PRESERVATION ACTION LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
 


LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
VOLUME 24, NUMBER 24
JULY 16, 2021
House Committee Holds Hearing National Heritage Area Legislation

The House Natural Resources National Parks Subcommittee held a hearing on twelve bills impacting National Heritage Areas (NHAs). The bills considered by the committee include legislation to make much need programmatic changes to National Heritage Areas (the National Heritage Act of 2021, H.R. 1316) and several bills that would establish or study the creation of new National Heritage Areas.

The National Heritage Act of 2021,introduced by Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV), would establish a statutory framework for the National Park Service to administer the program, bring uniformity to the way NHAs are designated, managed, and assessed, provide Congress the ability to conduct oversight of the program, and provide a 15 year authorization for the 55 current NHAs. The other bills considered by the committee include the Southern Campaign of the Revolution National Heritage Corridor Act (H.R. 1286), which would create a corridor connecting several sites in South Carolina and North Carolina important to the often overlooked southern campaign during the Revolutionary War, and the Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Act (H.R. 1154), which would protect a pre-Civil War refuge for formerly enslaved people in Virginia and North Carolina.

During the hearing the Chair of the Subcommittee, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) spoke in support of National Heritage Areas, citing the program's significant impact with NHAs contributing $192 billion to the national economy. He also spoke about the challenges facing NHAs and the changes that are needed, like the current piece-meal approach to NHA authorizations which has left 32 NHAs in need of reauthorization by the end of the year.

Preservation Action thanks the committee for holding this important hearing. We were also pleased that the INVEST in America Act, which passed the House earlier this month, included a bipartisan amendment to reauthorize these 32 NHAs for one year. Action is still needed in the Senate. Check out Alliance of National Heritage Areas to learn more about the National Heritage Area Act and other legislative efforts in support of heritage areas.
National Trust Announces $3 Million in African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund Grants

This week the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced $3 million in grants through their African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund. The grants will support 40 sites and organizations across the country that help to preserve significant historic sites associated with Black history. The National Trust launched the Heritage Action Fund in 2017 to preserve and protect African American historic places that have  been overlooked in American history. Since 2017, the program has provided $7.3 million in grants to 105 historic places. This effort represents the largest ever investment to preserve African American historic sites. The program received a huge boost earlier this year with the announcement of a $20 million grant from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett.

This year's grantees include the Treatt Filling Station in Luther, Oklahoma, the only Black-owned and operated gas station on historic Route 66, the Walnut Cove Rosenwald School in Walnut Cove, North Carolina, and support for the Houston Freedmen's Town Conservancy, which helps preserve the history and legacy of Houston's Freedmen's Town, just to name a few. Learn more about the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund and check out the full list of grantees.
Arizona State Heritage Fund Receives An Additional $5 Million

This week, Arizona Governor Doug Ducey announced Arizona State Parks and Trials would receive an additional $25 million through the Visit Arizona Initiative. Of that, $5 million will be allocated to the state's Heritage Fund which supports open space development, restoration and renovation, and historic preservation. The initiative was made possible through funds included in the American Rescue Plan, passed earlier this year. This is great news for historic preservation in Arizona.

The Heritage Fund was restored in 2019, but without a dedicated funding source. This year advocates successfully pushed lawmakers to include $5 million for the Heritage Fund in the state budget. The $5 million allocation from the Visit Arizona Initiative is in addition the funding included in the state budget. 30% of the Heritage Fund will go to support historic preservation projects. Check out our partners at the Arizona Preservation Foundation for more information.

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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.