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72-638: Whitefish Point is known for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum , its Lake Superior shoreline, the Whitefish Point Lighthouse and as a prime birding area. Whitefish Point is a designated Important Bird Area . The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory , an affiliate of the Michigan Audubon Society , operates a research and education facility at Whitefish Point. At 17 miles away, Whitefish Point

144-588: A 5,201 sq ft (483.2 m ) gift-shop/office building in 1999 that would become known as the multi-purpose building. The size of the building exceeded the largest historic structure on the site by more than 2,000 sq ft (190 m ). In November 2000, MAS filed a lawsuit against the GLSHS and USFWS. The lawsuit accused the GLSHS of overdeveloping the Whitefish Point Light Station in violation of its federal land patent and

216-517: A 8.27 acres (3.35 ha) parcel to the GLSHS for the interpretation of maritime history. The GLSHS parcel included all but one of the historic structures at Whitefish Point. The WPBO received 2.69 acres (1.09 ha) for research. The USFWS received 33 acres (13 ha) to be managed as part of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge . The stakeholders were issued land patents in 1998 and again in 2000 to correct an error in

288-403: A Shipwreck Museum cruise ship landing." GLSHS filed a lawsuit against the mediator and MAS on September 24, 2002 claiming breach of contract because SHPO was brought into the planning process at Whitefish Point. GLSHS claimed private property rights and therefore, SHPO had no authority to regulate development on the historic parcel they held by federal patent. The legislation that transferred

360-532: A limit to development at Whitefish Point although it still intended to build museum wings. In August 2002, a petition to recall the Whitefish Township supervisor placed "GLSHS at the center of local controversy". The Township Board of Trustees resolved the controversy on September 5, 2002 by accepting the supervisor's resignation and "disassociating the township from a scheme to convert 1,300 feet (400 m) of wilderness Lake Superior lakeshore into

432-418: A museum at the Whitefish Point Light Station. The GLSHS began obtaining public funds in 1984 from federal and state agencies. In 1990, the GLSHS signed an agreement with Whitefish Township that gave residents and visitors public access to Lake Superior, parking, and the restrooms at Whitefish Point. In 1992, the state of Michigan filed a lawsuit against the GLSHS for removal of artifacts from shipwrecks on

504-495: A portion of the bay for future generations of sports divers. The Point is a popular place for rock collectors, ship watchers, and bird watching. Whitefish Point's land and water provides a natural corridor for birds that makes it a migratory route of world significance. It is a designated Important Bird Area where the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory conducts important research. Whitefish Point

576-478: A public meeting that discussed concerns about overdevelopment of the former light station. On March 31, 1995, the GLSHS announced their intention to build "a new museum wing dedicated to Fitzgerald memorabilia." On July 4, 1995, the GLSHS participated in the salvage of the bell from the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald . Experts at Michigan State University spent hundreds of hours conserving

648-584: A year and all meetings are open to the public. MNRTF projects provide for natural resource protection and outdoor recreation. [4] The Mackinac Island State Park Commission is an appointed board of the State of Michigan that administers state parklands in the Straits of Mackinac area. It performs public activities under the name Mackinac State Historic Parks . Park units include Mackinac Island State Park including Fort Mackinac and certain properties within

720-404: Is for all newly hired Park Rangers and consists of mainly a classroom setting where each ranger becomes familiar with the laws governing the state parks. Additional emphasis is placed on survival tactics, report writing, handling abnormal people/complaints, and issuing appearance tickets. Michigan State Park Rangers are not sworn police officers and as such DO NOT carry a firearm, but are held to

792-715: Is governed by a director appointed by the Governor and accepted by the Natural Resources Commission. Since 2023, the Director is Scott Bowen. The DNR has about 1,400 permanent employees, and over 1,600 seasonal employees. In 1887, the Michigan Legislature created the salaried position of state game warden . The position, which was initially created to oversee market hunting and the supply of essential foodstuffs to local lumber camps ,

