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Wisconsin's Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands, Inc. (FOPPI) has been awarded an $8,500.00 grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation from the Jeffris Family Endowed Preservation Fund as seed money to help support the performance of a conditions assessment and stabilization study of existing structures on Plum and Pilot Islands in the Death's Door passage off the tip of the Door Peninsula in Lake Michigan
The final stabilization report from the preservation architect was completed in September. FOPPI board members reviewed it in early November and they are now developing a stabilization plan along with short and long term fund raising strategies.
FOPPI has now started the first phase to fix exposed roof areas on both the Pilot Island Lighthouse and the Plum Island Life-saving Station. The USFWS assisted with this project by purchasing roofing materials. Mike Kahr of Death's Door Marine delivered (free of charge!) all of the materials to the islands using his barge and tug.
FOPPI members have contributed $4,500.00 toward the cost of painting the Plum Island Boathouse. This money will be set-aside until additional funds has been found.
The USFWS purchased cedar timbers to replace rotten portions of the pier deck on Plum Island. Volunteers are planning to install the decking material this spring. Money is also being raised to hire a structural engineer to assess the condition of the docks and breakwater to determine a course of action for these critical landing areas. Landing at Pilot Island is especially dangerous in rough water.
Volunteers boarded up windows, cleared brush from foundations and along sidewalks, and collected trash last summer. The success of the organization is dependent upon involving as many people as possible to willingly share their talents and gifts. To learn more you can visit their Web site www.plumandpilot.org. If you have an idea of how you might be able to participate in helping FOPPI achieve in its mission, please contact Tim Sweet at tjsweet@charter.net, or (715) 823-6873.
This story appeared in the
Jan/Feb 2009 edition of Lighthouse Digest Magazine. The print edition contains more stories than our internet edition, and each story generally contains more photographs - often many more - in the print edition. For subscription information about the print edition, click here.
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