Washington Buzz
Three News Articles from
2007 Preserve America
Presidential Awards Presented
Mrs. Laura Bush, First Lady of the United States and Honorary Chair of Preserve America, recently presented the 2007 Preserve America Presidential Awards at a White House Rose Garden ceremony. This is the highest national award for historic preservation achievement. In the Heritage Tourism category, the two winners are:
USS Midway Museum: San Diego, California - The museum opened in 2004, after more than a decade of preparatory effort, to preserve the USS Midway and transform it into a naval aviation history museum that emphasizes people and culture as well as technology and events.
With a volunteer and docent force exceeding 300 people, it offers educational outreach to more than 25,000 elementary students annually. Already 2.5 million people have visited, and events are hosted aboard more than 200 evenings a year. With annual gross revenues of $14 million, about $3 million is dedicated to preservation and additional restoration each year. The museum lists among key partners the U.S. Navy, Unified Port of San Diego, and the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau. Many other community organizations also are involved. Click here for more information.
Natchitoches-Cane River Region Heritage Tourism: Louisiana – The area consists of the Natchitoches Main Street program and Cane River National Heritage Area, which are implementing a comprehensive heritage tourism plan to provide visitors with authentic experiences and residents with a better quality of life. Natchitoches was the first permanent European settlement in the Louisiana Purchase territory. The Cane River National Heritage Area preserves the history and living traditions of French, Spanish, African American, American Indian, and Creole cultures. The tourism effort successfully incorporates many diverse elements and initiatives. In the Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District alone there has been more than $47 million in private and $1 million in public investment for historic preservation and infrastructure improvements since 1999, and almost 80 new businesses opened within the district during that period. Local economic development, preservation, and tourism interests partner with state and federal entities in the overall effort. For more information, visit Natchitoches, Cane River Heritage and the Cane River Heritage Travel Itinerary.
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13 New Preserve America Communities Designated
 Thirteen new Preserve America Communities were announced in the spring of 2007, bringing the total to 486 designated communities nationwide and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Communities receiving designation are:
- Ketchikan, Alaska
- Little Rock, Arkansas
- Baca, Bent, Crowley, Kiowa, Otero,
and Prowers Counties, all in Colorado
- Lafayette, Indiana
- Saco, Maine
- Wyandotte, Michigan
- Owego, New York
- Bellingham, Washington
Click here for a list of communities designated to date.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Announces
First Wildlife Refuge Preserve America Grants
 The first grants from their own Preserve America effort have been announced by the National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. A total of $126,000 in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) funds, coupled with almost $240,000 in matching funds, went to 11 projects across the nation as well as American Pacific Island locations. The sites receiving grants for historic preservation and/or heritage tourism are:
- Blackwater Refuge, Maryland
- Assabet River Refuge, Maine
- Steward McKinney Refuge, Connecticut
- Tula Lake Refuge, California
- Kenai Refuge, Alaska
- Statewide (seven refuges), Iowa
- Banks Lake Refuge, Georgia
- Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, Missouri
- Waccamaw Refuge, South Carolina
- Rydell Refuge, Minnesota
- Pacific Islands
For a list of all projects and more information about what they entail, and more information on the USFWS historic preservation effort, click here.
NEW Publication from Preservation Books
Helps Preservationists
Make the Case for Saving Post-War Resources
Love them or hate them, there’s no question that “modern” buildings of the post-war era (1940s to ’60s) transformed cities, towns, suburbs, and landscapes throughout the country. Now preservationists need to take a serious look at these resources—too new to be considered “historic” by many, but old enough to be in danger of alteration and replacement —to consider which ones merit protection.
Preserving Resources from the Recent Past, by Jeanne Lambin; a new Preservation Book of the National Trust for Historic Preservation looks at the historic context of the post-war building boom, the special challenges of preserving this legacy, and some case studies of community successes. The 28-page book also features an illustrated guide to building types and styles.
The cost is $8.00 plus shipping and handling and may be ordered from Preservation Books.
National Preservation Conference set for
St. Paul, Minnesota
 The National Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual conference will be held in St. Paul, Minnesota, October 2-6, 2007. The conference is the premier preservation conference in the United States for professionals in preservation and allied fields such as cultural heritage tourism. Keynote speakers include Garrison Keillor, creator, host and writer of “Prairie Home Companion.”
