National Trust for Historic Preservation Launches National Grassroots Campaign To Ensure Continued Federal Funding for Save America's Treasures Program
Called “Saving America’s Treasures,” the National Campaign Utilizes Social Media and Other Tools to Raise Awareness, Restore Funding for Nation’s Only Bricks-and-Mortar Preservation Program
Posted March 15, 2010 | Contact pr@nthp.org or 202-588-6141
Washington, D.C. (March 15, 2010)—Federal funding is threatened for Save America's Treasures, the nation's only bricks-and-mortar federal preservation grant program responsible for the successful preservation of almost 1,100 iconic pieces of American history from the Star-Spangled Banner to Ellis Island to Colorado's Mesa Verde National Park. Although Save America's Treasures grants have created well over 16,000 private-sector jobs, spurred economic and community revitalization, and leveraged more than $377 million in public and private matching funds, at a cost of under $14,000 per job, the administration's 2011 federal budget proposes to eliminate all funding for the program. Save America's Treasures, part of the federal Historic Preservation Fund, receives funding from outer continental shelf oil leases, which are specifically intended for conservation and preservation programs.
In addition to Save America's Treasures, the administration also proposed eliminating funding for two other vital preservation programs—Preserve America and National Heritage Areas. In response, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the nation's largest private historic preservation organization, has launched a national grassroots campaign to raise public awareness and support for these critical programs and urge Congress to restore their funding. The campaign creatively mixes a blend of traditional grassroots organizing and social and traditional media networking to get the word out. Earlier this month, for example, hundreds of preservation activists visited Capitol Hill to encourage their elected officials to support preservation funding, while hundreds more spread the urgency of this national threat to preservation through Facebook and Twitter. To date, thousands of messages have been exchanged on social networking sites and people across the country are joining the viral campaign to secure funding for Save America's Treasures, Preserve America and National Heritage Areas.
"Over the last decade the Save America's Treasures program has helped preserve some of our most significant historic places through modest federal matching grants that leverage private dollars, create jobs and strengthen communities," said Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. "What's not to like about this program? At a time when Congress and the Administration are focused on creating jobs, this program is a proven creator of good-paying, shovel-ready jobs with a strong track record of attracting private matching dollars. It's incredibly short-sighted that the administration proposes eliminating it when our economy needs it more than ever."
The Save America's Treasures program was established by Executive Order in 1998 as the centerpiece of the White House millennium celebration under the leadership of Founding Chair, First Lady Hillary Clinton. First Lady Laura Bush succeeded her as Honorary Chair in 2001. In March 2009, President Obama signed legislation permanently authorizing Save America's Treasures to ensure its long-term viability.
Since 1998, Save America's Treasures has been one of the federal government's most successful tools to preserve the important places that tell our nation's story. Thanks to broad, bi-partisan Congressional support, SAT has provided over $294 million in federal challenge grants to almost 1,100 nationally significant sites and collections in every state and territory. The program has successfully spurred preservation and neighborhood revitalization projects in big cities, small towns and rural communities nationwide. Places that have received funding from SAT range from President Lincoln's Cottage to Martin Luther King's Ebenezer Baptist Church, from Valley Forge to Mark Twain's House to the Home of Harriet Tubman, from our Founding Fathers Personal Papers to Thomas Edison's Invention Factory, from the last authentic model of the World Trade Center to the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the "Star-Spangled Banner." The program's impact on the nation's system of National Parks is especially critical. As national parks are not allowed to fundraise on their own behalf, the over $19 million in federal SAT funds—complemented by $12 million in private grants—has ensured that key sites in our national parks are protected.
Save America's Treasures is a public-private partnership that includes the National Park Service, the federal cultural agencies, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Designed to celebrate American creativity, innovation, and discovery, the program recognizes and supports projects that convey our nation's rich heritage to future generations. In its first decade, SAT has enjoyed the dedicated leadership of two First Ladies, Founding Chair Hillary Rodham Clinton and past Honorary Chair Laura Bush, along with co-chairs Richard Moe, President of the National Trust, and Susan Eisenhower, noted scholar and granddaughter of former President Dwight D. Eisenhower. To date, the program has awarded almost $294 million in federal SAT challenge grants and another $57 million in private matching support to more than 1,100 historic sites and collections across the country.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately-funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org
