Utah Heritage Foundation

Full funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) was at the top of the agenda at National Historic Preservation Advocacy Week, with a slant toward job creation and energy efficiency.  Utah Heritage Foundation (UHF) is among the 171 members of the nationwide Coalition for Full Permanent Funding of the Historic Preservation Fund.

My service area as UHF’s Central and Southern Utah Field Representative covers parts of all three Utah Congressional districts, and I represent the entire state as Utah’s only current Preservation Action board member.  Appointments with our three congressmen (below with, l. to r., Fred Ferguson and Jason Chaffetz) and both senators gave me the chance to tell them about preservation success stories back home and ask them to help change the policy that allows Congress to appropriate only one-third to one-half of the $150 million authorized annually for the HPF.

The Historic Preservation Fund, established by Congress in 1976, is the primary source of dedicated funds to support the programs and activities identified in the National Historic Preservation Act.  This account, by law, is funded by the revenue received from offshore oil and gas leases on the Outer Continental Shelf.  Programs that recently received funding include the Utah State Historic Preservation Office with pass-through funding for Certified Local Governments (CLGs), and grant programs such as Save America’s Treasures and Preserve America.

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are surrounded by some of the most spectacular historic buildings in the U.S., such as the Supreme Court (at left), but they really want to hear which historic places matter to the folks back home.  Do constituents care if the Historic Preservation Fund is fully funded?  Do Save America’s Treasures, Preserve America and Heritage Tourism really matter to the voters in Utah?  Making the case for support of historic preservation on Capitol Hill requires more than little ol’ me, so your local examples from all three Congressional districts would send a strong message to them that preservation matters in their district.

Invite your congressmen and senators to events celebrating our heritage and thank them for their help in preserving it.  Let them know how projects they support are progressing by copying them on news releases and stories, or email their offices directly with periodic updates.  Stay informed about legislation that affects historic places and the programs that help us preserve them, and let our members of Congress know how you want them to vote.  Click here for links to other Preservation Resources.