LEXIS-NEXIS® Congressional Universe-Document

Search Terms: "Conservation and Reinvestment Act", House or Senate or Joint

Document 51 of 151.

View Related Topics

April 6, 2000, Thursday

SECTION: PREPARED TESTIMONY

LENGTH: 2041 words

HEADLINE: PREPARED TESTIMONY OF RICHARD MOE PRESIDENT NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION

BEFORE THE HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE SUBCOMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES

SUBJECT - THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2001 INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES BUDGET

BODY:
Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies in support of Fiscal Year 2001 funding. My testimony today will focus on funding for the federal historic preservation program. For Fiscal Year 2001, the National Trust urges the subcommittee to provide full funding from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) at $150 million. Within this level of funding for the HPF, we ask you to provide significant increases in funding to the State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal and Native Hawaiian preservation programs, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and $30 million for a third year of funding for the Save America's Treasures program. The National Trust also supports $3.189 million for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and $1.963 million for the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training in Natchitoches, Louisiana.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation appreciates your past support for historic preservation, and the close and supportive working relationship we have had with the subcommittee. I want to begin my testimony today by thanking you, Mr. Chairman, for your leadership in securing significant funding for all the elements of the federal historic preservation program in this fiscal year, FY 2000, particularly the Save America's Treasures Program and funding to address the backlog of deferred maintenance, restoration, and preservation in our National Parks. Protecting and revitalizing the built environment is and should be a key component in the strategy to preserve open space and the natural environment. Redirecting economic investment to areas that have already been developed helps to take the development pressure off green fields. Congress is presently considering two bills that would authorize full and permanent funding of the Historic Preservation Fund at $100 million and $150 million, respectively. The National Trust for Historic Preservation supports these two legislative proposals -- S. 2181, the "Conservation and Stewardship Act of 2000" (CASA) and H.R. 701/S. 2123, the "Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000" (CARA). Enactment of either of these bills would mean a sustained commitment to the preservation of our historic built environment, which cannot be achieved without stable and permanent funding for the Historic Preservation Fund.The outcome of authorizing legislation notwithstanding, I know that this subcommittee has under consideration the Administration's $1.4 billion request for a range of conservation and environmental programs under its Lands Legacy proposal. We support the President's Lands Legacy initiative and we are particularly pleased that it includes, among other things, $450 million for the acquisition of significant natural and historic sites. The Administration is proposing that the Congressional appropriators "cap" the funding at $1.4 billion and protect it by creating a new budget category that would be "fenced" off from other spending programs.

Unfortunately, the Administration did not propose a significant increase in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund in Fiscal Year 2001 nor did the Administration include the Historic Preservation Fund in its Lands Legacy proposal. We feel that this is an oversight. We hope you will give the Lands Legacy proposal serious consideration-- regardless of the outcome of the authorization process--and that you will include full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund for Fiscal Year 2001.

Our nation's built environment must be given equal attention to our natural environment. As we enter a new century and a new millennium, we should be devoting just as much thought about public policy and just as much public funding to the environment of our cities, towns, villages, communities and inhabited landscapes as we devote to protecting the natural environment. Our nation's historic resources are at risk. In the decades since World War II, in tragic counterpoint to the growth of the sprawling new suburbs, we have witnessed the progressive erosion and loss of older neighborhoods and communities all across the country. The erosion of these neighborhoods destroys our quality of life, drives middle-income families out of our cities and promotes sprawl, and limits areas where we can raise our children.

Historic preservation stabilizes and rejuvenates core urban and small town business districts and neighborhoods. We have seen the successes of historic communities across the country -- in communities such as Oak Heights in Tacoma, Washington, Sweet Auburn in Atlanta, Georgia, and Wooster, Ohio. Members of Congress can see examples of the impact of historic preservation in neighborhoods like the Capitol Hill, Logan Circle and U Street NW historic districts in Washington, D.C. Historic communities by their very appearance and design create a sense of community and act as engines for redevelopment.

"Save America's Treasures"

President Clinton has requested $30 million from the Historic Preservation Fund to preserve historic structures and sites, intellectual expressions, and cultural artifacts that are significant to the history and culture of our nation and are at risk. The National Trust enthusiastically supports this funding request for a third year of the "Save America's Treasures" program. I want to take this opportunity to commend you, Mr. Chairman, for your enthusiastic support for this program and your leadership in fulfilling its promise. I believe that the Save America's Treasures program is engaging more Americans in the preservation of their heritage than any event since the 1976 Bicentennial.