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864-605: Is situated literally at the end of the road about 11 miles (18 km) north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the northeastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is located at the termination of Whitefish Point Road and the entry of Whitefish Bay on Lake Superior. Michigan Department of Natural Resources The Michigan Department of Natural Resources ( DNR ) is the agency of the state of Michigan founded in 1921, charged with maintaining natural resources such as state parks , state forests , and recreation areas. It

936-672: Is the home of a former United States Coast Guard station . Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum The Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is located at the Whitefish Point Light Station 11 miles (18 km) north of Paradise in Chippewa County in the U.S. state of Michigan . The light station property was transferred to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS), the Michigan Audubon Society (MAS), and

1008-401: Is the largest building at Whitefish Point, constructed in 1999 by the GLSHS. The main level is used as a GLSHS gift shop, the lower level has public restrooms, and the upper level is used for GLSHS offices. Light tower : the first light tower was built with stone in 1848 and its lens used whale oil to produce a light. The stone tower proved inadequate against Lake Superior's storms. In 1861,

1080-594: Is the nearest navigation mark to the wreckage of the ore freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald , which sank in 1975. Whitefish Point remains one of the most dangerous shipping areas in the Great Lakes , Known as the graveyard of the Great Lakes , more vessels have been lost in the Whitefish Point area than any other part of Lake Superior. The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve protects the shipwrecks in

1152-663: The Fitzgerald crew objected to using the bell as a "traveling trophy." In 1996, GLSHS published their plans "to secure approval for controlled new construction at Whitefish Point... [to] include expansion of the Shipwreck Museum and a new building for the Shipwreck Coast Gift Shop." In 1995, the MAS and WPBO took a public stand calling for the transfer of the entire Whitefish Point Light Station to

1224-496: The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality was formed from the department's environmental regulation functions, and the appointment of the department's commission chair was transferred to the governor. Several DNR boards and commissions were also abolished with their powers transferred to the department director. In 2009, Governor Jennifer Granholm moved to merge Department of Environmental Quality back into

1296-524: The Straits of Mackinac . Commission members are appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate , to serve three-year terms. Upon expiration of a term, a member may continue to serve until re-appointed or a successor is appointed. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) has been in place since 1976 and provides financial assistance to local governments and

1368-689: The U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Department of Agriculture . Restricted funding is generated from licenses, user fees and other charges. These funds support programs for wildlife and fisheries programs, operation of Michigan state parks , harbor development, marine safety enforcement and education, snowmobile and off-road vehicle (ORV) trail repair and development, and operation of Michigan's 150 state forest campgrounds. Restricted revenues, which by statute can only be used to support related programs, are generated from hunting and fishing license, state park entrance and camping fees, two percent of

1440-890: The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in 1996. The three entities share governance of the site. The museum is operated by the GLSHS. The museum exhibits artifacts from shipwrecks from the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve and the bell from the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald . Admission to the museum includes a tour of historic buildings with displays that interpret the Great Lakes maritime, United States Coast Guard , and US Life-Saving Service history. An active navigational light has operated at Whitefish Point since 1848. The United States Coast Guard (USCG) stationed personnel at Whitefish Point until 1971 when

1512-664: The 1992 Comprehensive Plan for Whitefish Point. The GLSHS, MAS, and USFWS comprise the Whitefish Point Joint Committee that governs Whitefish Point through the Management Plan with USFWS having final oversight as stipulated in the transfer legislation. Since 1984, the GLSHS was awarded numerous grants used to restore or renovate historic buildings at Whitefish Point Light Station for the interpretation of Great Lakes maritime, USCG, and US Life-Saving Service history. The museum complex includes both

