USC Chapter 3051

in effect

54 U.S.C. § 305101 Definitions

In this chapter: (1) Administrator.—The term “Administrator” means the Administrator of General Services. (2) Eligible entity.—The term “eligible entity” means—(A) any department or agency of the Federal Government; or (B) any department or agency of the State in which a historic light station is located, the local government of the community in which a historic light station is located, a nonprofit corporation, an educational agency, or a community development organization that—(i) has agreed to comply with the conditions set forth in section 305104 of this title and to have the 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 section 305104 of this title. (3) Federal aid to navigation.—(A) In general.—The term “Federal aid to navigation” means 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. (B) Inclusions.—The term “Federal aid to navigation” includes a light, lens, lantern, antenna, sound signal, camera, sensor, piece of electronic navigation equipment, power source, or other piece of equipment associated with a device described in subparagraph (A). (4) Historic light station.—The term “historic light station” includes the light tower, lighthouse, keeper’s 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 with a historic light station that is a historic property.

54 U.S.C. § 305102 Duties of Secretary in providing a national historic light station program

To provide a national historic light station program, the Secretary shall— (1) collect and disseminate information concerning historic light stations; (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 chapter regarding the conveyance of historic light stations.

54 U.S.C. § 305103 Selection of eligible entity and conveyance of historic light stations

(a) Process and Policies.—The Secretary and the Administrator shall maintain 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 the light station by the eligible entity. (b) Application Review.—(1) In general.—The Secretary shall—(A) 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 section 102 of title 40); and (B) forward to the Administrator a single approved application for the conveyance of the historic light station. (2) Consultation.—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. (c) Conveyance or Sale of Historic Light Stations.—(1) Conveyance by administrator.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), after the Secretary’s selection of an eligible entity, the Administrator shall convey, by quitclaim deed, without consideration, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a historic light station, subject to the conditions set forth in section 305104 of this title. The conveyance of a historic light station under this chapter shall not be subject to 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, 14 U.S.C. 93 note).11 See References in Text note below. (2) Historic light station located within a system unit or a refuge within national wildlife refuge system.—(A) Approval of secretary required.—A historic light station located within the exterior boundaries of a System unit or a refuge within the National Wildlife Refuge System shall be conveyed or sold only with the approval of the Secretary. (B) Conditions of conveyance.—If the Secretary approves the conveyance of a historic light station described in subparagraph (A), the conveyance shall be subject to the conditions set forth in section 305104 of this title and any other terms or conditions that the Secretary considers necessary to protect the resources of the System unit or wildlife refuge. (C) Conditions of sale.—If the Secretary approves the sale of a historic light station described in subparagraph (A), the sale shall be subject to the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) to (4) and (8) of subsection (a), and subsection (b), of section 305104 of this title and any other terms or conditions that the Secretary considers necessary to protect the resources of the System unit or wildlife refuge. (D) Cooperative agreements.—The Secretary is encouraged to enter into cooperative agreements with appropriate eligible entities with respect to historic light stations described in subparagraph (A), as provided in this division, to the extent that the cooperative agreements are consistent with the Secretary’s responsibilities to manage and administer the System unit or wildlife refuge.

