Latest news with #HistoricPreservationFund
Fast Company
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Fast Company
America's historic preservation funding takes a major hit under Trump
President Donald Trump 's proposed fiscal year 2026 discretionary budget is called a 'skinny budget' because it's short on line-by-line details. But historic preservation efforts in the U.S. did get a mention—and they might as well be skinned to the bone. Trump has proposed to slash funding for the federal Historic Preservation Fund to only $11 million, which is $158 million less than the fund's previous reauthorization in 2024. The presidential discretionary budget, however, always heads to Congress for appropriation. And Congress always makes changes. That said, the Trump administration hasn't even released the $188 million that Congress appropriated for the fund for the 2025 fiscal year, essentially impounding the funding stream that Congress created in 1976 for historic preservation activities across the nation. I'm a scholar of historic preservation who's worked to secure historic designations for buildings and entire neighborhoods. I've worked on projects that range from making distressed neighborhoods in St. Louis eligible for historic tax credits to surveying Cold War-era hangars and buildings on seven U.S. Air Force bases. I've seen the ways in which the Historic Preservation Fund helps local communities maintain and rehabilitate their rich architectural history, sparing it from deterioration, the wrecking ball, or the pressures of the private market. A rare, deficit-neutral funding model Most Americans probably don't realize that the task of historic preservation largely falls to individual states and Native American tribes. The National Historic Preservation Act that President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law in 1966 requires states and tribes to handle everything from identifying potential historic sites to reviewing the impact of interstate highway projects on archaeological sites and historic buildings. States and tribes are also responsible for reviewing nominations of sites in the National Register of Historic Places, the nation's official list of properties deemed worthy of preservation. However, many states and tribes didn't have the capacity to adequately tackle the mandates of the 1966 act. So the Historic Preservation Fund was formed a decade later to alleviate these costs by funneling federal resources into these efforts. The fund is actually the product of a conservative, limited-government approach. Created during Gerald Ford's administration, it has a revenue-neutral model, meaning that no tax dollars pay for the program. Instead, it's funded by private lease royalties from the Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas reserves. Most of these reserves are located in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Alaska. Private companies that receive a permit to extract from them must agree to a lease with the federal government. Royalties from their oil and gas sales accrue in federally controlled accounts under the terms of these leases. The Office of Natural Resources Revenue then directs 1.5% of the total royalties to the Historic Preservation Fund. Congress must continually reauthorize the amount of funding reserved for the Historic Preservation Fund, or it goes unfunded. Despite bipartisan support, the fund has been threatened in the past. President Ronald Reagan attempted to do exactly what Trump is doing now by making no request for funding at all in his 1983 budget. Yet the fund has nonetheless been reauthorized six times since its inception, with terms ranging from five to 10 years. The program is a crucial source of funding, particularly in small towns and rural America, where privately raised cultural heritage funds are harder to come by. It provides grants for the preservation of buildings and geographical areas that hold historical, cultural, or spiritual significance in underrepresented communities. And it's even involved in projects tied to the nation's 250th birthday in 2026, such as the rehabilitation of the home in New Jersey where George Washington was stationed during the winter of 1778–79 and the restoration of Rhode Island's Old State House. Filling financial gaps I've witnessed the fund's impact firsthand in small communities across the nation. Edwardsville, Illinois, a suburb of St. Louis, is home to the Leclaire Historic District. In the 1970s, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The national designation recognized the historic significance of the district, protecting it against any adverse impacts from federal infrastructure funding. It also made tax credits available to the town. Edwardsville then designated Leclaire a local historic district so that it could legally protect the indelible architectural features of its homes, from original decorative details to the layouts of front porches. Despite the designation, however, there was no clear inventory of the hundreds of houses in the district. A few paid staffers and a volunteer citizen commission not only had to review proposed renovations and demolitions, but they also had to figure out which buildings even contributed to Leclaire's significance and which ones did not—and thus did not need to be tied up in red tape. Edwardsville was able to secure a grant through the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office thanks to a funding match enabled by money disbursed to Illinois via the Historic Preservation Fund. In 2013, my team created an updated inventory of the historic district, making it easier for the local commission to determine which houses should be reviewed carefully and which ones don't need to be reviewed at all. Oil money better than no money The historic preservation field, not surprisingly, has come out strongly against Trump's proposal to defund the Historic Preservation Fund. Nonetheless, there have been debates within the field over the fund's dependence on the fossil fuel industry, which was the trade-off that preservationists made decades ago when they crafted the funding model. In the 1970s, amid the national energy crisis, conservation of existing buildings was seen as a worthy ecological goal, since demolition and new construction required fossil fuels. To preservationists, diverting federal carbon royalties seemed like a power play. But with the effects of climate change becoming impossible to ignore, some preservationists are starting to more openly critique both the ethics and the wisdom of tapping into a pool of money created through the profits of the oil and gas industry. I've recently wondered myself if continued depletion of fossil fuels means that preservationists won't be able to count on the Historic Preservation Fund as a long-term source of funding. That said, you'd be hard-pressed to find a preservationist who thinks that destroying the Historic Preservation Fund would be a good first step in shaping a more visionary policy. For now, Trump's administration has only sown chaos in the field of historic preservation. Already, Ohio has laid off one-third of the staffers in its State Historic Preservation Office due to the impoundment of federal funds. More state preservation offices may follow suit. The National Council of State Historic Preservation Officers predicts that states soon could be unable to perform their federally mandated duties. learning the hard way just what the Historic Preservation Fund does.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Carolina preservationists fight for Historic Preservation Fund
