STRAITS OF MACKINAC, MI – The Hiawatha National Forest has formed a partnership with the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society to ensure essential maintenance work on the Round Island Lighthouse, officials announced.
The little red lighthouse is a landmark in the Straits of Mackinac and is a favorite icon of ferry boat passengers heading to and from Mackinac Island each year.
The collaboration brings a new partner organization to the Forest Service and focuses on addressing deferred maintenance at the historic lighthouse structure. Funded through the Great American Outdoors Act, the initiative will tackle critical repairs including roofing, exterior painting and masonry work designed to protect the lighthouse from deterioration caused by harsh Great Lakes weather conditions.
The preservation project presents unique logistical challenges due to the lighthouse’s remote setting on Round Island, which holds both a federal Wilderness designation and the historic structure. Crews will need to navigate water transport requirements and limited access to resources while working in isolated conditions.
To accommodate these complexities, the restoration work has been scheduled across a three-year timeline, allowing sufficient time for planning and execution. Officials noted that successful completion of the project will require careful coordination, thorough preparation and adaptability from work teams.
The partnership aligns the priorities of both organizations while pooling resources to accelerate preservation efforts and achieve tangible results at the site.
Since it has not been used for navigation in the Straits for decades, Round Island Lighthouse long ago was placed under the auspices of the U.S. Forest Service – the Hiawatha National Forest unit, to be exact. The preservation society and Boy Scout members have handled much of the annual maintenance and spearheaded a 2020 funding drive for new loads of protective rock to guard against erosion when it was clear Forest Service didn’t have the budget surplus to cover it
M Live