54 U.S.C. § 305104 Terms of conveyance

(a) 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, that the Administrator considers necessary to ensure that—(1) 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; (2) 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; (3) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed shall not interfere or allow interference in any manner with any Federal aid to navigation or 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; (4)(A) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed shall, at its own cost and expense, use and maintain the historic light station in accordance with this division, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties contained in part 68 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, and other applicable laws; and (B) 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 section 800.5(a)(2)(vii) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations and the Secretary’s Standards for Rehabilitation contained in section 67.7 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations; (5) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed 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; (6) 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 of the historic light station, or any associated historic artifact conveyed to the eligible entity in conjunction with the historic light station conveyance, including any lens or lantern, unless the sale, conveyance, assignment, exchange, or encumbrance is approved by the Secretary; (7) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed shall not conduct any commercial activity at the historic light station, at any part of the historic light station, 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 the commercial activity is approved by the Secretary; and (8) the United States shall have the right, at any time, to enter the historic light station without notice, for purposes of operating, maintaining, and inspecting any aid to navigation and for the purpose of ensuring compliance with this section, to the extent that it is not possible to provide advance notice. (b) Maintenance of Aid to Navigation.—Any eligible entity to which a historic light station is conveyed shall not be required to maintain any Federal aid to navigation associated with a historic light station, except any private aid to navigation permitted to the eligible entity under section 83 11 See References in Text note below. of title 14. (c) Reversion.—In addition to any term or condition established pursuant to this section, 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 any lens or lantern, at the option of the Administrator, shall revert to the United States and be placed under the administrative control of the Administrator, if—(1) the historic light station, any part of the historic light station, 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 that shall be set forth in the eligible entity’s application; (2) the historic light station or any part of the historic light station ceases to be maintained in a manner that ensures its present or future use as a site for a Federal aid to navigation; (3) the historic light station, any part of the historic light station, or any associated historic artifact ceases to be maintained in compliance with this division, the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties contained in part 68 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, and other applicable laws; (4) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed sells, conveys, assigns, exchanges, or encumbers the historic light station, any part of the historic light fixture, or any associated historic artifact, without approval of the Secretary; (5) the eligible entity to which the historic light station is conveyed conducts any commercial activity at the historic light station, at any part of the historic light station, or in conjunction with any associated historic artifact, without approval of the Secretary; or (6) at least 30 days before the reversion, the Administrator provides written notice to the owner that the historic light station or any part of the historic light station is needed for national security purposes. (d) Light Stations Originally Conveyed Under Other Authority.—On receiving notice of an executed or intended conveyance by an owner that received from the Federal Government under authority other than this division a historic light station in which the United States retains a reversionary or other interest and that 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 information as is necessary to complete the review. If the Secretary determines that the new owner has not complied or is unable to comply with those conditions, the Secretary shall immediately advise the Administrator, who shall invoke any reversionary interest or take other action as may be necessary to protect the interests of the United States.

54 U.S.C. § 305105 Description of property

(a) In General.—The Administrator shall prepare the legal description of any historic light station conveyed under this chapter. The Administrator, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security 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 historic light station at the time of conveyance. Wherever possible, the historical artifacts should be used in interpreting the historic light 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 historic light station, if they meet loan requirements. (b) Artifacts.—Artifacts associated with, but not located at, a historic light station at the time of conveyance shall remain the property of the United States under the administrative control of the Secretary of Homeland Security. (c) Covenants.—All conditions placed with the quitclaim deed of title to the historic light station shall be construed as covenants running with the land. (d) Submerged Land.—No submerged land shall be conveyed under this chapter.

54 U.S.C. § 305106 Historic light station sales

(a) In General.—(1) When sale may occur.—If no applicant is approved for the conveyance of a historic light station pursuant to sections 305101 through 305105 of this title, the historic light station shall be offered for sale. (2) Terms of sale.—Terms of the sales—(A) shall be developed by the Administrator; and (B) shall be consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (1) to (4) and (8) of subsection (a), and subsection (b), of section 305104 of this title. (3) Covenants to be included in conveyance documents.—Conveyance documents shall include all necessary covenants to protect the historical integrity of the historic light station and ensure that any Federal aid to navigation located at the historic light station is operated and maintained by the United States for as long as needed for that purpose. (b) Net Sale Proceeds.—(1) Disposition and use of funds.—Net sale proceeds from the disposal of a historic light station—(A) located on public domain land shall be transferred to the National Maritime Heritage Grants Program established under chapter 3087 in the Department of the Interior; and (B) under the administrative control of the Secretary of Homeland Security—(i) shall be credited to the Coast Guard’s Operating Expenses appropriation account; and (ii) shall be available for obligation and expenditure for the maintenance of light stations remaining under the administrative control of the Secretary of Homeland Security. (2) Availability of funds.—The funds referred to in paragraph (1)(B) shall remain available until expended and shall be available in addition to funds available in the Coast Guard’s Operating Expense appropriation for that purpose.