The Bureau of Land Management-Eastern States (BLM-ES) has played a significant role in the disposal of historic lighthouse properties that are no longer needed by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for the protection and safety of maritime travel.  Prior to the enactment of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA), the USCG relinquished 33 properties subject to the administration of the Department of the Interior to the BLM-ES for disposal.  Of the 33 original properties, 22 were within the jurisdiction of the Milwaukee Field Office.

 

The Milwaukee Field Office Lighthouse Program has been responsible for reviewing the status of the lighthouse properties relinquished by the USCG, and for determining whether the lighthouses and surrounding lands should be disposed of through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act (R&PP) process, the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act (NHLPA) process, or through the withdrawal process.  Those properties found suitable for return to public domain status can be processed for disposal through the BLM.

 

Historic properties are transferred by BLM through the R&PP process or by Public Land Order (PLO) to another agency or bureau within the government.  Under the authority of the R&PP Act, BLM can convey lighthouses and their surrounding land at no cost to public entities; State, local, or non-profit, that have demonstrated their ability to restore and maintain the historic resources for present and future generations.  The Bureau of Land Management also has the authority to withdraw lighthouse sites and transfer jurisdiction of the land from the USCG to other agencies within the government.

 

Many of the lighthouses properties originally relinquished by the USCG have been conveyed out of Federal ownership, restored, and open to the public for recreation, cultural and historic preservation purposes.  To view the status of recent or current transfer actions, or pictures of previous transfers, please click on any of the following links.