2010 Federal Legislative Agenda Items
Six major congressional priorities will comprise the core of the National Trust for Historic Preservation's legislative agenda during the second session of the 111th Congress.
Tax Incentives
- Advocate for the Community Restoration and Revitalization Act, which would make beneficial changes to the existing federal rehabilitation tax credit.
- Endorse the Historic Homeowners Revitalization Act and build support for the eventual passage of an equivalent tax credit for homeowners as part of our long-term efforts to help owners of historic homes.
- Seek to prevent Congress from terminating any portion of the Section 47 tax credit, and defend any of the tax incentives that help rehabilitate historic and older buildings, including New Markets Tax Credits.
Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Incentives
- Promote and support new incentives in the House and Senate energy and climate change bills for the sustainable rehabilitation and retrofit of older and historic building, including emphasis on energy efficiency in older and historic buildings, providing a boost for buildings on or eligible for the National Register, and supporting the goals of the National Trust's Sustainability Program.
- Support efforts to stimulate job creation and conserve energy through weatherization of existing buildings while preventing unintended and unnecessary damage to older and historic buildings.
Historic Preservation Funding
- Support a nationwide campaign for full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund and maintain funding levels for State Historic Preservation Offices at $55 million, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices at $20 million, Save America's Treasures at $30 million, and $10 million for Preserve America grants.
Community Reinvestment
- Support and work to fully integrate historic preservation values into bills such as the Livable Communities Act and the Community Regeneration, Sustainability, and Innovation Act. As part of an interagency initiative, these proposed programs would fund sustainable development planning grants; the renovation and reuse of abandoned and vacant properties; and adaptive reuse, rehabilitation, or improvement of architecturally, historically, or culturally-significant structures in areas targeted for conservation and reinvestment.
Transportation
Seek the following policy goals in the surface transportation reauthorization, which has been deferred until 2010:
- Financial support for States and Tribes.
- Protection and continuation of a Transportation Enhancements Program that supports historic preservation projects and goals.
- Funding flexibility for historic bridges.
- Protecting environmental and historic preservation regulations such as the National Environmental Policy Act and Section 4(f).
- Advocating for priority reinvestment in existing communities.
Civil Rights Heritage Trail
- Support legislation that would authorize a special resource study to be conducted to analyze the opportunities for preservation and interpretation of specific sites related to the civil rights movement in the United States.
Public Lands
- Expand the Bureau of Land Management's National Landscape Conservation System to potentially include a National Conservation Area in San Juan County, Utah; Gold Butte in Clark County, Nevada; El Rio Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area (S. 847) in New Mexico; and others.
- Create the U.S. Forest Service's Chimney Rock National Monument in Archuleta County, Colorado.
- Expand the National Park Service System with units like Casa Grande National Monument expansion in Arizona; and Harriet Tubman National Historic Park in Maryland.
- Increase appropriations in FY 2011 for National Forest Service Heritage Program and hold the Forest Service accountable for those expenditures and accomplishments.
- Secure significantly increased funding for the National Park Service Cultural Resource Programs through a Cultural Resources Challenge. Secure significantly increased funding for the Bureau of Land Management's cultural resources, including more funding for cultural surveys account and increased funding for the National Landscape Conservation System to $100 million. See our Treasured Landscapes proposal for more information.
- Defend sensitive cultural sites on our public lands from potential threats like antiquated mining laws, illegal and irresponsible off highway vehicle use, massive transmission line siting, oil and gas development, and utility scale wind and solar transmission.
