Historic Preservation Fund: The Coalition for Full Funding
Nearly 50 years ago, the United States Congress boldly declared that with heritage so rich and development pressures so rife, the federal government must play a vital role in protecting our nation’s historic resources. Rather than create a massive federal infrastructure, it resolved to partner with state and local governments, tribal authorities, and private organizations and individuals in forming the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).
But the promise of that endeavor had never been fully realized because it has never been fully funded. Each year, the US Treasury takes in $6 billion or so in revenue from its Outer Continental Shelf oil leases. A fraction of that amount – just $150 million – is deposited into the Historic Preservation Fund. Of that $150 million, Congress annually appropriates only less than half to be distributed to every state, over 100 tribes, and other organizations to administer the federal government’s elaborate system of incentives, safeguards, and assistance to foster economic growth and development while at the same time protecting the historic places American’s hold dear.
Our heritage deserves better.
A Closer Look at the HPF
The HPF was established by Congress in 1976 and modeled after the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The HPF provides dedicated funds to support the programs and activities identified in the National Historic Preservation Act. Programs that recently received funding include the State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, Certified Local Governments, and grant programs such as Save America's Treasures and Preserve America. The fund is administered in a partnership between the National Park Service and the states through state historic preservation offices, tribes, and local governments.
The HPF at Work
As the cornerstone of the federal historic preservation program, the HPF provides support for a wide range of projects and programs across the nation.
- Discovery: State Historic Preservation Offices are instrumental in helping us uncover our history. HPF funds can be used for comprehensive survey work to understand what our resources are and where they are located. Although each state was issued a directive to conduct this type of survey, only one state, Rhode Island, has completed the survey due to shortage of funding for the HPF.
- Celebration: One way which we recognize prominent places of our past is though listing on the National Register of Historic Places. State Historic Preservation Offices help to review and process these nominations through funding from the HPF.
- In Your Neighborhood: A lot of preservation work takes places in your community though Certified Local Governments (CLG’s). This preservation partnership between local, state, and federal government helps to preserve and protect the places you and your neighbors value. A portion of funds from the Historic Preservation Fund supports this work at the local level.
- The Native American Story: There are over 100 Tribal Historic Preservation Offices across the country that work to preserve the culture and traditions of Native peoples in the United States. Although a portion of the HPF is used to support this work, as new tribes come online, the amount of funding per tribe continues to decrease year after year.
- Safeguarding Our Resources: State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices are also active participants in upholding preservation protections by participating in consultation on the effects of federal projects on historic resources. These offices act as the watch guards of our history across the nation.
- Bricks and Mortar: As the only federal grant program providing money for our most treasured resources, the Save America’s Treasures program addressed the huge needs for funding of this type of hands-on restoration work. Save America’s Treasures has saved such iconic objects such as the Star Spangled Banner, Rosa Parks’ Bus, and Acoma Pueblo.
- A Diverse Legacy: The HPF has also provided funds to restore Historically Black Colleges and Universities – an elite collection of institutions of higher education that were established to serve the African-American community.
Support for the HPF
Preservationists across the country are calling on decision makers to fully fund the HPF at $150 million annually. The Coalition for Full Funding has nearly 250 organizations dedicated to secure full and permanent funding for the HPF. In support of this effort, the National Trust for Historic Preservation sent a letter to Representative Nick Rahall, chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, requesting that he fully fund the HPF in his proposal, the (CLEAR) which fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In July 2010, the House of Representatives passed the CLEAR Act which provided full funding for the HPF. The Senate has not taken action on a companion measure.
Preservationists are also concerned about potential funding cuts in the Fiscal Year 2011 proposed budget to core historic preservation programs such as Save America’s Treasures, Preserve America Grants, and National Heritage Areas. Click here to learn more about the Saving America’s Treasures campaign to restore funding.
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