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1584-610: The DNR and are empowered to enforce all laws of the state of Michigan, with emphasis on hunting and fishing regulations. COs have full police powers in the state of Michigan, though COs can only issue traffic violations if ancillary to a conservation or state law violation as well as for poaching . COs also work with other state, federal and local law-enforcement agencies to enforce a wide range of statutes and assist in undercover investigations, fire prevention and emergency search, rescue and recovery operations. Conservation Officers are often

1656-639: The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). * - denotes acting director ** - denotes interim director "The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the State's natural resources for current and future generations." [1] The DNR is funded by the state general fund revenues, federal funds and a variety of restricted funds. Federal funding consists mainly of special purpose categorical grants from various Federal agencies, such as

1728-497: The Department of Natural Resources and hires the department's director. Voter adoption of Proposal G in November 1996, vests exclusive authority in the Natural Resources Commission to regulate the taking of game. [2] The Michigan State Waterways Commission is responsible for the acquisition, construction, and maintenance of recreational harbors , channels , docking and launching facilities, and administration of commercial docks in

1800-579: The Department of Natural Resources to purchase land or rights in land for public recreation. [3] It also assists in the appropriate development of land for public outdoor recreation. The MNRTF is supported by annual revenues from the development of State-owned mineral resources, largely oil and gas. The program is administered by the MNRTF Board of Trustees and the Grants Management office of the DNR. The MNRTF Board of Trustees meets six times

1872-585: The Fish Production and Research Sections as well. The Research Section is organized as five stations, one on each Great Lake and one inland station called the Institute of Fisheries Research located on the campus of the University of Michigan . The Research Section includes fisheries biologists that specialize in stock assessment and conduct surveys of the Great Lakes and develop computer models with

1944-539: The Friends of Whitefish Point organized over their opposition of overdevelopment and private ownership of the light station property. They presented a petition with 1,600 signatures to Stupak that supported the transfer of the entire light station property to USFWS. In 1995, Stupak announced that he hadn't made a final decision, saying, "To tell those people [GLSHS] they can no longer run their museum because Fish and Wildlife wants it would be wrong." Stupak maintained that

2016-400: The Great Lakes bottomlands in violation of Michigan's Antiquities Act of 1980. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) obtained a search warrant in 1992 and raided the GLSHS offices and museum and found evidence that GLSHS had "removed about 150 artifacts from wrecks located on state-claimed bottomlands." In 1993, the state reached a settlement agreement with the GLSHS that loaned

2088-1018: The Michigan DNR participates in coordinated management of the Great Lakes fishery resources through the Great Lakes Fishery Commission . The Fisheries Division is funded principally by fishing licenses sales revenue, federal aid in the form of Sport Fish Restoration funds (AKA 'DJ' Funds), and some grants. The Fisheries Division occasionally is the recipient of general fund tax dollars for specific capital development needs but does not normally subsist off of state tax dollars. The Forest Resources Division administers around 4,000,000 acres of state forest land, managing it for objectives such as timber production, recreation, and wildlife habitat. The FRD maintains statewide aerial photographs in color infra-red and black and white formats, and provides detailed computerized map information for land utilization, management and resource protection. In

2160-535: The Property in its predominantly natural, scenic, historic, and forested condition" On November 1, 1998, the GLSHS announced their plans for the Great Lakes mariners project as "a carefully planned expansion for the museum's facilities". They planned two new wings for the museum with one wing featuring a theater and 125-seat lecture hall and "multi-purpose building... to house restrooms, inventory, larger sales area, and administrative offices." The GLSHS constructed

2232-464: The U.S. Life-Saving Service and U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Station as part of the museum tour for an admission fee. Frame storage building : the Coast Guard constructed this building for firewood storage. GLSHS used it as a gift shop until 2006 when a new, larger building was constructed to house the shop. Chief's garage : the Coast Guard constructed a 3-car garage in 1940 that has remained in

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2304-625: The USFWS of not protecting the site. The lawsuit was dismissed in 2001 when the parties arrived at a settlement agreement that appointed a mediator to negotiate the Human Use/Natural Resource Management Plan for Whitefish Point to regulate land use and any development at Whitefish Point. MAS acknowledged the museum's growth was not the sole cause of Whitefish Point's popularity that drew many visitors for sunbathing and ship watching. GLSHS agreed there must be