In Fiscal Year 1999, $30 million was distributed for the restoration and preservation of 62 projects in 24 states, the District of Columbia, and the Midway Islands. Projects funded in 1999 include the 1905 Wright Flyer III in Dayton, Ohio, conservation of the military battlefield tents of George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia, and the Tacoma (WA) Art Museum. However, the demand for Save America's Treasures funds greatly exceeded the $30 million available for Fiscal Year 1999 --the National Park Service received over 300 applications last year and was able to fund approximately 20 percent of those requests. In Fiscal Year 2000, Congress again appropriated $30 million, of which $15 million was earmarked for specific projects. A competitive application process for the remaining $15 million just ended on March 31st. The National Park Service has indicated that, as in Fiscal Year 1999, demand for Save America's Treasures funds is expected to far outpace the $30 million Congress appropriated this year.

At the request of the Administration, the National Trust has served as the White House's lead private partner in this program, with primary responsibility for public education and resource development. Beginning with Polo Ralph Lauren's extraordinary $13 million contribution to restore and preserve the Star Spangled Banner, the private "Save America's Treasures" initiative has succeeded beyond our most optimistic expectations. We have designated over 500 official SAT projects, visited 43 sites, and raised almost $40 million in private support for preservation projects in communities across the country. Despite this success, we have only scratched the surface. For example, a $1 million SAT grant fund created by the Getty Foundation at the National Trust attracted over 200 applications. With a maximum award of $50,000, we were able to make a total of 37 grants in 29 states.

Thus to date, almost $100 million in public and private funds has been raised to save our nation's treasures.

Together, the new public and private commitments and the greater public awareness of the nation's needs will result in the largest increase in preservation activity in over 30 years. Whether composed of stone, wood, parchment, or cotton canvas, these fragile American treasures have survived decades, centuries, and even millennia to be entrusted to our hands. Save America's Treasures seeks to ensure that they will continue to illuminate and inspire countless generations to come. I hope that the subcommittee will agree to provide another year of $30 million funding for the Save America's Treasures program. No less than the memory of our country is at stake.

State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices

Funding from the Historic Preservation Fund gives the states and tribes important resources to help protect and revitalize historic communities. The state and tribal historic preservation offices are the link between the federal historic preservation program, for which they have a principal implementing responsibility, and local communities seeking to preserve their historic resources. The SHPOs match their federal funds at a rate of 50 percent, making this one of the most leveraged and highly economical programs funded by the federal government. The state historic preservation offices utilize their HPF allocations to perform myriad services, to help local governments and citizens revitalize and preserve their communities, provide funding to meet state and local preservation goals; encourage economic development through heritage tourism; educate and work with federal agencies to minimize harm to historic places, and myriad other activities too numerous to mention. Many American Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations perform similar functions in their communities across the country.

Since the early 1980s, when their federal funding was cut significantly, the states and tribes have seen a steady and significant rise in their responsibilities while their funding has remained essentially level and, in real dollars, actually declined. The increases in SHPO responsibilities are in several areas including: implementing new policies requiring Federal agencies to first considering locations in historic structures in down towns; administering the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit program; and administering a competitive grant program for local governments. These funds are necessary for them to fulfill their responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act and to respond to the needs of the citizens and elected officials of their states.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities

In 1998, the National Trust named the nation's 103 historically black campuses -- located in 22 states and territories -- to its annual list of America's Most Endangered Historic Places. Since 1834, when the first college for African-Americans was established, America's historically black colleges and universities have provided education and training to uplift a race long oppressed by slavery and segregation. Students at these schools have used their education to benefit their own communities -and beginning in the 1950s to alter the social fabric of our nation in the struggle to end segregation and discrimination. While these proud institutions continue to serve as anchors for the African-American community, inadequate funding threatens the future of many campus landmarks. A study by the General Accounting Office estimates the cost of restoring and preserving the 712 historic properties owned by the schools at $755 million.

The message that I would like to leave with you today is that our nation's built environment must be given attention equal to our natural environment. Only by preserving our unique urban and small town downtowns can be we hope to deter the migration from these core communities to some of our country's most precious farmland and open space. Smart-growth policies at the federal, state and local level will make neighborhoods around the country better places for our children and their children. To that end, we need to fund the historic preservation program at the highest possible levels.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify before this subcommittee. The National Trust, in concert with our partners and the Congress, will continue to fulfill our Congressional mandate to lead the effort to protect America's historic places.

END

LOAD-DATE: April 21, 2000

Document 51 of 151.


Search Terms: "Conservation and Reinvestment Act", House or Senate or Joint
To narrow your search, please enter a word or phrase: