In April, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced $32.6 million in historic preservation grants for tribes and states. The grants were made available from annual appropriations for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The grants were awarded based on the HPF appropriations included in the current continuing resolution, which kept funding equal to FY16 levels. Of the $32.6 million, $26.9 million was awarded to U.S states and territories, and $5.7 million to over 160 tribes, benefiting preservation projects across the country. The HPF is supported by Outer Continental Shelf oil lease revenue, not taxpayer dollars. Since 1976, this critical fund has helped to recognize, save, revitalize, and protect historic places across the country by facilitating nearly 90,000 National Register listings and $117 billion in private investment through the Historic Tax Credit.

On April 26, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the Department of Interior to review the size and scope all National Monument designations, of over 100,000 acres or "made without adequate public outreach," since 1996. This order impacts dozens of natural, cultural and historically significant sites across the country (including sites like Canyons of the Ancients in Colorado, shown here). Presidents going back to Theodore Roosevelt have used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to protect critically important natural and historic resources for future generations. Places protected under the act include the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, the Stonewall Inn, and, most recently, Bears Ears National Monument in Utah. This review could lead to changes to the size of several national monuments or the rescinding of national monuments. In May, the Department of the Interior announced the first ever formal comment period for members of the public to officially weigh in on monument designations under the Antiquities Act and released a list of the monuments under review under the President's recently issued executive order. The comment period for the Bears Ears National Monument was open for 15 days, closing on May 26. The comment period for the remaining National Monuments on the list closes on July 10. Image courtesy of atlasobscura.com.

Since 1988, the National Trust for Historic Preservation has used its list of America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places to raise awareness about the threats facing some of the nation's greatest treasures (such as President Lincoln's Cottage, shown here, now a National Trust Historic Site). The list, which has identified more than 270 sites to date, has been so successful in galvanizing preservation efforts that only a handful of sites have been lost. To mark the 30th anniversary of the America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list, the National Trust is highlighting 11 once-endangered sites that are now thriving and contributing to their communities. The diverse range of places on this list reflect not only their rich history and compelling stories, but also the tireless dedication of the people who brought each place back from the brink. In the last three decades, dozens of sites have been saved through the work of the National Trust, its partners, and local preservationists across the country. Many more sites are now considered "favorable" and are on the path to a positive solution. Still, others remain threatened, and the National Trust and its partners continue in their efforts to protect these important endangered places. Image courtesy of President Lincoln's Cottage.

Humanities scholar Dr. Todd Michney, CRS's partner in our Ward 1 project, recently published an article on the significance of the Lee-Harvard neighborhood in the bigger picture of urban race relations and social mobility in the 1950s - '70s. Published in Belt Magazine, the article is entitled "Beyond 'White flight': What the History of One Cleveland Neighborhood Can Teach Us About Race and Housing Inequality." If you missed Dr. Michney's talks in Cleveland last fall, and even if you were able to hear him speak, you will want to read this article. Dr. Michney also released a book on the subject in March, entitled Surrogate Suburbs: Black Upward Mobility and Neighborhood Change in Cleveland, 1900-1980, available from the University of North Carolina Press. Image courtesy of the Cleveland Press Collection, Cleveland State University Library.