March, 2008
IN THIS MONTH'S ISSUE:
State Park Advocacy Alert -- National Trust Volunteers Preserve Family Homes in New Orleans -- Preservationists Win Temporary Repreive for Historic Tomb of the Unknown Soldier -- Explore New Places Through the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations -- The 2008 National Main Streets Conference is Coming to Philadelphia -- Input from New York City Residents Needed
48 CALIFORNIA PARKS THREATENED WITH CLOSURE
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This Month's Resource Highlight: This Month's Partner Highlight: |
In a response to a belt-tightening request from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the California Department of Parks and Recreation is proposing closure of 48 state parks, 15 of them historic. This means the public would be denied access to the system, which includes more than 10,000 prehistoric sites, 3000 historic buildings, 1 million museum objects, more than 3 million archival documents and 2 million archeological specimens. Never before has a proposal of this magnitude been considered. The threat is imminent—the legislature is currently considering the Governor's budget proposal in light of an $8 billion state deficit.
Avoiding these threats will take an active and sustained engagement from the public. It is not going to be enough to just keep the doors open to these irreplaceable resources, it is vital to develop sustainable funding sources for the state's park system in order to stave off these threats in the future. Visit our online Advocacy Center and find out more about what you can do to help.
VOLUNTEERS PRESERVE FAMILY HOMES IN NEW ORLEANS
National Trust Volunteers clean up after a hard day's work rebuilding family houses in New Orleans.
Credit: M. Gattis
Over two and a half years ago, hurricanes Katrina and Rita made landfall in southwest Louisiana and at the Mississippi State line.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is still doing on the ground work in New Orleans and a partnership with Rebuilding Together New Orleans brings National Trust volunteers into the action. Read about the experiences of our first week of volunteers and be inspired to get involved!
PRESERVATIONISTS WIN TEMPORARY REPRIEVE FOR HISTORIC TOMB ON THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER
The historic Tomb is constantly guarded, as shown above.
Credit: P. Gangler - Fotolia.com
On January 29, 2008, President Bush signed into law the 2008 National Defense Authorization Bill providing a temporary reprieve for the Tomb of the Unknowns, which federal officials want to replace with a replica because of repairable cosmetic imperfections. We achieved this success only because 4,000 National Trust members asked Congress and the Army to repair the authentic Tomb, our country’s most important war memorial. Senators Daniel Akaka and Jim Webb sponsored the measure, which will delay hasty action, mandate a new meaningful study, and require a report to Congress discussing all options for the Tomb -- including repair. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is not safe, but we have won an important battle in our efforts to reverse the Army's decision. Find out more.
EXPLORE NEW PLACES THROUGH THE 2008 DOZEN DISTINCTIVE DESTINATIONS
This West Texas town is a gateway to the unspoiled west, with all the charm.
Credit: Max Kandler, courtesy Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
Pack your bags! The National Trust for Historic Preservation has announced our list of the 2008 Dozen Distinctive Destinations. In the announcement, President Richard Moe stated: "These twelve communities represent the richness and diversity of America's cultural heritage, and in preserving their historic fabric and spirit of place are models for other towns and cities." From small town South Carolina to the 19th century western frontier, from the last French colonial village to a Texas town with zero stop lights -- this year's selection of destinations runs the gamut of American heritage and should make everyone's vacation list in 2008. This year's list includes: Aiken, SC - Apalachicola, FL - Columbus, MS - Crested Butte, CO - Fort Davis, TX - Friday Harbor, WA - Portland, OR - Portsmouth, NH - Red Wing, MN - Ste. Genevieve, MO - San Juan Bautista, CA - Wilmington, NC. Learn why these places were selected as this year's Distinctive Destinations, and get ready to explore them soon.
THE 2008 NATIONAL MAIN STREETS CONFERENCE IS COMING TO PHILADELPHIA
This statue in Philadelphia welcomes all to the National Main Streets Conference March 29 - April 2, 2008.
Credit: Courtesy of National Main Streets Center.
The premiere conference on preservation-based revitalization is coming to the city of brotherly love March 30 - April 2. Join us in Philadelphia and surrounding communities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as we explore the ways entrepreneurship and diversity enrich traditional commercial districts.
The conference features:
* 60+ educational sessions and 21 educational tours
* A free, day-long Main Street Four-Point Approach™ training
* The Main Street Expo Hall filled with product and service providers specializing in commercial district revitalization
* Networking opportunities with colleagues from around the nation
* AIA/CES Learning Units available
... and much more!
Download the preliminary conference program (pdf) or visit the conference website for all the most detailed and up-to-date information. Or, register now!
NEW YORK CITY RESIDENTS -- WE WANT YOUR IDEAS!
A street in historic Brooklyn, NY.
Credit: Courtesy of the Northeast Office
Preservation Vision: NYC
is a year-long initiative to engage those interested in preservation in a conversation about their aspirations for preservation in New York City in the year 2030 and the actions needed to make those hopes a reality.A unique, online survey has been launched to gather feedback, ideas and opinions from New Yorkers interested in the future of historic preservation in the city. This online survey provides the best opportunity for all stakeholders to participate—interested citizens, those working directly in historic preservation, and those working in all allied fields (planning, housing, community development, the environment, etc.).
We encourage members of the National Trust for Historic Preservation living in New York City to take the survey.
Become a part of this historic effort by providing your most candid and considered observations about the effectiveness and potential of historic preservation in New York City. Deadline for the online survey is April 11th so complete the survey today!
This project is the initiative of a group of New York City charitable funders with a long-standing interest in the preservation sector and is managed by the non-profit organization, Minerva Partners. Preservation Vision is funded in part by generous gifts from The New York Community Trust, New York State Council on the Arts, the Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, The Gerry Charitable Trust, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, The 42nd Street Fund and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
