Contact Congress and ask it to support the Historic Preservation Fund

We're sharing a very important email from the National Trust asking you to contact your Congressional representatives and urge them to support funding for the Historic Preservation Trust (HPF). As the cornerstone of the federal historic preservation program, the HPF provides support for a wide range of projects and programs across the nation,  including many right here in our own community. (Need to know why this funding, which includes tax incentives for revitalization, matters--even in this tight fiscal environment? Check out the video below, which helps explains the value of Preservation Tax Incentives.) 

Ask your Representative to Support the Historic Preservation Fund

Right now Congress is making important decisions about the Fiscal Year 2012 budget, and your Representative needs to hear that funding for historic preservation matters in your community.  You can help make the case for preservation!

Ask your Representative to sign on to the Dear Colleague letter sponsored by Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus co-chairs Michael Turner and Russ Carnahan that requests $70 million for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) and ask that they also submit a programmatic request to fund the HPF at that amount for FY12.

The preservation community realizes that during tough economic times we all need to tighten our belts and therefore the FY12 funding request for the HPF is 10% less than the total funding these programs received in FY08. We also recognize a long overdue increase for funding to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO’s) and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO’s) and support the administration’s budget request for increase to these programs.  The breakdown of our $70 million request for the Historic Preservation Fund includes:

• $50 million for the State Historic Preservation Offices
• $11 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
• $9 million for grant programs like Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America

The deadline for this action is Tuesday, May 17^th, so please contact your Representative TODAY.  Check here for a list of signatories who have already committed to the Dear Colleague letter.

PLEASE HELP! Programs, jobs, historic resources — so much depends on this Historic Preservation Fund budget. All you have to do is sign the letter. You don’t even have to write the letter or look up the appropriate representative. It will take seconds.

SIGN THE LETTER HERE.