House Committee Holds Hearing on Bills Aimed at Protecting the Grand Canyon Region and Chaco Cultural Heritage
Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Photo Credit NTHP
This week the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands held a hearing on the Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act (H.R 1373) and the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act of 2019 (H.R 2181. S. 1079). The Grand Canyon Centennial Protection Act is aimed at protecting the watershed, ecosystem, and cultural heritage of the Grand Canyon region, which faces threats from uranium mining. The bill would redraw pubic lands boundaries in the area to protect the region from lasting damage and place a permanent moratorium on new mining claims around the National Park.
The subcommittee also heard testimony on the Chaco Cultural Heritage Area Protection Act. This bill calls for the withdrawal of federal lands around Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, from future oil and gas leasing and mineral development. Chaco Canyon and the surrounding landscape contains irreplaceable cultural resources from the Chacoan culture, like ceremonial buildings and distinctive great houses. Heritage sites like these are being increasingly threatened by energy development. After touring the region with Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-MN) last week, Interior Secretary, David Bernhardt, announced he would defer leasing within a 10 mile radius around the Chaco Cultural National Historical Park for one year.
Preservation Action joined the National Trust for Historic Preservation and 46 other organizations and tribes in sending a letter to the New Mexico congressional delegation in support of this important legislation.
National Park Service Announces $500,000 in HPF Grants for Underrepresented Communities.
This week, the National Park Service announced $500,000 in Historic Preservation Fund grants for communities that are currently under-represented on the National Register of Historic Places. This year's grants help support the survey and inventories of historic properties, and the preparation of National Register nominations for 13 projects across the country. The selected projects include women's suffrage sites in Nevada, sites related to the Great Migration and impact on African American neighborhoods in Detroit and the survey and nomination of LGBT sites in New York, just to name a few.
National Park Service Deputy Director P. Daniel Smith said. "Historic properties brought into the National Register through this program will help the register better reflect the significant stories told throughout our nation."
President Trump Signs Bipartisan Disaster Relief Package Passed by House and Senate
This week President Trump signed bipartisan legislation that provides $19.1 billion in disaster relief. The package also provides an additional $1.4 billion in assistance for Puerto Rico which continues to recover from Hurricane Maria. The bill already cleared the Senate last month and passed the House this week after being delayed. The bill includes $50 million in historic preservation grants through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The grants will fund the repair of historic sites and properties damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Michael and Typhoon Yutu. The legislation also extends the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30, 2019.
This bill provides much needed relief for historic sites in places like Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and the Northern Mariana Islands that sustained significant damages during last years hurricane season. Similar historic preservation grants have been provided as part of other disaster relief packages to provide assistance for recent storms. Learn more about the disaster relief package.
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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.
