Advocates Urge Congress to Include Historic Preservation Programs as Part of Recovery and Stimulus Legislation
This week, Preservation Action joined our partners at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Main Street Center, National Trust Community Investment Corporation, and the National Preservation Partners Network in leading a letter from over 380 organizations and businesses from across the country advocating for the inclusion of preservation programs in the next coronavirus recovery and stimulus legislation. The letter calls for:
Including the provisions of the Historic Tax Credit (HTC) Growth and Opportunity Act and additional changes including a temporary increase in the value of the HTC.
$30 million to support survey and digitization for State Historic Preservation Officers and $15 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Officers.
$75 million for Certified Local Governments to support brick and mortar projects.
$300 million to support existing Historic Preservation Fund grant programs.
Enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422).
Additional provisions supporting charitable giving and the non-profit community
Urging opposition to legislative exemptions for the National Historic Preservation Act and National Environmental Protection Act.
As Congress is considering future relief efforts in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Preservation Action along with our partners are advocating to make sure the historic preservation community is part of that conversation. Read the preservation community letter.
While the congressional schedule remains uncertain, it's vital that advocates from across the country continue to engage with their members of Congress and urge them to support historic preservation programs that help to stimulate the economy in the next round of recovery legislation. Reach out to your Senators and Representatives and let them know about the economic impact these historic preservation programs have on your community. Share the historic preservation assistance request letter, preservation community letter, andHistoric Tax Credit Economic Economic Stimulus Request Talking Points with your members and urge them to support historic preservation as part of economic recovery and relief legislation. Check out our Action Alert to learn more!
National Park Service Announces $7.7 Million in HBCU Preservation Grants
Morrison Hall on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC.
This week the National Park Service announced $7.7 million in grants for the preservation of historic structures on campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). These grants, funded through the Historic Preservation Fund, will support 18 projects in 12 states, including the restoration of Graves Hall at Morehouse College, the conversion of the power plant at Central State University to the Frank Murphy Student Success Center, and the preservation of the historic Andrew Carnegie Library at Livingston College.
"These grants help us to honor the legacy of HBCUs in serving our nation's higher education needs," said National Park Service Acting Director David Vela.
Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded over $60 million in preservation grants to more than 80 HBCUs across the country. Preservation Action and our grassroots membership advocated for the continued support for this important program during National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week. We're urging Congress to fully fund the Historic Preservation Fund and requesting $10 million for the HBCU Preservation Grant Program. Check out Preservation Action's FY21 House Interior Appropriations Testimonyto learn more.
ACHP Taskforce Issues Recommendations on Improving Digital Information on Historic Properties
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) announced the findings of a task force charged with improving the availability of digital and GIS information for historic properties. The task force brought together members of the public, federal agencies, and groups including the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. When interested parties, like federal agencies and their state, tribal and local counterparts have better access to digital information, they can take historic properties into account earlier in the process, leading to a more efficient review process, including those carried out under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
The 5 major recommendations from the task force were:
Increase awareness of how better access to digital information enhances the effectiveness & efficiency of project planning and avoids harm to historic properties.
Identify opportunities for funding and resource enhancement.
Enable cultural resources GIS data exchange between states, tribes, local governments, and federal agencies.
Address data management impediments to increase GIS availability.
Properly manage access and secure sensitive data.
The ACHP will work with their partners over the coming months to implement the recommendations from the task force.
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.
