An educational program providing California students an overnight stay aboard the Spirit of Dana Point, a plan to rehabilitate four offshore lighthouses in Michigan, and refinishing of the steel superstructure of the ship John W. Brown in Maryland are among the 34 projects supported by this year’s Maritime Heritage Program grants.

The National Park Service, in partnership with the Maritime Administration, last week announced $2.58 million in grants for projects in 19 states that preserve sites and objects related to our nation’s maritime history.

“As a nation with vast coastlines and interior waterways, our maritime heritage is an integral part of the story of our economic growth and the defense of our nation,” National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in a release. “These grants will enable our state historic preservation partners to connect local communities to their maritime heritage from sea to shining sea.”

The full list of projects receiving grants is available at the Maritime Heritage Program’s website.

“These iconic maritime treasures must be preserved for future generations – ships, lighthouses, and the vast array of strategic maritime vessels that served and protected our nation at critical times in our history,” Maritime Administrator Paul “Chip” Jaenichen said in a release. “The Maritime Administration is committed to preserving these assets and artifacts from our past, so that future generations can fully appreciate and be inspired by our nation’s maritime legacy.”

National Maritime Heritage Program grants are made possible through a partnership between the two federal agencies that share a commitment to maritime heritage preservation and education.  In accordance with the National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994, funding is provided by the Maritime Administration through the recycling of vessels from the MARAD’s National Defense Reserve Fleet. The grant program supports a broad range of maritime education and preservation projects, without expending tax dollars, while ensuring that the vessels are dismantled in an environmentally sound manner.

The Maritime Heritage Program grants are available to state, tribal, and local governments, as well as private nonprofit organizations for education and preservation projects. Education projects are funded in amounts between $15,000 and $50,000; preservation projects are funded in amounts between $50,000 and $200,000. Education grants can be used for programs such as school curriculum, interpretive programs and web pages, and preservation grant projects can include the rehabilitation or restoration of ships and other maritime resources.