The management of the Admiralty Head Lighthouse at Fort Casey will be taken over by the state Parks and Recreation Department as of Dec. 31.

The lighthouse manager position is funded by the state’s Lighthouse Environmental Program but has operated in recent years through the Island County Washington State University Extension.

Island County’s WSU Extension Director Tim Lawrence said that in December the current coordinator will be laid off by the county and both the funding and the position will return to state parks. Coordination of the volunteers will also fall under state park’s oversight.

Lawrence said the extension office will form a partnership with the state to allow the county to continue to utilize office space in the lighthouse in exchange for providing educational programs.