§ 470w-7. Historic lighthouse preservation

(a) In general

In order to provide a national historic light station program, the Secretary shall—

(1) collect and disseminate information concerning historic light stations, including historic lighthouses and associated structures;

(2) foster educational programs relating to the history, practice, and contribution to society of historic light stations;

(3) sponsor or conduct research and study into the history of light stations;

(4) maintain a listing of historic light stations; and

(5) assess the effectiveness of the program established by this section regarding the conveyance of historic light stations.

(b) Conveyance of historic light stations

(1) Process and policy

Not later than 1 year after October 24, 2000, the Secretary and the Administrator shall establish a process and policies for identifying, and selecting, an eligible entity to which a historic light station could be conveyed for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes, and to monitor the use of such light station by the eligible entity.

(2) Application review

The Secretary shall review all applications for the conveyance of a historic light station, when the agency with administrative jurisdiction over the historic light station has determined the property to be “excess property” as that term is defined in the Federal Property Administrative Services Act of 1949 ^[1] (40 U.S.C. 472 (e)), and forward to the Administrator a single approved application for the conveyance of the historic light station. When selecting an eligible entity, the Secretary shall consult with the State Historic Preservation Officer of the State in which the historic light station is located.

(3) Conveyance of historic light stations

(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the Administrator shall convey, by quitclaim deed, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the historic light station, subject to the conditions set forth in subsection (c) of this section after the Secretary’s selection of an eligible entity. The conveyance of a historic light station under this section shall not be subject to the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11301 et seq.) or section 416(d) of the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 (Public Law 105–383).

(B)

(i) Historic light stations located within the exterior boundaries of a unit of the National Park System or a refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System shall be conveyed or sold only with the approval of the Secretary.

(ii) If the Secretary approves the conveyance of a historic light station referenced in this paragraph, such conveyance shall be subject to the conditions set forth in subsection (c) of this section and any other terms or conditions the Secretary considers necessary to protect the resources of the park unit or wildlife refuge.

(iii) If the Secretary approves the sale of a historic light station referenced in this paragraph, such sale shall be subject to the conditions set forth in subparagraphs (A) through (D) and (H) of subsection (c)(1) of this section and subsection (c)(2) of this section and any other terms or conditions the Secretary considers necessary to protect the resources of the park unit or wildlife refuge.

(iv) For those historic light stations referenced in this paragraph, the Secretary is encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate eligible entities, as provided in this subchapter, to the extent such cooperative agreements are consistent with the Secretary’s responsibilities to manage and administer the park unit or wildlife refuge, as appropriate.

(1) In general

The conveyance of a historic light station shall be made subject to any conditions, including the reservation of easements and other rights on behalf of the United States, the Administrator considers necessary to ensure that—

(A) the Federal aids to navigation located at the historic light station in operation on the date of conveyance remain the personal property of the United States and continue to be operated and maintained by the United States for as long as needed for navigational purposes;

(B) there is reserved to the United States the right to remove, replace, or install any Federal aid to navigation located at the historic light station as may be necessary for navigational purposes;

(C) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed under this section shall not interfere or allow interference in any manner with any Federal aid to navigation, nor hinder activities required for the operation and maintenance of any Federal aid to navigation, without the express written permission of the head of the agency responsible for maintaining the Federal aid to navigation;

(D) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed under this section shall, at its own cost and expense, use and maintain the historic light station in accordance with this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, 36 CFR part 68, and other applicable laws, and any proposed changes to the historic light station shall be reviewed and approved by the Secretary in consultation with the State Historic Preservation Officer of the State in which the historic light station is located, for consistency with 36 CFR part 800.5(a)(2)(vii), and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, 36 CFR part 67.7;

(E) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed under this section shall make the historic light station available for education, park, recreation, cultural or historic preservation purposes for the general public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions;

(F) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed shall not sell, convey, assign, exchange, or encumber the historic light station, any part thereof, or any associated historic artifact conveyed to the eligible entity in conjunction with the historic light station conveyance, including but not limited to any lens or lanterns, unless such sale, conveyance, assignment, exchange or encumbrance is approved by the Secretary;

(G) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed shall not conduct any commercial activities at the historic light station, any part thereof, or in connection with any associated historic artifact conveyed to the eligible entity in conjunction with the historic light station conveyance, in any manner, unless such commercial activities are approved by the Secretary; and

(H) the United States shall have the right, at any time, to enter the historic light station conveyed under this section without notice, for purposes of operating, maintaining, and inspecting any aid to navigation and for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this subsection, to the extent that it is not possible to provide advance notice.