(WGHP) — Inside the Trump administration's fiscal year 2026 budget is the elimination of the Historic Preservation Fund with few exceptions. The fund has provided money to states and tribes since 1976 and served as the primary way historic preservation programs are funded. North Carolina receives about $1.3 million in federal support, which is 40 percent of the budget for the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office. The funds for 2025 haven't been released. Now, the funds for 2026 may never come. Preservation North Carolina President and CEO Benjamin Briggs's love of historic structures began in the Triad thanks to his parents. He grew up looking at places in High Point like the John Hampton Adams Inn from the early 20th century with its grand staircases and elegant rooms. It's now a boutique hotel perfect for furniture market guests. Just down the road, Market Square, constructed in the 1900s as well, is on the registry of historic places because it was one of the first places to display furniture in a showroom, which is a trend that would fuel the furniture city. 'Historic preservation is as much about the future as it is the past,' Briggs said. Preservation North Carolina is a nonprofit dedicated to helping acquire endangered historic properties, saving them and also repurposing them. 'Some of my favorite adaptive reuse projects like the Revolution Mill in Greensboro and some of the amazing laboratories that are in downtown Winston-Salem with Wake Forest in historic buildings,' he said. Cuts to the Historic Preservation Fund could halt plans for future projects and take away opportunities for preservation efforts to rescue historic structures from demolition. For example, the John Coltrane house in High Point. It was recognized as a landmark in 2021, and it still needs more funding for restoration and then to ideally become a tourist destination. 'Why throw something away that's in perfectly reusable condition with some TLC?' Briggs said. The TLC isn't free, though, and organizations count on federal funding. The Trump administration released a statement saying most buildings listed on the historic registers are only of local significance, but Briggs disagrees. Preservation societies nationally are asking people to contact their legislators and ask for the Historic Preservation Fund to stay intact. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions in federal funding for history preservation in jeopardy due to budget cuts
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Preserving history in Oklahoma and across the United States could be at risk due to federal budget cuts. Without the millions in funding, projects restoring and maintaining pieces of state history may be on the chopping block. In President Trump's proposed budget, the Historic Preservation Fund is eliminated. Lynda Ozan, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, says their agency could run out of money by late summer, putting a stop to their efforts. 'We are currently operating on our fiscal year 24 money, which will run out soon. Our fiscal year 25 money should have been released in October of last year,' said Ozan. Oklahoma City: The pinnacle of the sports world Oklahomans working in the agency are also at risk of losing their jobs due to layoffs. Ozan says preserving history is a big part of economic development, as older buildings and historical artifacts are restored over generations. 'Things from road construction to cell tower installations, and then our big tax credit programs like First National or even Price Tower up in Bartlesville that was just purchased, those are going to need our staff to help them through that process,' said Ozan. 'And then, just regular things that we do with our community, whether it's education with children or community outreach through our Main Street program here in Oklahoma to help revitalize downtowns.' Oklahomans are now encouraged to act. 'They need to reach out to their elected officials, whether that is at the local level or all the way up to Washington, D.C.,' Ozan said. Ozan provided an example on one of the ways we see history preserved in Oklahoma, using the mother road, known as Route 66. 'We're coming up on a major anniversary for Route 66. All those small communities are going to see influx of people. We've done a lot of history in these communities that people will now be experiencing because we've helped them do that,' Ozan said. Ozan also recommends asking local lawmakers to walk through the historic buildings in a specific community to show them why they're important. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia preservation society says federal cuts hurt efforts to preserve historic sites
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has worked to keep the state's historic structures in good shape and protected from the damages of time since 1973. However, the organization said Thursday that federal funding cuts, including funds allocated to them that are being withheld due to changes in Washington, are putting their mission at risk. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Recent developments at the federal level of government present a direct threat to historic preservation and require us all, as advocates for historic places, to speak up,' the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said in a statement. The organization said the 'critical federal funding' that keeps their historic preservation efforts going in Georgia has not yet been distributed for the 2025 fiscal year. TRENDING STORIES: Historic railway museum in Duluth named to Places in Peril list Historic Georgia sites named to 2025 'Places in Peril' list Historic McAfee House sold in Cobb County for $1, plans to move home for preservation proceed Groups tour historic theatres across north Georgia Georgia Trust sells 103-year-old Gwinnett Co. library to City of Norcross for preservation Additionally, and in their words 'even more troubling,' was that the funding is almost 'completely eliminated' in the 2026 fiscal budget in Washington. That's because the latest federal budget would almost completely remove the Historic Preservation Fund, a federal program that assists state-level and local preservation work. The organization said it puts Georgia's historic sites in jeopardy. 