This year’s conference features a track focused on heritage tourism and education sessions on topics such as:
- Preserve America
- Marketing Regional Flavor
- Save America’s Treasures
- New Models for Historic House Museums
- Web-based Tools for Heritage Tourism Promotion
- Heritage Area Best Practices
- Public Outreach and Heritage Tourism at Military Installations
Click here for more information.
Alliance of National Heritage Areas signs
Memorandum of Understanding with
French Federation of Regional Nature Parks
By Eleanor Mahoney
National Park Service, National Heritage Areas
The Alliance of National Heritage Areas has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Federation de Parcs Naturels Regionaux, a system of forty-five regional nature parks in France. The agreement outlines the common activities and goals of the two organizations, in an effort to promote mutual understanding as well as the sharing of best practices and technical expertise across international boundaries. The official signing ceremony occurred as part of the International Heritage Development Conference (IHDC), a four day symposium sponsored by the Alliance and hosted by the Motorcities National Heritage Area in Detroit.
The MOU builds on more than two years of exchange and dialogue between the Federation and the Alliance. In 2006, delegates from three national heritage areas toured two regional nature parks in France, with the aim of not only building relationships, but also of gaining new expertise in the areas of conservation and sustainable economic development. French regional nature parks share many similarities with the National Heritage Areas, including a commitment to improving regional quality of life through the protection of nationally significant landscapes and culture traditions.
In addition to ratifying the agreement, delegates from the French Federation also participated in IHDC programming. Serge Menicucci, past director of the Verdon Park, and Dominique Leveque, current director of the Montagne de Reims Park, both presented on the history, goals and challenges of sustainable development in France, while Jacques Decugniere, past director of the Luberon Park, and Jean-Luc Beghin, current director of a three park coalition in the north of France, offered insights into the day-to-day challenges of both conserving and promoting unique natural and cultural resources. Also in attendance at the conference was Luc Coppin, the director of the Scarpe-Escaut Park in the north of France.
Following the conference, the French delegates traveled to Pennsylvania to visit three national heritage areas - the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National Heritage Area. During their three-day tour, the visitors were exposed to a wide array of sites, projects and programming.
After completing the tour, the French delegates and National Heritage Areas staff pledged to continue their partnership with ongoing technical exchange. In October of this year, an American delegation representing the Alliance will travel to the Loire Valley region of France to participate in a companion signing ceremony to the Detroit event. It is hoped that the MOU will lead to new and exciting dialogue in the field of Heritage Development, including the potential for individual partnerships between Regional Nature Parks in France and National Heritage Areas in the United States.
NEA Announces $17.5 Million
for 118 Projects
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced in May 2007 that 118 applicants will receive a total of $17.5 million in grants and offers of matching funds for projects designed to advance humanities research and prepare scholarly editions, provide high quality public programming on television and in libraries, support projects in U.S. history and culture offered by state humanities councils, preserve and stabilize significant humanities collections, and support long-term plans for strengthening humanities programming at cultural institutions.
The grants and matching offers come from six of the Endowment’s major program areas—challenge grants; education programs; federal/state partnership; preservation and access; public programs; and research programs. Click here for a complete list of awards.
National Park Service's
Heritage Travel Intineraries Received
ACHP Preserve America Award
By Carol Shull
Chief, Heritage Education Services
National Park Service
 The National Park Service's (NPS) Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries received honors for its new feature which encourages heritage tourists to visit Preserve America Communities and offers detailed travel information and Web links to other communities designated under the initiative.
The presentation was made to NPS Director Mary A. Bomar and Carol D. Shull, Chief of the Cultural Heritage Education Services office that creates and maintains the feature, at the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's (ACHP) winter business meeting on Feb. 23, 2007.
As of May 1, 2007, 70 designated Preserve America Communities have historic places featured in the travel itineraries.
"The NPS Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itineraries is a treasure trove for both local and international visitors seeking authentic personal experiences of America's diverse and fascinating history,” said John L. Nau, III, ACHP chairman. "This is an excellent example of creating a public benefit in keeping with the spirit of Executive Order 13287, Preserve America."
