Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy

On June 25, 2009 the US General Services Administration sent out notification that through the National Historic lighthouse Preservation Act the Grand Haven Entrance & Inner Lights were going to become available.

The lighthouses had been determined to be excess to the needs of the United States Coast Guard. Who had been the long-standing owners and keepers of many US lighthouses included the Grand Haven Lights. This decision was pursuant to the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000, 16 U.S.C. 470, which meant our Lights were going to be made available at no cost to eligible entities. Eligible entities included federal agencies, state and local agencies, non-profit corporations, education agencies, or community development organizations, for education, park, recreation, cultural or historical preservation purposes. 

The Grand Haven Lights quickly became a public target for PETA and as they filed an application to convert the lights into a Fish Empathy Headquarters. Our lighthouse location, as reported by Detroit News, was to provide a memorial for the billions of fish killed annually by sport fishermen; it was also to be an educational center and a café offering vegetarian fare including “faux fish.” Their efforts were just as quickly disregarded by community leaders, charter captains from near and far but more importantly by officials at the General Services Administration. 

Fishing is King for Grand Haven, MI - King Salmon that is….. as for our lighthouses we plan to preserve and protect them for years to come. In fact, our newly formed Grand Haven Lighthouse Conservancy, headed up by the City of Grand Haven, was formed on September 25, 2009. The primary focus at this time is to complete the final stages of application process and the next order of business will be to raise funds to preserve, protect and maintain the lights for all our residents, visitors, and lighthouse enthusiasts. 

If you are interested in making donations to help the Grand Haven Lights please call the Grand Haven Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for more information 800-303-4096.