National Trust Vice President for Government Relations and Policy Tom Cassidy submitted testimony to the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee (April 27) and the House Interior Appropriations Committee (May 11) presenting the National Trust’s recommendations for FY19 appropriations. The testimony focused on funding for the Historic Preservation Fund; key preservation programs and assets within the National Park Service, including continued focus on the deferred maintenance backlog; cultural resources within the Bureau of Land Management; the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF); and the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities. The National Trust also joined with partner organizations in sending a letter to Appropriators recommending increased funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (April 23). That request was mirrored in a letter signed by 29 Senators (April 27). In a separate letter, the National Trust joined with the American Architectural Foundation and 21 additional organizations to advocate for the Save America’s Treasures Program.

During consideration of the FY19 Interior Appropriations bill on the House floor (July 19), the National Trust and other preservation organizations sent a letter to Members of Congress urging support for three amendments to boost the Historic Preservation Fund, increase historic preservation grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and increase funding for competitive grants to preserve the sites and stories of the Civil Rights Movement. In addition to the National Trust, the letter was signed by the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, Preservation Action, the Coalition for American Heritage, the American Cultural Resources Association, the American Anthropological Association, the Society for American Archaeology, and the Society for Historical Archaeology.