2376-416: The USFWS. U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak authored transfer legislation for the Whitefish Point Light Station that included "a reversionary clause which would stipulate that the property would revert to the Coast Guard if not used appropriately." The USFWS's request to Stupak for the transfer of the light station was made public with assurances that no changes would be made to the GLSHS museum operation. A group called

2448-736: The artifacts back to them for display in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. In 1992, the stakeholders at the former Whitefish Point Light Station developed the Whitefish Point Comprehensive Plan. The stakeholders included Whitefish Township, the MAS, DNR, GLSHS, and USCG. The plan was developed with the purpose of discussion of land transfer of the Whitefish Point Light Station from the USCG and "proper land usage in terms of existing and future developments... to ensure that, through proper planning,

2520-457: The bell and applying a protective coating. GLSHS's decision to have the protective coating stripped off and the bell shined was controversial. The bell became the centerpiece in the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum as a memorial to the Fitzgerald crewmembers and all lost mariners. The GLSHS was involved in controversy again when it announced plans to take the Fitzgerald bell on a touring exhibition. GLSHS dropped its effort after family members of

2592-546: The bell from the SS Edmund Fitzgerald . The museum displays artifacts loaned from the state of Michigan from the following wrecks in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve: the Comet , John B. Cowle , Drake , Samuel Mather , Miztec , Myron , Niagara , John M. Osborn , Sagamore , Superior City , and Vienna . Gift Shop Building/Administrative Building : this

2664-559: The best management practices to keep the forests healthy and Fire Officers which protect both public and private lands from wildfires. The FR division consists of about 270 employees, including foresters, technicians, fire officers and other specialists. Most FR staff works out of DNR field offices, mainly in the Upper Peninsula and Northern/Central Lower Peninsula. Michigan Conservation Officers , often referred to as "COs", are fully commissioned peace officers that are employed by

2736-780: The biological and historical diversity of Michigan. More than 200 rare species of plants and animals are located on park lands. The Parks and Recreation Division also maintains 130 State Forest Campgrounds, and ORV and Snowmobile trails. The Parks & Recreation Division is a self-supporting system which means management of the lands are supported by user fees such as: Recreation Passport, camping fees, boat registrations, harbor slip rentals and marine fuel sales. The generous support of volunteers like campground hosts, helps to maintain these recreation facilities for all to enjoy. The Parks & Recreation Division consists primarily of seasonal and full-time (career) Park Rangers or Managers who perform maintenance and law enforcement within each park, with

2808-508: The building in 2002 using $ 630,280 in TEA-21 federal grant funds. The building is not open to the general public. Surfboat house : the Coast Guard constructed three boat houses at Whitefish Point. It is believed that the surfboat house was moved to its present location in the 1950s. GLSHS completed restoration of the boat house in 2001. The building displays a full-size replica Beebe-McClellan 26 feet (7.9 m) surfboat and exhibits on

2880-583: The department and appoint the reunited department's director instead of the Natural Resources Commission. The state merged the two agencies to form the Department of Natural Resources and Environment. In 2010, however, Governor elect Rick Snyder named Rodney Stokes as the new DNR director, and chose to divide the DNRE into the original designations of Natural Resource Commission and the DNR divisions. Rodney Stokes said his first priority

2952-606: The department and provides administrative and facility operational support to program staff located at DNR Operations Service Centers and other field offices. The importance of utilizing customer-friendly service technologies, sound accounting principles and best business practices, proper contract administration and educational outreach efforts in the management of Michigan's natural resources cannot be overstated. DNR's Financial Services; Budget and Support Services; Grants , Contracts and Customer Systems; Program Assistance and Review; and Human Resources, all play vital roles in supporting

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3024-684: The department's conservation mission. Annually the DNR will hold two law academies focused on training new officers. The first academy is for all newly hired Michigan Conservation Officers and consists of training in Precision Driving, Legal Issues, Watercraft, Search & Seizure, Snowmobiles, Survival Tactics, Off Road Vehicles, Use of Force, Firearms, Communication, Writing, Organization, Public Relations, Forensics, and Technology. The academy has strict Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) physical standards that each recruit must meet, and lasts 22 weeks. The second academy

3096-418: The diaphone horns with an electronic fog horn in 1983 that sounded from the light tower. The Coast Guard stopped fog signals from Whitefish Point in 1995. The GLSHS abandoned their 1996 plans to demolish the fog signal building and started restoration of the exterior of the building in 2002. The GLSHS uses the fog signal building as a ground maintenance facility not open to the public. Lookout tower : it

3168-494: The field of fisheries science . The Fisheries Division is organized into four Sections; Administration, Fisheries Management, Research, and Fish Production. The size of the Fisheries Division fluctuates with funding but presently is about 165 full-time employees. The number of employees are spread approximately evenly across the four Sections. The Fish Production Section includes six fish hatcheries located throughout

3240-557: The field, the division is responsible for the management of all aspects of the state forests , except for State Forest Recreation (Such as State Forest Campgrounds and trails). The Parks and Recreation Division took over the recreation responsibilities in January 2012. The FR Division manages the use of forests for timber production, new tree growth, and wildlife habitat. The FR Division mainly consists of Foresters who regularly examine trees, plants and soil characteristics to determine

3312-928: The first person to locate lost hunters and provide emergency medical assistance to those in need. They also play an important role in the department's educational public outreach efforts with organizations and clubs, community groups and schools. Conservation Officers frequently help establish and serve as instructors of recreational safety programs for hunters, boaters and operators of recreational vehicles. The Wildlife Division manages and protects nearly 400 species of game and nongame birds , mammals and their habitats , along with over 70 state game and wildlife areas. Recommendations on hunting regulations, habitat management, public hunting access are made by Wildlife Biologists who also help protect more than 340 threatened and endangered plant and animal species. Michigan's high number of registered hunters contribute $ 2 billion annually to Michigan's economy, excluding license fees. Through

3384-459: The first story of this building from 1985 until it constructed the museum in 1987. Crews quarters : the original location of this two-story frame building was threatened by shore erosion. It was sold to private owners and moved from the Whitefish Point Light Station. The GLSHS bought the building in 1990 and moved it back to a new location. GLSHS moved it again in 1999 to comply with the historic zone created by SHPO. GLSHS started renovation of

3456-507: The gas tax, snowmobile registration and snowmobile trail and ORV permits and forest camping fees. The Michigan Natural Resources Commission (NRC) is a seven-member public body whose members are appointed by the governor to a term of four years and subject to the advice and consent of the Michigan Senate . The NRC conducts monthly, public meetings in locations throughout Michigan. Citizens are encouraged to become actively involved in these public forums. The NRC establishes general policies for

3528-586: The gift shop and other facilities." The Michigan State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) objected to Stupak's bill that allowed "'unchecked development' in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act ." The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1996 was enacted that gave the Coast Guard the authority to convey the Whitefish Point Lighthouse property to the stakeholders. The Coast Guard transferred

3600-433: The help of summer (non-career) workers. Most Parks and Recreation Division staff work out of state park headquarters (similar to field offices) while others work out of field offices or district headquarters. State park headquarters don't only serve as an office for the state park, but also for local state forest campgrounds, boating access sites, trails, and other DNR owned sites. The Land and Facilities Division assists with

3672-533: The historic downtown of Mackinac Island, Michigan ; Colonial Michilimackinac including Fort Michilimackinac and Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse ; and Historic Mill Creek Discovery Park . It is assigned to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The Fisheries Division works to preserve and enhance Michigan's fish populations, as well as other forms of aquatic life. This is done through monitoring and studying by biologists specialized in

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3744-572: The intent of advising the fishery managers and administration. Included are research vessels on each Great Lakes assigned to each of the Research Station except the inland Institute for Fisheries Research. The vessels include the; R/V Steelhead, R/V Char , R/V Tanner , and the R/V Channel Cat. On the Great Lakes, states hold the fishery management authority sometimes shared with some Native American Tribes. The Fisheries Division of

3816-519: The light station property to the stakeholder required "a reasonable opportunity for public comment on... development or expansion, and full consideration has been given to such public comment". The stakeholders and the court appointed mediator, Jim Lively of the Michigan Land Use Institute, held public hearings on the new management plan for Whitefish Point on December 3, 2002. Prior to receiving public comment, Lively summarized

3888-446: The lighthouse itself, although touring the adjoining lightkeeper’s quarters is included in the museum fee. Fog signal building : the original fog signal building was destroyed in a storm in 1935. The building was replaced with a brick structure in 1937. It was used to house steam boilers, clock timing apparatus, radio equipment, diesel generators, and equipment to operate 3 large diaphone horns until 1982. The Coast Guard replaced

3960-404: The modern and historic structures, many of which may be toured with the purchase of museum admission. Museum : the GLSHS opened its first museum exhibits to the public in 1985. In 1986, the society secured funds and constructed the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum. The museum is the second largest building at Whitefish Point. The museum features artifacts retrieved from local shipwrecks, including

4032-423: The navigational equipment was automated. Whitefish Township was successful in its bid to place the Whitefish Point light, the oldest active light on Lake Superior, on National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The MAS secured a license from the Coast Guard in 1976 for access to the Whitefish Point Light Station property for the study of migrating birds. In 1978, the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory (WPBO)

4104-500: The official record in opposition." Reasons for opposition to plan included "increased foot and vehicular traffic, possible habitat loss, septic system monitoring, parking issues, building expansion, new construction, and possible contamination from lead, mercury, and other pollutants." GLSHS lawsuit was dismissed on December 19, 2002 after all three stakeholders signed the mediated Human Use/Natural Resource Plan that secured SHPO's involvement at Whitefish Point. The new plan replaced

4176-492: The original patents. The transfer legislation requires that each recipient maintain their parcel in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and other applicable laws. The statute stipulates that development or expansion at the Whitefish Point Light requires written consent by the stakeholders, that full consideration is given to public comment, and it is "consistent with preservation of

4248-614: The overall administration of approximately 4,500,000 acres (18,000 km ) of publicly owned lands, 25,000,000 acres (100,000 km ) of Great Lakes bottomlands and 130,000 platted lots under the jurisdiction of the DNR. This includes land ownership records on all department land transactions, activities related to the acquisition and disposition of land or rights in land, and resolves title and boundary issues. Land and Facilities Division also deals with and department purchases, gifts, exchanges, sales, and easement transactions. This division also provides design and construction services for

4320-429: The plan by explaining that it allowed two new wings for the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, would greatly alter the current parking areas by returning part of it to natural habitat, and would restrict people to trails. The public comments at the hearing were "fairly evenly matched... with the employees and board members of GLSHS supporting the plan and the residents and property owners of Whitefish Township primarily entering

4392-781: The sale of specialty license plates and donations, the Wildlife Division contributes to the Nongame Wildlife Fund which supports Natural Heritage research, education and habitat restoration projects to identify, protect, manage and restore native plant and animal species. The DNR Parks and Recreation Division (PRD) is the largest division, by far, in the Michigan DNR with about 550 division employees (Including career Seasonal Park Rangers). It manages all 103 state parks and recreation areas, 829 developed boating access sites, 10 lighthouses , 16 harbors and six scenic sites. State park lands help to protect and preserve

