still allowing compatibility with the refuge’s purposes and compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act.

NEED FOR ACTION To implement Alternative 4 of the Minimum Requirement Analysis, the Service is proposing to develop a specific cultural resources management plan for managing the historic structures that comprise the Huron Islands Light Station. The 2013

3 Comprehensive Conservation Plan and Environmental Assessment as well as the 2019 Minimum Requirement Analysis determined management for the Lighthouse should involve preservation of the exterior structural integrity of the building. However, a cultural resource plan will detail management guidance for addressing the other structures on the island as well as the lighthouse maintenance. The environmental assessment being developed will analyze the impacts of the various proposed management actions put forth in the cultural resources management plan. The environmental assessment will describe the need for cultural resource protection based on current conditions, wildlife habitats, desired future condition and refuge- specific objectives and actions to move the site toward the desired future conditions.

For the environmental assessment, there will be a minimum of two proposed alternatives:

Alternative A. No Action The no-action alternative for the refuge Photo by USFWS 3 Fog Signal Building means the Service would maintain the status quo which is to stabilize and mothball the buildings for historic preservation. The term “mothball” means to close up the building to protect it from the weather as well as to secure it from vandalism.

Alternative B. Preliminary Proposed Action Alternative B (proposed action) is considered “preliminary,” at this time, because it has not yet been reviewed by the public. Your scoping comments can have an influence on alternative B, and therefore, it may be adjusted prior to being analyzed in the environmental assessment. The preliminary proposed action for the refuge was developed based on the unique planning issues, current conditions, and treatment strategies for the refuge. More specifically, consideration will be given to the wilderness designation, refuge purposes, National Register eligibility and the difficult logistics of the island.

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Preliminary Alternative B would allow the use of a full range of management strategies based upon Alternative 4 selected from the MRA analysis. These strategies could include a spectrum of options: preservation in place for some buildings (certainly for the Lighthouse itself) and active demolition or passive natural decay (a term otherwise defined as moldering) for others. Demolition or moldering of Photo by USFWS 4 Barracks, Storage Tank and Tram Rail National Register eligible buildings would cause an Adverse Effect under the National Historic Preservation Act. This would need to be resolved under a Memorandum of Agreement among the consulting parties. For those buildings to be preserved in place, a condition assessment/preservation plan (as an update to the Historic Structures Report) and an annual rolling 5 year maintenance matrix will be developed and maintained by the refuge manager in consultation with the consulting parties. It is anticipated that all the consulting parties will have a part in implementing the preservation Photo by USFWS 5 Oil House plan.

NEXT STEPS All consulting parties will be given 30 days to comment on this scoping effort. After completion of the 30 days, the Service will complete a draft cultural resources management plan for the Huron Islands Light Station and complete a draft of all required environmental compliance documents including an environmental assessment.

After the draft environmental Photo by USFWS 6 Boat House and Dock assessment and cultural resources management plan have been completed, an additional 30 day period will be open to

5 public comment and the refuge will host an open house for community discussion. Additionally, the Service will meet with the consulting parties again to get their input on the draft documents. After the comment period is closed, substantial comments will be addressed and the plan and environmental assessment will be finalized in order to move to implementation.

CONTACTS Sara Siekierski, Refuge Manager [email protected] Photo by USFWS 7 Privy James Myster, USFWS Regional Historic Preservation Officer [email protected]

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