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The Maine Lights Program's unique concept has caught the attention of the Canadian Coast Guard. Faced with the problem of quickly and responsibly divesting themselves of 87 light stations in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, the Canadian Coast Guard sponsored a "Lighthouse Alternative Use Program" (LAUP) in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia to present and discuss potential Canadian mass lighthouse transfer models.

Island Institute executive vice president Peter Ralston and Anne Webster-Wallace, director of the Maine Lights Program, were invited to LAUP where Ralston described the program, which was well received by the 100 plus participants.

The federal legislation authorizing the Maine Lights Program, which was signed into law by President Clinton, provides for the transfer of ownership of 36 lighthouses to eligible entities within two years of that date.

In order of priority these are agencies of the Federal Government, Maine state agencies, entities of local governments in Mane, non-profit corporations, educational agencies and community development organizations.

Ralston emphasized the requirements of the legislation, which guarantees public access and obliges owners to maintain their properties to historic preservation standards, and addressed the financial responsibilities associated with ownership. The Island Institute will help administer the program, with the actual determination of specific transfers to be made by the five-member Maine Lights Selection Committee.

The Canadian Coast Guard, given its current austere budget and projected cuts of 40% over the next five years, is extremely concerned about the fate of its lights and is in the early stages of planning a process to transfer the lights to entities that are committed to historical preservation and maintaining public access. While the Maine Lights Program specifically precludes private ownership, this is not true in Canada according to Larry Wilson, Director of Marine Programs, Fisheries and Oceans of the Canadian Coast Guard in Dartmouth, NS.

While the priority of selection is similar to that in the United States, there are current regulations which require the Canadian Coast Guard to obtain "fair market value" for the properties. He is aware that this poses a large problem for non-profits and opens the potential for numbers of properties being transferred to private individuals, resulting in loss of access to the public.

According to Wilson, there is currently a moratorium on disposal of the lighthouses until a policy is developed. Coast Guard officials will be meeting with community representatives to determine how best to divest themselves of their lighthouse properties. Wilson stated that their model will bear a "fair similarity" to the Maine Lights Program, particularly its selection criteria and selection committee. The major differences, states Wilson, is that the Canadian Coast Guard will be heavily involved in the process. Wilson feels confident that partnerships will be developed between the Coast Guard and other groups, with the Coast Guard maintaining the aids to navigation and the selected parties continuing the assurance of public access and providing the maintenance and restoration of the historic sites.

This story appeared in the April 1997 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.

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