PRESERVATION ACTION LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 



LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
VOLUME 21, NUMBER 16
MAY 25, 2018

Preservation Action Hosts Historic Preservation Month Legislative Briefing

On Monday, Preservation Action and the Historic Preservation Caucus hosted a Historic Preservation Month legislative briefing for congressional staff. The event featured representatives from National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, the   Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions

Each of the panelists spoke about the role of their organization and how it fits into the larger federal historic preservation program. The goal of the briefing was to educate congressional staff on the historic preservation program and introduce them to the top national historic preservation organizations. We also encouraged members to celebrate National Historic Preservation Month by visiting a historic site or a historic tax credit project in their district.

Thanks to all of our panelists and attendees for a great event. And a special thanks to the chairs of the Historic Preservation Caucus, Congressman Mike Turner (R-OH) and Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and their offices for helping to host this event. You can watch video of the briefing on our Facebook page (unfortunately the video cuts out a little early).

Is your Representative a member of the Historic Preservation Caucus? Learn more about the Caucus and invite them to join!
Department of Interior to Nominate Ohio's Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks as a World Heritage Site
 
The U.S Department of Interior announced the nomination of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks in southwest Ohio to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks are a series of ancient American Indian lanscape-scale geometric earthworks built by the Hopewell people between 1,500 and 2,100 years ago. The nomination includes the Hopewell Culture National Historical ParkNewark Earthworks State Memorial, and the Fort Ancient State Memorial.

If approved by the World Heritage Committee, the Hopewell earthworks would become the United States' 24th site added to the World Heritage List. The date the nomination will be submitted, will depend on when the detailed documentation package is completed. The next session of the World Heritage Committee will be June 24- July 4th 2018 in Manama, Bahrain. 

This nomination comes after the United States announced their intention to withdraw from UNESCO last year. Starting in 2011 the United States stopped paying membership dues and in 2013 lost their voting power. Preservation Action has joined US/ICOMOS and other organizations to urge the President and Congress to remain robustly engaged and supportive of the World Heritage Program and urged the contribution of funds to support U.S nominations and the World Heritage Fund.
National Park Service Releases Study Detailing Impact of Climate Change on National Parks
 
The National Park Service released the Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Projections for the National Park Service report detailing the impact of rising sea levels on National Park sites across the country. This is the first report like this released by the National Park Service. According to the report more than 25% of the 417 units of the National Park Service are along a coast, many of which face increased threats to rising sea levels and storms connected to global warming.

"Sea level change and storm surge pose considerable risks to infrastructure, archaeological sites, lighthouses, forts, and other historic structures in coastal units of the national park system," the authors explained.

The impact on historic sites could be dramatic, impacting places like Fort McHenry National Monument, the Statue of Liberty, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial just to name a few. The study found that the parks in Washington, D.C.will face the highest sea level rise by 2100, impacting many of the memorials, monuments and museums along the National Mall.

The study is intended to inform park planning and adaptation strategies for the resources managed by the National Park Service.Check out the full report to learn more.
Preservation Action President Speaks at the California Historic Preservation Conference
  
 (L-R) Laurie & Wayne Donaldson, Chairman ACHP;
Christopher Wasney, Vice Chair, CPF; Russ Carnahan, President PA; Julianne Polanco, CA SHPO; and Cindy Heitzman, Executive Director CPF
Last week Preservation Action President, Russ Carnahan spoke at the annual statewide California Preservation Conference, hosted by the California Preservation Foundation (CPF), during the Legislative Lunch. He discussed Preservation Action's latest efforts and stressed the importance for the gathered group of attendees to engage in historic preservation advocacy at the national level. Mr. Carnahan's presentation provided advocacy tools and included state specific information about California's congressional delegation. 

The conference, held in Pal Alto, brought more than 500 people together from across the state and featured over 40 sessions, special events and tours. The 2019 California Preservation Conference will be held in Palm Springs.

Are you interested in Preservation Action participating in your next conference? Email Rob Naylor at rnaylor@preservationaction.org.

Preservation Action
1307 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
p. 202-463-0970  f. 202-463-1299


Preservation Action is the only national  non-profit dedicated exclusively to lobbying for the best preservation policies at the federal level. We seek to make historic preservation a national priority by advocating to all branches of government through a grassroots constituency empowered with information and training.