PRESERVATION ACTION LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 



LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
VOLUME 22, NUMBER 20
JUNE 14, 2019

House Set to Consider 5 Bill Appropriations Minibus Next Week, Including Interior Appropriations

The House of Representatives is expected to begin consideration on a minibus of 5 appropriations bill, H.R 3055, starting next week. This includes the House Interior Appropriations Bill which passed the committee last month. Ahead of consideration the Appropriations Committee released a division by division summary of bills, highlighting specific funding levels. 

The House Interior Appropriations bill included significant support for preservation programs, including $121.66 million for the Historic Preservation Fund. a $19 million increase over FY19 levels and $89 million above the President's request. This includes important increases for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, increases for the African American Civil Rights Movement and the Save America's Treasures grant programs, and the establishment of a new grant program to recognize and preserve sites associated with civil rights for all Americans. A full breakdown is below. 

SHPOs: $53.675 Million ($4 Million above FY9 Levels)
THPOs: $13.735 Million ($2 Million above FY19 Levels)
African American Civil Rights Grants: $17.5 Million ($3 Million above FY19 Levels)
Civil Rights Movement Grants for All Americans: $5 Million (New Program)
Save America's Treasures: $16 Million ($3 Million above FY19 Levels)
HBCU Preservation Program: $10 Million ($2 Million above FY19 Enacted Levels)
Historic Revitalization Grants: $5 Million (Equal to FY19 Enacted Levels)
Underrepresented Communities Grants: $750,000 (Equal to FY19 Enacted Levels)

Total: $121.66 Million ($19 Million above FY19 Enacted Levels)

This represents a strong commitment to historic preservation, especially considering the extreme cuts proposed in the Administration's budget request. We expect a draft of the Senate FY20 Interior Appropriations bill in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more.

Bipartisan Bill Introduced to Fully Fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund

A group of bipartisan lawmakers introduced the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Permanent Funding Act, H.R 3195, in the House to fully fund the LWCF. Members gathered with supporters outside the Capitol this week to announce introduction of this important bill. H.R 3195 would fully fund the LWCF at the authorized amount of $900 million. The bill was introduced by Rep. Van Drew Jefferson (D-NJ), Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and 9 other bipartisan cosponsors, and referred to the House Natural Resources Committee. 

The LWCF, like the Historic Preservation Fund, uses lease revenue from off shore oil and gas development to support and protect some of our most treasured lands and historic places. Places like Grand Canyon National Park and Gettysburg National Military Park were protected through the LWCF. Over the years the LWCF has suffered from chronic under funding; despite being authorized for $900 million annually, it is usually funded at significantly less.   

Full funding for the LWCF is the next step by many supporters, after permanent authorization of the LWCF was included as part of the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management and Recreation Act, which was signed into law earlier this year. This was after the LWCF authorization was allowed to lapse in September of last year. Companion legislation, S. 1081, to fully fund the LWCF was introduced in the Senate in April by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and is up to 41 bipartisan cosponsors. The bill was referred to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.

House Democrats Send Letter to Urging President Trump to Fill Department of Interior Vacancies

This week House Democrats, led by Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), sent a letter to President Trump urging him to fill high-level Department of Interior vacancies. The letter estimates that 59% of high-level Interior positions have not been filled and most of those currently don't have a nominee. Among those vacancies, is the Director of the National Park Service. The President nominated David Vela to lead the National Park Service last year, but the Senate failed to advance his nomination before the end of the year. Vela most recently served as the superintendent at Grand Teton National Park. He was favorably reported out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with bipartisan support at the end of last year. President Trump has yet to nominate someone the National Park Service Director position in the current Congress. P. Daniel Smith continues to serve as the acting Director of the National Park Service.

The letter from Rep. Grijalva comes after an ethics group filed a complaint against the administration, accusing them of temporarily filling roles with existing staff to avoid seeking Senate confirmation.

Preservation Action
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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.