Senate Committee Holds Hearing on Several Public Lands Bills Including Route 66 National Trail Bill
This week the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee held a hearing on several important public lands bills including the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act (S. 3609, H.R 801). National Park Service Deputy Director, P. Daniel Smith, spoke at the hearing to present the administration's position on the legislative items being considered.
The Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act would establish Route 66 as a National Historic Trail. Stretching across 8 states from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA, Route 66 would become the 34th National Historic Trail and one of the longest. The legislation passed the House in June. Several of the bills considered by the committee could be included as part of an end of the year public lands package, but we need your help to get Route 66 over the finish line. Urge your Senators to support S. 3609, the Route 66 National Historic Trail Designation Act!
Advocates Seek to Expand Pennsylvania's Historic Tax Credit
Advocates in Pennsylvania are pushing to increase the state's historic preservation tax credit program. Currently Pennsylvania's historic tax credit is capped at $3 million per year and $500,00 per taxpayer. The program is set to expire in 2020. Legislation introduced in the Pennsylvania Senate,
S. 1279, would reauthorize the program through 2030 and increase the program's statewide cap to $30 million and $2.5 million per taxpayer.
Supporters argue the proposed legislation would have a tremendous impact across the state and make Pennsylvania more competitive with nearby states. Last year
, 73 projects requested state historic tax credits with an estimated value of $28.6 million, but only $3 million was available to distribute. Studies consistently show that the economic benefits from state historic tax credits far outweigh the cost.
The bill was introduced by state senator David Argall and referred to the Senate Finance Committee. Advocacy efforts around expanding the program are expected to ramp up in early 2019.
National Park Service Announces 5 Fee Free Days in 2019
As you are making travel plans for the new year, check out the National Park Service's
fee free days for 2019. The National Park Service will offer free entrance to all 418 units of the National Park Service on 5 days in 2019.
Monday, January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Saturday, April 20 - First Day of National Park Week
Sunday, August 25 - National Park Service Anniversary
Saturday, September 28 - National Public Lands Day
Monday, November 11 - Veterans Day
Our National Park system includes incredible historic sites like national monuments, national historical parks, and national battlefields. With at least 1 National Park unit in every state, its easy to
find a park near you.
Save the Date! National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week Returns March 12-14th
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) speaking at last year's National Preservation Advocacy Week.
Preservation Action along with the National Conference of Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) is excited to host the 2018 National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week from March 12-14 at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Washington, DC.
We Need Your Voice!
One of the most effective ways of sharing information with Congress is through direct meetings, and Advocacy Week is our annual opportunity to have a mass impact on opinion leaders and policy makers.
This is especially important as a new Congress will be sworn-in in January. With more than 100 new members of Congress coming to Washington, educating members on historic preservation issues will be critical. Together with a cohesive message in support of preservation-positive legislation we can ensure a strong future for the federal historic preservation program.
Take advantage of the special $274/night rate at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar. Make your reservations by calling 1-877-866-3070 and use event code "NCSHPO March 2019" or visit this online portal. The cut-off date for this rate is February 11, 2019.
Full event registration will be available in early January. Stay tuned for more information.
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.
This week the Senate Energy and Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee held a 
