Lighthouses have played an important role in our country's maritime history. They have stood lonely vigil on our nation's shores helping generations of sailors navigate dangerous waters and find safe harbors. But the need to maintain lighthouses as navigational aids in many cases is coming to an end as new technology renders these imposing structures obsolete.
This loss of purpose combined with the federal government's reduced capacity to provide adequate long-term care and maintenance for lighthouses is putting the future of many of these often historic structures in peril. Since the majority of lighthouses rest on prominent points along our nation's coastline, what will the role of coastal resource managers be in navigating the complex issues and public passions that surround the future of these maritime monuments?
The cover story for this edition of Coastal Services examines how coastal managers in Michigan are responding to the federal government's plan to dispose of 77 of the state's 120 lighthouses by 2005. This means that new stewards must be found for nearly two-thirds of the state's lighthouses, almost all of which have national historic or architectural significance, and many of which reside on state-owned bottomlands.
In the article, you'll read about the Michigan Lighthouse Project, a successful collaboration of federal and state government agencies, state and national preservation advocacy organizations, legislators, and other interested parties addressing the fate of the state's lighthouses.
This edition of Coastal Services features a number of articles about successful partnerships addressing issues as varied as managing oil and gas lease sales and development in Alaska, to establishing a birding trail along the entire coast of Texas.
While each partnership and project is unique, it is clear there is always much we can learn from the experiences of others.
Please let us know if you have a project or program that you would like to share with your fellow coastal managers. We are always interested in hearing what you have to say.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
