Home News Laura Bush Announces Preserve America Grants Budget

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Remarks by First Lady Laura Bush at Preserve America Event
ACHP Chairman Nau's Remarks

Jan. 15, 2004, Washington, DC—Mrs. Laura Bush announced today that the President's budget for FY 2005 includes a proposal for $10 million in grants to assist communities in preserving their cultural and natural resources.

These grants will assist States, Indian tribes, and communities demonstrate sustainable uses of their historic and cultural sites and the economic and educational opportunities related to heritage tourism.

Mrs. Bush also honored eight communities with Preserve America designation for their commitment to protect the historic heritage of their hometowns. The first eight Preserve America communities to receive this designation are:

• Augusta, Georgia;
• Castroville, Texas;
• Delaware, Ohio;
• Dorchester County, Maryland;
• Key West, Florida;
• Putnam County, New York;
• Steamboat Springs, Colorado; and
• Versailles, Kentucky.

In addition, Mrs. Bush announced two new education efforts to enhance the teaching of history in America's classrooms:

• Preserve America has worked with the History Channel's Save Our History initiative to support the creation of a history education manual. This manual provides teachers with lesson plans and volunteer ideas to get students involved in preserving historical sites in their community.

• Preserve America and The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will honor outstanding teachers of American history across the country with a new "Preserve America History Teacher of the Year" award. Finalists will be selected annually from each State, the District of Columbia, and U.S. Territories.

  State winners will receive $1,000 and a core archive of history materials for their school library. A "National Preserve America History Teacher of the Year" will be selected from the group of State finalists. The winner, together with the nominating supervisor, will be flown to Washington, DC, for recognition in a ceremony.

For more information, visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov.

An independent Federal agency, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) promotes historic preservation nationally by providing a forum for influencing Federal activities, programs, and policies that impact historic properties, advising the President and Congress, advocating preservation policy, improving Federal preservation programs, protecting historic properties, and educating stakeholders and the public. For more information, visit the ACHP's Web site at www.achp.gov, or contact Bruce Milhans at 202-606-8513 or bmilhans@achp.gov.

Learn more about ACHP

Updated March 24, 2004

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