ACHP OFFERS BRIEFINGS TO SHPOs/THPOs/NHOs ON NEPA-NHPA HANDBOOK
The ACHP has invited representatives of State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to participate in briefings about NEPA and NHPA: A Handbook for Integrating NEPA and Section 106, published jointly by the ACHP and the Council on Environmental Quality in March 2013. Read how to sign up for this important briefing.
May Celebrates Historic Preservation, But Why Not Keep the Party Going?
As we close out Historic Preservation Month, join us in reading about just a few of the programs and initiatives that celebrate historic preservation!
Preserve America is a federal program that encourages and supports community efforts to preserve and enjoy our priceless cultural and natural heritage. The program’s goals include expanding knowledge about the nation’s past, strengthening regional identities and local pride, increasing public participation in preservation, and supporting the economic vitality of our communities.
Read about a few of the many programs the Department of the Interior and the National Park Service are offering:
http://www.nps.gov/nr/feature/asia/
http://www.nps.gov/history/asianpacificheritage/
http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/ American_Latino_Heritage/
Plan a trip to historic places! http://www.preservationnation.org/travel-and-sites/
Summer School for Historic Preservationists!
The Section 106 Essentials and the Section 106 Advanced Seminar will be offered in five cities each this summer and fall. Take part in interactive classroom training without traveling a long distance! Learn from ACHP staff instructors with hands-on experience assisting a wide range of stakeholders resolve conflicts between federal agency plans and historic preservation values. Click here for the Essentials course. Click here for the Advanced seminar.
ACHP Vice Chairman to Co-Curate Historic District Exhibit
Clement Price will be co-curating an exciting new exhibition at the Newark (NJ) Public Library on Preserve America Community the James Street Commons. Read the opening event flyer and information.
Presidential Memorandum Modernizes Infrastructure Review; ACHP Assisted with Policy
On May 17, 2013, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum entitled “Modernizing Federal Infrastructure Review and Permitting Regulations, Policies, and Procedures” which encourages the development of innovative mitigation tools to improve environmental outcomes, development of more targeted and relevant environmental reviews, provision of more opportunities for public input, and improvement in collaboration with state, local, and tribal governments. This permitting modernization effort is an important component of the President’s larger effort to grow the economy, accelerate job creation, and improve U.S. competitiveness by building a 21st Century infrastructure. This effort will be guided by a Steering Committee established under Executive Order 13604, “Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects,” which established goals for improving federal environmental permitting and review decisions. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is a member of this Steering Committee and has developed an agency plan as required by that Executive Order which can be viewed here. For more information on the Presidential Memorandum read more here.
President Names New Member to ACHP
President Obama has announced his intention to appoint Leonard Forsman, Chairman of the Suquamish Tribe, to the ACHP. Read more.
35th Anniversary Report on Federal Tax Incentives for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings
Our friends at the National Park Service have released a report on the 35th anniversary of the first certified rehabilitation project,certified in 1977, under the historic tax credit program. The report features statistics, case studies, and other information on the program over the last 35 years.
The report discusses the successes of the program, both in terms of the historic buildings that have been rehabilitated throughout the nation, in communities both large and small, as well as how the program has contributed to community revitalization, job creation and other economic benefits, the reuse of such vacant or underutilized building types as manufacturing buildings and schools, energy conservation and sustainability, innovative reuse projects, disaster relief, and revitalizing Main Street. Read more.
ACHP Moving to National Building Museum
After 30 years, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will move from the Old Post Office Building (OPOB) to its new offices in the historic edifice occupied by the National Building Museum. The move is scheduled to take place in late 2013 or early 2014. Read more.
US and Spanish Government to Work Together on Historic Resources
National Park Service Director Jon Jarvis signed a memorandum of understanding with Spain on the shared Spanish-American cultural, historic and archaeological heritage in the National Park System. He noted that Spain has made and continues to make important contributions to American culture. The material heritage of the Spanish presence in the New World remains with us in 45 national park units that include significant historical, cultural, and archeological sites of Hispanic heritage. With the signing of the MOU, Spain and NPS have agreed to collaborate on projects that use NPS cultural resources to educate the public. The memorandum will provide a vehicle for cooperation between for archeologists, historians, and museum professionals in Spain and the United States to conduct joint projects. Read the MOU
President’s Budget Supports Historic Preservation
In this era of austerity, the President’s budget for 2014 delivered to Capitol Hill brings welcome news to the field of historic preservation. It includes $56 million from the Historic Preservation Fund for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, a continuation of prior funding levels, and adds $3 million for a new competitive grant program for the survey and nomination of properties to the National Register and as National Historic Landmarks associated with underrepresented communities.
The President’s FY 2014 budget also includes a significant increase for the ACHP. The overall request is $6,531,000. This represents a $432,772 or 7 percent increase over the FY 2012 level, restoring the 10 percent cut for the ACHP in FY 2013 and returning authorized staffing to the FY 2012 level. The funds are being sought to bolster the ACHP’s critical role in the Section 106 process.
While the President’s budget is only the beginning of the appropriations process, the Administration’s continued support for historic preservation is a positive first step.