The National Park Service promotes heritage tourism, education, and historic preservation in communities throughout the nation via the on-line Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series. Travelers can print any of the itineraries from the National Park Service web site to serve as a reference. There are now 44 itineraries on the site showcasing more than 1,900 historic places. Each itinerary spotlights different geographic regions, communities, Heritage Areas, and themes across the nation, exposing travelers to registered historic places significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. The itineraries include interactive maps, contextual essays, photographs, descriptions of each place, and tourist information.
The itineraries are created by a partnership of the National Park Service, National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO); federal, state, and local governments; and, private organizations. The National Park Service developed the itineraries as a demonstration program to encourage other entities and individuals to create their own itineraries, or to partner with the park service. The travel itineraries Web site receive 50,000 visitors per week, or about 2.6 million per year.
Legislation Introduced to Fund First
International Travel Promotion Campaign
Senators Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) have introduced legislation to create the first-ever substantial and sustainable international marketing campaign to promote America as a destination to others around the world. The legislation would create a public-private partnership providing matching funds of up to $100 million annually that would be added to money spent by travel industry interests to promote the U.S. internationally. The marketing program would be administered through a nonprofit Corporation for Travel Promotion that would report to the Department of Commerce and be overseen by a board of 14 travel industry leaders.
“This is a huge opportunity for America and our travel industry,” said Roger J. Dow, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Travel Industry Association. “With this legislation, if our industry can raise less than one-tenth of one percent of what we receive from international visitors each year, our country will have $200 million each year to change perceptions of America around the world and compete with other countries for travelers.”
Department of Commerce figures show international travelers spent $107 billion in the U.S. last year.
“This legislation is addressing the fact that the world has changed in the past five years,” said Jonathan Tisch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Loews Hotels and Chairman of the Travel Business Roundtable. “Perceptions about our visa and entry processes, and increased spending by other countries around the world inviting people to visit, have led to a 17 percent decline in overseas travel to America. This legislation creates a vehicle for us to compete with other countries aggressively marketing themselves and sends a message to the world that the U.S. is both secure and welcoming.”
The legislation proposes:
- Creation of an Under Secretary of Commerce for Travel Promotion;
- Establishment of a fee to be collected through an electronic travel authorization process on travelers from visa waiver countries to provide funds for the government matching program;
- In fiscal 2009, the international travel promotion fund would be comprised of two dollars in government funds for every dollar contributed by the travel industry entities. Thereafter, it would become a one-to-one match.
National Wildlife Refuge System
Announces 2007 Preserve America Grants
The National Wildlife Refuge System and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announces the availability of grants through its 2007 Preserve America grant program. Applications are available beginning in August and will be due in mid-November 2007.
Grants range from $10,000 to $15,00 and are aimed at funding national wildlife refuge educational and interpretive projects that focus on history and historic sites and collections and how they contribute to conservation and an understanding of natural resources. Non-government organizations may apply for the grants which require a 1:1 match.
For more information, contact Eugene Marino, 703-358-2173. Information is also available on the National Fish and Wildlife website and on the USFWS Cultural Resources program website.
Click here for a list of grants awarded in 2006.
National Park Service
Launches New Discover Our Shared Heritage
Travel Itinerary on Indianapolis
The National Park Service has launched a new online travel itinerary for Indianapolis, the 44th in its ongoing Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series. The National Park Service’s Heritage Education Services and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology developed the itinerary, in partnership with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers.
The itinerary explores 59 historic places that bring the history of Indianapolis to life. These places are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, which the National Park Service maintains. Descriptions of each featured historic place highlight its significance and include color photographs and information on how to visit. Essays on important themes in the city’s history and development provide context for understanding destinations featured in the itinerary.
Visitors can read essays entitled Indianapolis --
- Capital at the Crossroads
- Ethnic Indy
- Go Diagonal
- Going in Circles
- Neighborhoods in a City of Homes
- Monumental Indianapolis
- Feel the Need for Speed in Indy, and
- George Edward Kessler and the Indianapolis Park System
Maps help visitors plan what to see and do.
A “Learn More” section has links to additional information on topics such as cultural events and activities, other things to see and do, dining and lodging possibilities, units of the National Park System in Indiana and elsewhere, and a bibliography. The printable itinerary is available on the National Park Service website.
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