(2) Maintenance of aid to navigation

Any eligible entity to which a historic light station is conveyed under this section shall not be required to maintain any Federal aid to navigation associated with a historic light station, except any private aids to navigation permitted under section 83 of title 14 to the eligible entity.

(3) Reversion

In addition to any term or condition established pursuant to this subsection, the conveyance of a historic light station shall include a condition that the historic light station, or any associated historic artifact conveyed to the eligible entity in conjunction with the historic light station conveyance, including but not limited to any lens or lanterns, at the option of the Administrator, shall revert to the United States and be placed under the administrative control of the Administrator, if—

(A) the historic light station, any part thereof, or any associated historic artifact ceases to be available for education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes for the general public at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions which shall be set forth in the eligible entity’s application;

(B) the historic light station or any part thereof ceases to be maintained in a manner that ensures its present or future use as a site for a Federal aid to navigation;

(C) the historic light station, any part thereof, or any associated historic artifact ceases to be maintained in compliance with this subchapter, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, 36 CFR part 68, and other applicable laws;

(D) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed, sells, conveys, assigns, exchanges, or encumbers the historic light station, any part thereof, or any associated historic artifact, without approval of the Secretary;

(E) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed, conducts any commercial activities at the historic light station, any part thereof, or in conjunction with any associated historic artifact, without approval of the Secretary; or

(F) at least 30 days before the reversion, the Administrator provides written notice to the owner that the historic light station or any part thereof is needed for national security purposes.

(4) Light stations originally conveyed under other authority

Upon receiving notice of an executed or intended conveyance by an owner who—

(A) received from the Federal Government under authority other than this subchapter an historic light station in which the United States retains a reversionary or other interest; and

(B) is conveying it to another person by sale, gift, or any other manner,

the Secretary shall review the terms of the executed or proposed conveyance to ensure that any new owner is capable of or is complying with any and all conditions of the original conveyance. The Secretary may require the parties to the conveyance and relevant Federal agencies to provide such information as is necessary to complete this review. If the Secretary determines that the new owner has not or is unable to comply with those conditions, the Secretary shall immediately advise the Administrator, who shall invoke any reversionary interest or take such other action as may be necessary to protect the interests of the United States.

(d) Description of property

(1) In general

The Administrator shall prepare the legal description of any historic light station conveyed under this section. The Administrator, in consultation with the Commandant, United States Coast Guard, and the Secretary, may retain all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to any historical artifact, including any lens or lantern, that is associated with the historic light station and located at the light station at the time of conveyance. Wherever possible, such historical artifacts should be used in interpreting that station. In cases where there is no method for preserving lenses and other artifacts and equipment in situ, priority should be given to preservation or museum entities most closely associated with the station, if they meet loan requirements.

(2) Artifacts

Artifacts associated with, but not located at, the historic light station at the time of conveyance shall remain the personal property of the United States under the administrative control of the Commandant, United States Coast Guard.

(3) Covenants

All conditions placed with the quitclaim deed of title to the historic light station shall be construed as covenants running with the land.

(4) Submerged lands

No submerged lands shall be conveyed under this section.

(e) Definitions

For purposes of this section:

(1) Administrator

The term “Administrator” shall mean the Administrator of General Services.

(2) Historic light station

The term “historic light station” includes the light tower, lighthouse, keepers dwelling, garages, storage sheds, oil house, fog signal building, boat house, barn, pumphouse, tramhouse support structures, piers, walkways, underlying and appurtenant land and related real property and improvements associated therewith; provided that the “historic light station” shall be included in or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

(3) Eligible entity

The term “eligible entity” shall mean:

(A) any department or agency of the Federal Government; or

(B) any department or agency of the State in which the historic light station is located, the local government of the community in which the historic light station is located, nonprofit corporation, educational agency, or community development organization that—

(i) has agreed to comply with the conditions set forth in subsection (c) of this section and to have such conditions recorded with the deed of title to the historic light station; and

(ii) is financially able to maintain the historic light station in accordance with the conditions set forth in subsection (c) of this section.

(4) Federal aid to navigation

The term “Federal aid to navigation” shall mean any device, operated and maintained by the United States, external to a vessel or aircraft, intended to assist a navigator to determine position or safe course, or to warn of dangers or obstructions to navigation, and shall include, but not be limited to, a light, lens, lantern, antenna, sound signal, camera, sensor, electronic navigation equipment, power source, or other associated equipment.

(5) Secretary

The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior.

[1] See References in Text note below.

U.S. Code

§ 470w-7. Historic lighthouse preservation