In this Issue

	First Lady Designates 29 Communities
	Nine Stewards Recognized
	FY 2011 Approprations
	America's Great Outdoors
	New Publication on Smart Growth and Rural Communities
	American Samoa Designation Event
	Network at the Preserve America Forum
	Citizen's Guide to Section 106

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Preserve America News |August  2010

First Lady Designates 29 Communities

First Lady Michelle Obama sent a letter to 29 communities announcing their status as Preserve America Communities. The new communities, from Arkansas to Wyoming, bring the total number of designated communities to 843. Read more.

New Preserve America Community San Francisco, Calif.

Nine Stewards Recognized

On Aug. 2, First Lady Michelle Obama designated nine new Preserve America Stewards. Each of the recognized Stewards has demonstrated the successful use of volunteers in helping to care for our historic heritage. Historic properties that have benefitted from the work of these nine organizations range from historic buildings and structures – including an offshore historic lighthouse – to archaeological sites and resources – including historic tree carvings from the early 20th century. Read more.

Apply for designation as a Preserve America Steward; the next deadlines for applications are September 1 and December 1. 

A volunteer with the Valles Caldera Aspen Dendroglyph Survey. New Mexico's Valles Caldera National Reserve is a new Preserve America Steward.

FY 2011 Approprations

On July 22, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and the Environment met to mark up the FY 2011 Interior Appropriations bill. Chairman James Moran (D-VA) indicated in his statement that “we have restored many grant programs that have for years been Congressional Priorities, including Save America’s Treasures, Heritage Area Partnerships, [and] Preserve America… .” There was a recommended increase from the President’s budget request in the National Park Service overall allocation (including the above programs) of about $36 million to cover these and related costs, although the total recommended amount for the overall bill was the same as FY 2010 and about $133 million below the President’s request. Both the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Smithsonian Institution, were recommended for increases.

The final markup figures have not yet been released, pending full House Appropriations Committee action on the recommendations. For FY 2010, Preserve America received $4.6 million, and Save America’s Treasures was funded at $25 million. When Congress returns after the August recess, the committee will complete its work, and the action will shift to the full House as well as the Senate.

Stay tuned!

America's Great Outdoors

President Barack Obama signed a Presidential Memorandum April 16, establishing the America's Great Outdoors Initiative to promote and support innovative community-level efforts to conserve outdoor spaces and to reconnect Americans to the outdoors.

The initiative will support a 21st century conservation agenda that builds on successes in communities across the country, and aims to start a national dialogue about conservation that supports the efforts of private citizens and local communities. A number of listening sessions hosted by America's Great Outdoors have taken place across the country. Two of which were hosted by the ACHP and included discussions on science education and hands on learning as well as inclusion of underserved constituencies and diversity in the happenings of the country's outdoor spaces.

Read more on the initiative and how to submit comments to the Department of the Interior.  

Amnicon Falls State Park, Douglas County, Wisconsin

New Publication on Smart Growth and Rural Communities

The International City/County Management Association has issued a new publication, Putting Smart Growth to Work in Rural Communities . Funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the report is designed to provide rural decision-makers with a resource for balancing competing goals while creating more vibrant, sustainable communities. Historic preservation, tourism and the Main Street approach to community revitalization are highlighted strategies. Download a copy of the report.

The ACHP suggests that Preserve America Communities, Certified Local Governments and the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions be provided information on the publication. The EPA notes there is increasing interest in addressing sustainability in rural communities, and EPA is also working on guidance for Smart Growth fixes for rural zoning codes.

American Samoa Designation Event

On July 26 the American Samoa government and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary celebrated the territory of American Samoa’s designation as a Preserve America Community at Su'iga'ula le Atuvasa Beach Park, Utulei, American Samoa. The event featured island market day, blessing of the sanctuary's vessel Manuma and island performances. The Honorable Togiola T.A Tulafono, governor of American Samoa, and Daniel J. Basta, director, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, participated in the event.

The addition of American Samoa is the first U.S. territory designated in its entirety. American Samoa originally applied for designation prior to the tsunami that hit the island in 2009. The designation was on hold to allow the people of American Samoa to recover. A letter from the governor to the First Lady emphasized the importance of Samoan culture and heritage tourism in the post-disaster recovery effort. As a result of this letter, on Feb. 2, 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama signed and designated the territory of American Samoa a Preserve America Community.

Network at the Preserve America Forum

Representatives of Preserve America Communities and Neighborhoods, Preserve America Stewards, Preserve America Grant recipients and Presidential Award winners are invited to participate in the upcoming Preserve America Forum in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 27 from 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m. Come share your successes and best practices and discuss future directions of the program with Preserve America participants from across the region and country. ACHP staff will be on hand to answer questions and update participants on the latest developments. Participants will come away with practical ideas on local economic development through heritage tourism.

If you are willing to share your community’s successful strategies by making a short presentation to the group, please send an e-mail preferably by Sept. 24 to Ron Anzalone. This affinity session is offered in conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s National Preservation Conference . Although you are encouraged to register for the entire conference, general registration is NOT required to attend this free affinity group session.

Whether or not you want to make a presentation, if you plan to attend the Preserve America Forum, please RSVP no later than close of business on Sept. 24 to Judy Rodenstein. Please provide your name; title; Preserve America Community, Steward or Awardee affiliation; e-mail address; and phone number. We look forward to seeing you in Austin!

Austin carriage ride

Citizen's Guide to Section 106

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is pleased to announce its newest publication: Protecting Historic Places: A Citizen's Guide to Section 106. Filled with practical advice for people engaging in historic preservation at the local level, this booklet is useful to keep handy in case federal historic preservation laws come into effect during a project. Download the publication .

Tribal-agency consultation on a Section 106 project