Governance of the Friends of Nobska Light

The Board of Directors of the Friends of Nobska Light on August 27, 2019, at the groundbreaking for work on the Keeper's House. From the left: Dave Forsberg, Patrick Burke, Barbara Meissner, Phil Richardson, Kathy Walrath, Mary Harris, Bob Grosch, Charlotte Harris, Susan Shephard, Executive Director Catherine Bumpus, and Brian Nickerson. Missing are Stephen Levy, Jonathan Polloni, Karen Rinaldo, and Jeffrey Thomas.

Friends of Nobska Light was incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on December 16, 2014 and determined to be a 501(c)(3) by the IRS on April 10, 2015. The U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Town of Falmouth the license for the lighthouse in 2016 and the Town, as outlined in the license, passed responsibility for the property to the Friends of Nobska Light. 

The property of Nobska Light Station belongs to the federal government and is administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The law governing the transfer of responsibility from the federal government to the Town is  defined by The National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000 (NHLPA; Public Law 106-355; 16 U.S.C. 470w-7). It establishes a multiple step process involving the United States Coast Guard, the General Services Administration (GSA), and the National Park Service.  The Coast Guard, the Town of Falmouth, and Friends of Nobska Light are following these steps. Once the process is complete all parties expect title to be transferred from the federal government. The Friends will continue to be responsible for support and maintenance of the property.