ACHP Praises NPS’ Latino Heritage Theme Study, Suggests Use for Teachers and Preservationists
The National Park Service has presented an important publication based on much research into Latino Heritage and the making of the United States. The ACHP supports the NPS’ goals of a more inclusive history of diverse cultures and adding more Latino-focused sites to the National Register.
Read more about this groundbreaking study and how to use it for research and community preservation.
Nominate a Latino-focused Section 106 Success Story to the ACHP
Preserve America Celebrates a Milestone, Looks for Feedback
The Preserve America program celebrated its 10th anniversary on March 3. Now with 887 designated communities, 38 stewards, and numerous awards, millions of dollars in grants, and improved historic preservation in communities across the United States, Preserve America is a successful endeavor. This anniversary opens up the opportunity to share what has been accomplished in your communities and to see what else can be done. Please read more and send us feedback!
National Register Sites Focus on Latinos
Latino peoples have played a profoundly important role in American history, contributing to and shaping the rich heritage of the United States in many ways for some 500 years. Explore their stories and their legacy by visiting the sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, throughout the nation featured in this itinerary offered by the National Park Service. The National Park Service preserves historic places and stories of America’s diverse cultural heritage and expands and maintains the National Register of Historic Places. Read more
Secretary of the Interior Presents Awards at Winter Meeting
Secretary Ken Salazar today presented the Department of the Interior’s 2012 Historic Preservation Awards and administered the oath of office to new members of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). Read more
ACHP Business Meeting Provides Plenty of Preservation News
Members of the ACHP met March 1 to pass resolutions, discuss the 50th anniversary of the NHPA, swear in new members, and discuss plenty of historic preservation initiatives and news. Read the highlights of the business meeting.
First Lady Designates New Communities
Michelle Obama has signed and sent letters of designation to five new Preserve America Communities. Please read more.
National History Teacher of the Year 2012 Named
Joshua Bill, a history teacher from Waukegan, Illinois was named the National History Teacher of the Year Dec. 4 at a ceremony in New York City. Preserve America is a long-time partner of Gilder Lehrman in administering this prestigious award. Read more.
National History Teacher of the Year Videos Now Available
ACHP Vice Chairman Clement Price is featured in a new video about the National History Teacher of the Year program. Click here for the videos of this year's winner Joshua Bill, and the overall promotional video.
New Preserve America Fact Sheet Now Available
Read the updated fact sheet about the Preserve America program.
Preserve America E-Newsletter Available
Read the latest e-newsletter with stories of new designations and activities Preserve America Communities can host for heritage tourism, and much more.
National Trust Most Endangered List Highlights Importance of Section 106
Every year the National Trust for Historic Preservation highlights the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, historic properties that the organization wants to bring to public attention out of concern that their existence or historic integrity are threatened. At least five of the places on the 2012 list involve sites where Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is a key factor in the property’s fate. This is an indication of how important Section 106 is to preservation of the nation’s important historic places. Read more.
Section 106 Success Stories
The Section 106 process can breed much success with projects large and small. Consultation is a hallmark of the process. Read about three Section 106 success stories here.
Economic Impacts of Historic Preservation Study Released
A 2011 study commissioned by the ACHP, with funding assistance from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration, identifies and analyzes methods for measuring the economic impacts of historic preservation. The report focuses on such economic indicators as jobs and household income, property values, heritage tourism, sustainable development, and downtown revitalization, and recommends ways to improve our understanding of how preservation activity supports economic vitality.
Read the full report here.
Read a brief compilation of related facts and figures here.
Section 3 Report to the President Now Available
The 2012 Report to the President on the federal government's stewardship of its historic properties is now available. The report can be downloaded here.
Economic Potential of Civil War Anniversary
The Civil War Sesquicentennial promises to have an economic impact on many communities, while building an important educational and tourism base for the future. NPS' Manassas (or Bull Run) National Battlefield in Prince William County, Virginia (a Preserve America Community) was the site of two major battles in 1861 and 1862. A local analysis of economic impacts from a series of public events and activities held over a three-day weekend in July 2011 to commemorate the First Battle of Manassas found that the City of Manassas increased its restaurant revenue by more than $800,000 compared to the previous July, which resulted in a 14 percent increase in the collected meals tax. About 55 percent more sales tax revenue for the month was generated in the city's Old Town historic area, as well as nearly 11 percent more lodging tax receipts. This was in spite of a heat wave that forced curtailment of some events and reduced overall visitor numbers. Read the full economic report.
Citizen's Guide to Section 106 New Edition Now Available
The ACHP is proud to announce it has updated and reissued Protecting Historic Properties: A Citizen’s Guide to Section 106. The Citizen’s Guide is a useful tool for learning how to protect historic places in your community.
Preserve America Grants Effectiveness Report Released
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation has released a report to Congress on the preliminary assessment of the effectiveness of Preserve America Grants over the last four years. Read more.
Summit Progress Reports
Agencies have reported their continuous progress on the recommendations issued from the Preserve America Summit for enhancing and advancing the historic preservation program in the United States and abroad. Summit progress.
Updated June 3, 2013