More on Catala Shipwreck; Lighthouse Tourism Bill Clears Senate Committee

The Associated Press ran a story on the appearance of the shipwreck of the Catala at Grays Harbor on the Washington Coast, as I noted on February 10. Here's the version published in the Seattle Times, with a small photo of what's left of the passenger vessel. Pedro Caleja at the blog Do fundo do mar...Sea bottom has a photo of the wreck in 1972.

The US Senate has taken up a bill that would further the cause of maritime heritage and tourism in Michigan. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has approved US Senator Debbie Stabenow’s legislation to preserve and promote Michigan’s lighthouses, according to a press release from Stabenow's office. The bill now goes to the full senate. Stabenow’s Michigan Lighthouse and Maritime Heritage Act would create a federal, state and local partnership to preserve Michigan’s lighthouses and promote the maritime culture of the Great Lakes. The bill would require the National Park Service to work with the State of Michigan and local communities to study and make recommendations to Congress on the best ways to promote and protect Michigan’s lighthouses and increase tourism, including the creation of a Michigan Lighthouse Trail. The study would also identify sources of funding available to Michigan communities for the preservation and restoration of their local lighthouses. The release does not mention an appropriation.