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4464-473: The same location. The WPBO uses the building as a bird banding lab, and a base for educational tours. Other historic structures : an 1861 steel lamp oil house and a 1910 alcohol house have remained on the site since they were constructed. They were used to store fuel sources for the light before it was electrified in 1931. Whitefish Point is a popular spot for ship watchers, bird watchers and rock collectors. Important features include: The museum complex

4536-536: The state with the sole purpose of maintaining or improving fish populations. As many as 20 species of fish are annually reared and stocked. Fisheries Management is principally conducted by biologists from various management units that form Basin Teams. There is one Basin Team for each of the Great Lakes watersheds that Michigan has jurisdiction for (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie). The Basin Teams include representation from

4608-409: The stone tower was replaced with the present steel tower by the order of President Lincoln. Over the years the light had several different lens. The Crouse & Hinds aerobeacon lens installed in 1968 was replaced in 2011 with a light-emitting diode (LED) lantern with a reduced range of 15 nautical miles (28 km). The GLSHS renewed a historic preservation easement with Michigan's SHPO and

4680-446: The transfer legislation would not go "before a committee or the house floor with disagreement among the affected parties." After Stupak's earlier support to transfer of all of Whitefish Point Light Station property to GLSHS, he introduced a bill in 1996 that would transfer to the land to the GLSHS, WPBO, and USFWS. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources requested that "the legislation be rewritten to remove authorization to expand

4752-483: The unique but somewhat fragile environment of the Coast Guard Site is fully protected." In 1993, the GLSHS announced their intentions to seek a legislative transfer from the USCG so that they could hold 3 acres (1.2 ha) of the 44 acres (18 ha) of the Whitefish Point Light Station. In 1994, the GLSHS was involved in the removal of trees and the construction of an overflow parking lot. This led to

4824-402: Was awarded $ 40,000 Michigan Lighthouse Assistance grants in 2008 and 2010 to strip the paint from the 150-year-old tower, conduct lead paint abatement, and prime and repaint the tower. The GLSHS projects completion of light tower painting project in 2011. The Whitefish Point light was automated in 1971 but remains an active aid to navigation. Because of this, museum visitors are not able to enter

4896-519: Was built at the Whitefish Point Life-saving Station in 1923 for a 24-hour watch during the shipping season. It was abandoned by the Coast Guard in 1955. The GLSHS moved the lookout tower to its present location and restored it in 1998. It is not open to the public. Lightkeeper's quarters : this two-story frame building was originally constructed in 1861 as a dwelling for the lightkeeper and his family. Its interior

4968-524: Was formed as an affiliate of the MAS and began monitoring migrating birds at Whitefish Point. The GLSHS was formed by a group of divers in 1978 as a private, nonprofit organization. Its mission is "to promote and augment an understanding and appreciation of maritime history with particular emphasis on the Great Lakes museum facilities." In 1983, the GLSHS obtained a 25-year lease from the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to operate

5040-451: Was later reconstructed as two-family duplex to also house the assistant lightkeeper and his family. It housed Coast Guard personnel until 1970. In 1996, the GLSHS restored the building to its 1920 era condition. It is open to the public with a museum admission fee. Assistant U.S. Coast Guard Chief's Quarters : this two-story dwelling was constructed in 1925 for the light station Chief and family. The GLSHS exhibited shipwreck artifacts in

5112-561: Was the direct ancestor of the state's conservation infrastructure. In 1921, the Michigan Legislature created the Department of Conservation and a Conservation Commission to manage the state's natural resources. The first director of the department was John Baird. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources was created in 1965 as a part of the constitutionally required reorganization of the executive branch via Executive Organization Act of 1965. Under Governor John Engler ,

5184-556: Was to reverse the decline of hunting in Michigan, by eliminating the extended seasons, reducing the amount of antlerless licenses in Northern Michigan, improving habitat and removing license requirements for coyote and wolf. On January 4, 2011, Governor Rick Snyder issued Executive Order 2011–1, which eliminated the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (DNRE) and created the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and

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