WELLS (AP) – A nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving historic lighthouses has taken two more Maine lighthouses under its wing.

The American Lighthouse Foundation announced Sunday that Whaleback Light at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near Kittery and Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse off Cape Elizabeth have been placed under its direct control by the Coast Guard.

That brings to 22 the number of lighthouses, including 11 in Maine, that are under the foundation’s auspices.

Whaleback and Ram Island are both offshore lighthouses, and thus not readily accessible to the public.

But the foundation said it is committed to using the structures in a creative, educational fashion that safeguards their future and benefits their surrounding communities.

The group said it planned to work with youth and environmental organizations whose missions include a link to the sea.

Under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Program, the Coast Guard is authorized to turn over at no cost its historic lighthouses to federal, local and nonprofit groups.

The law requires that the lighthouses be maintained in accordance with strict federal standards and specifies that a lighthouse can revert to federal ownership if it is not kept up.

Unlike most mainland lighthouses, many of the offshore structures are endangered and in need of critical restoration, said Bob Trapani Jr., executive director of the foundation.

“These rugged sentinels that stand out in the water off our coastline have performed invaluable service to the mariner over the last century and a half, but now the future of these beacons is shrouded in a fog of uncertainty as few nonprofits or government agencies are willing or capable of stepping forward to help the U.S. Coast Guard care for them,” Trapani said.

Equally important is preserving the memories of the light keepers who served at these beacons, said Tim Harrison, foundation president.

“These men kept the lights burning bright through horrific storms and complete isolation and are some of the most dedicated people who have ever served our country,” Harrison said.

The foundation is trying to locate photographs, memories and stories about the keepers who served at offshore lighthouses.