To the Editor:

As several-times-a-year visitors to the Island, we were pleased to read about Island support for improving the Island's National Historic Landmark status. We found it interesting to know that the Mackinac Island State Park requires lease holders of the East and West Bluff cottages to adhere to the Secretary of Interior guidelines for rehabilitation and preservation. That requirement has both physically protected the structures and protected the financial value of the structures. Extending that requirement by forming an Island Historic District will extend the physical and financial protection to all. Knowing that neighbors will be required to follow the Secretary of Interior guidelines when they do work on their buildings encourages owners to improve their structures according to the same guidelines.

The history of the Island is tied closely to the buildings on the Island. It is the history of the Island that distinguishes Mackinac Island from many other Great Lakes Islands. Protecting that history by forming an Island historic district will keep visitors coming to the Island for generations to come. Karen and Bill Nickels Ypsilanti