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Preserve America News |March 2011
President Obama unveiled the report titled "America's Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations" at a White House ceremony Feb. 16. The ACHP was involved in development of the report and will play a role in its implementation to help weave cultural heritage and recognition for historic places into key parts of the program. Read more. East Bay Bike Path historical signage in Barrington, R.I., a recently designated Preserve America Community Historic Preservation Helping Connect People with America’s Great Outdoors 
An example of historic preservation helping to connect people with America’s Great Outdoors is the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Hudson River, N.Y. This 1.3-mile historic former railroad bridge connecting Highland to Poughkeepsie opened in 2009 as a state park following a lengthy historic preservation process and fund-raising campaign. The Hudson River corridor is a National Heritage Area, and the bridge is a national historic civil engineering landmark. The popular pedestrian bridge−the longest in the world–attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. Dutchess County, on the east bank of the river, is a Preserve America Community. Read about the economic impact of the project. Walkway photo courtesy New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation The future of funding for the Preserve America Grants program remains unclear for both FY 2011 and FY 2012. In a bill recently passed by the House of Representatives to fund the remainder of FY 2011, the Preserve America Grant program would receive no funding. It remains to be seen whether the Senate will agree with that funding cut. As for FY 2012, the President’s budget does not include funding for the program. Look for updates in future e-newsletters. Despite the current economic climate and federal budget uncertainty, both the Preserve America Communities and Preserve America Stewards programs continue to encourage and recognize those who protect, care for and share the stories of our irreplaceable and historically significant cultural and natural resources. With a letter and a signed certificate, First Lady Michelle Obama formally designates those who demonstrate that they meet program requirements. Both programs are administered by the ACHP: Preserve America Communities in cooperation with the National Park Service, and Preserve America Stewards in cooperation with the U. S. Bureau of Land Management. New Preserve America Communities Designated 
First Lady Michelle Obama designated the 15 newest Preserve America Communities on Jan. 21, bringing the total number of designated communities to 858. These newly recognized communities join those previously designated in a national network committed to protect local historic natural and cultural resources and put them to use in ways that create sustainable economic, educational and environmental benefits. The new communities reflect the diversity of America’s heritage. They are Hamburg, Ark.; Leon County, Fla.; Jones County, Ga.; Litchfield, Minn.; Bridgeton and Roebling, N.J.; Somerset, Ohio; West Linn, Ore.; Barrington, R.I.; Laredo and San Angelo, Texas; Waterford, Va.; Ferry County, Wash.; and Greendale and Milton, Wisc. Apply for designation as a Preserve America Community; the next quarterly deadline for designation applications is June 1. Curlew Bridge celebration in Ferry County, Wash. Four Preserve America Stewards Recognized 
First Lady Michelle Obama designated four new Preserve America Stewards on Feb. 3. Each of the recognized Stewards has demonstrated the successful use of volunteers in helping to care for our historic heritage. Historic properties that have benefitted from the work of these four organizations include historic buildings and structures – including a historic mill village – and historic cemeteries. Read more. Apply for designation as a Preserve America Steward; the next deadline for applications is June 1. Texas Historical Commission RIP Guardian Program America's Great Outdoors Report Recognizes Two Preserve America Stewards 
The recently launched America’s Great Outdoors Initiative focuses on natural resource conservation but also recognizes the importance of cultural resource protection. Engaging volunteers in the conservation of our natural and cultural heritage is one theme of the initiative. Two Preserve America Stewards are among the examples cited in the Department of the Interior’s new report, "America’s Great Outdoors: A Promise to Future Generations." The U.S. Forest Service’s Passport in Time Program and the Southern Nevada Agency Partnership’s Cultural Site Stewardship Program are mentioned in the report as good examples of partnerships that are helping to connect Americans to the outdoors. Both programs leverage public dollars by using volunteers to preserve and monitor cultural resources on public lands. Other Preserve America Stewards programs offer similar opportunities for the public to experience nature while working to conserve historic resources. Read more about Stewards. Passport In Time volunteers kayak to archaeological sites in Tongass National Forest, Alaska. Partners in Tourism Announce First Cultural Heritage Tourism Exchange 
Partners
in Tourism—10 federal agencies and 12 national partners— invite
you to attend the first Cultural Heritage Tourism Exchange May 3 in
Washington, D.C. The Participants: Registration: Dozen Distinctive Destinations Include Preserve America Communities 
This year’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations have been announced by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Five of them – Alexandria, Va.; Colorado Springs, Colo .; Muskogee, Okla.; Paducah, Ky.; and San Angelo, Texas -- have also been recognized as Preserve America Communities. These destinations offer an authentic visitor experience by combining dynamic downtowns, cultural diversity, attractive architecture, cultural landscapes and a strong commitment to historic preservation, sustainability and revitalization. Two of this year’s Distinctive Destinations have received Preserve America Grants. This matching-grant program funding helps designated Preserve America Communities enhance their preservation efforts through heritage tourism, education and historic preservation planning. One of the funded projects was the Colorado Springs Heritage Tourism Pilot Project for $33,720. The city of Colorado Springs chose to highlight five of its historic landmarks and develop a comprehensive strategy that advances awareness of these sites as closely connected heritage tourism resources and destinations. The other is the Renaissance Area Master Plan in Paducah, Ky., for $75,000. The city prepared a Renaissance Area Master Plan to link and manage the further growth and development of its new art neighborhood, its downtown and its riverfront. Muskogee, Okla., Azalea Festival parade 
Preservation Advocacy Week, Washington, D.C., March 7-10 American Planning Association National Conference, Boston, April 9-12 Mason City- North Iowa Band Festival New Cultural Heritage Tourism Survival Toolkit 
The National Trust for Historic Preservation has published a “survival” toolkit for heritage tourism organizations and attractions. That work, recently completed and funded through the National Endowment for the Arts, includes identification of 11 survival strategies and a series of nearly 90 case studies that illustrate a variety of these strategies. As the study notes: “The recent downturn in the economy has had a major impact on many sectors of the cultural and heritage tourism industry. The news over the past few years includes a number of losses -- heritage sites and museums closing, state programs eliminated, tourism agencies drastically reducing budgets, and cultural heritage tourism programs and organizations cutting back their operations. Amid the bad news, however, there have been rays of hope -- attractions and marketing organizations standing up to the challenge and finding ways to survive -- if not thrive -- despite the economic downturn. Many of these cultural and heritage sites have found creative ways to stay true to their organization’s mission while reaching for new opportunities." The 11 identified survival strategies include the following: Preserve America Community St. Augustine, Fla., is part of a featured case study. |
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