'The administration's failure to release the 2025 Historic Preservation Fund and its proposal to nearly eliminate this critical funding in 2026 will have catastrophic consequences for historic preservation efforts nationwide,' W. Wright Mitchell, president of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, said. Mitchell said the funds being withheld also meant that state historic preservation offices could end up closing down, adding that 'the damage from these actions could take decades to repair.' The Historic Preservation Fund was first created in 1966 through the National Historic Preservation Act. The legislation was signed into law by former President Lyndon B. Johnson. The fund is what is used to administer the National Register of Historic Places, issue Historic Tax Credits for reinvestment and, among other functions, provide technical assistance, reviews and approval of federal tax credit projects. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said this type of funding helps to incentivize private investment in historic communities across the state, as well as lead to investments that create jobs, both directly and indirectly. 'The continued withholding of appropriated funds and the proposed elimination of future funding will be detrimental to all historic preservation efforts in the state,' the organization said. Channel 2 Action News has reached out to the White House for comment and are waiting for their response. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Nahar Net
06-05-2025
- Business
- Nahar Net
What Trump's budget cuts could mean for the environment
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours President Donald Trump's first 100 days included a wide range of attacks on environmental and climate initiatives. His proposed budget does the same. The document released Friday looks to curtail or cut billions of dollars for everything from drinking water, clean energy and weather satellites to national parks, emergency management and environmental justice, to name a few. That aligns with Trump's aggressive targeting of climate policy and crackdown on diversity initiatives as he pushes fossil fuel investment. Federal agencies are racing to bolster coal power and oil and gas while blocking renewable energy sources, rolling back landmark water and air regulations and attacking scientists in federal weather work tied to climate research. The much-anticipated plan will define the Republican president's second term, but it's important to note that Congress will ultimately decide the spending plans. This skinny budget is a proposal, often considered a statement of the administration's values. It includes topline numbers only, regarding discretionary spending. A more detailed budget is expected soon. Here's a look at some of the environmental and climate funding at risk: Clean water The proposed budget looks to slash $2.46 billion in Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds. The clean water funds, through federal-state partnerships, give low-cost financing to communities for water quality infrastructure including municipal wastewater facilities, decentralized wastewater treatment systems and more. The drinking water funds provide money to states and water systems to help them align with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The plan says states should be responsible for funding their own water infrastructure projects, but would provide a decreased amount, $305 million total, to give states time to adjust. National Parks The administration is targeting $1.2 billion in spending cuts to the National Park Service's operations, construction, its Historic Preservation Fund, and National Recreation and Preservation grants. The budget said the reason for the cuts is because parks get "duplicative" state, local and private sector support. The Service has been the subject of an aggressive downsizing effort, which could impact park hours, safety and upkeep. Millions of tourists are expected to visit national parks this summer. Severe weather reporting and resources The weather, oceans and fisheries agency — the parent agency to the National Weather Service — has been the subject of massive Department of Government Efficiency layoffs, impacting its crucial observations and forecasts. The proposal outlines $1.5 billion in cuts to what it calls "climate-dominated" NOAA operations, research and grants, plus infrastructure and satellites. It says these are not aligned with the administration ending the Green New Deal, referring to the Democrats' moonshot plan to combat climate change and shift away from fossil fuels. The budget says NOAA's educational grant programs have, for instance, "funded efforts to radicalize students against markets and spread environmental alarm." Environmental justice While environmental justice was touted under the previous administration, the Trump administration has moved to reverse those policies as part of its broader shift from DEI. Friday's proposal said it would remove $100 million in "taxpayer funded programs that promote divisive racial discrimination and environmental justice grants that were destined to go to organizations that advance radical ideologies." Trump cut White House advisors who worked to ensure the federal government helped communities in heavily-polluted areas, and eliminated Biden's "Justice40" initiative that required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to those communities. The Department of Transportation also rescinded Biden-era memos that called on state agencies to factor social and environmental justice into infrastructure decisions. Communities near heavy industry, ports and highways are often made up largely of Black, Latino and low-income Americans. Biden's infrastructure law The budget proposal seeks to repeal more than $15 billion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, named the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021. The Biden administration's law looked to spur domestic manufacturing, improve roads, bridges and ports, fund cleaner drinking water and other programs. Among other things, canceling the spending — which it calls the "Green New Scam" — would impact key electric vehicle tax credits that have helped boost electric vehicle uptake in the U.S. Removing 'equity' from FEMA money The budget proposes $646 million in cuts to Non-Disaster Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs. FEMA is intended to provide disaster response and recovery support for states and communities impacted by storms, wildfires, floods and more. Trump has been critical of the agency, which helps fund debris removal, rebuilding efforts and first responder expenses. FEMA has already been politicized in the administration's first 100 days; for example, its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program was ended, and the agency's acting director canceled $188 million in grants to New York City, finding the money inconsistent with Trump administration priorities. The budget says "FEMA under the previous administration made 'equity' a top priority for emergency relief and declared that DEI was mandatory," referring to diversity, equity and inclusion. The budget looks to reduce these programs that it calls "wasteful and woke."
