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specific nav links Home News Five Virginia Preserve America Communities Receive Designation Certificates at Fall ACHP Business Meeting Five Virginia Preserve America Communities Receive Designation Certificates at Fall 2004 ACHP Business Meeting
Nov. 18, 2004, Charlottesville, VAAlexandria, Hanover County, Lynchburg, Petersburg, and Warrenton, Virginia, received certificates of designation as Preserve America Communities today at the fall 2004 business meeting of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The session was held in the Rotunda at the University of Virginia. "There are significant economic, educational, and cultural benefits that historic preservation, through efforts such as heritage tourism, bring to a community," Nau said. "Sustainable preservation is not a cost for maintaining the past, it is an investment in building the future. These communities are national leaders in this trend and have created a powerful positive example for others." Two Virginia communities that received their certificates earlier this year, Williamsburg and Smithfield, were also noted by John L. Nau, III, chairman of the ACHP, who presented the certificates on behalf of the Office of the First Lady. The ACHP helps administer the Preserve America initiative for the Bush Administration. As of November 5, 2004, 178 designated Preserve America communities were located in 34 States nationwide. The first Virginia communities to achieve the status, Williamsburg and Smithfield, were recognized at a Capitol Hill ceremony March 18, 2004. That occasion was a joint effort of the ACHP and the U.S. House of Representatives Historic Preservation Caucus. The five communities receiving their certificates today have received a letter from Mrs. Laura Bush notifying them of the designations. The following summaries outline some of the heritage attributes of each community. More information on the communities is available at www.preserveamerica.gov/PAcommunities.html#v.
Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include use of the Preserve America logo, listing in the Preserve America Web site directory to showcase preservation and heritage tourism efforts, and eligibility for proposed Preserve America grants that will begin in Fiscal Year 2005 if enacted by Congress. The next quarterly deadline for applications to become a Preserve America Community is March 1, 2005. For more information, application forms and procedures, and the directory of Preserve America Communities, visit www.PreserveAmerica.gov/communities.html. The Preserve America initiative is a White House effort to encourage
and support community efforts for the preservation and enjoyment of America's
priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include:
a greater shared knowledge about the Nation's past; strengthened regional
identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving
the country's cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the
economic vitality of communities. For more information on Preserve America, 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.
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