Congress is starting the appropriations process which will determine Fiscal Year 2023 funding levels for historic preservation. Co-chairs of the Historic Preservation Caucus, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. Michael Turner (R-OH), are leading the bipartisan FY23 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) effort in the House. 

Their $200 million request for funding for the HPF would be a record level of funding for the program. This request includes much-needed increases for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, which are expected to face increased workloads from federally mandated project reviews associated with the recently passed infrastructure bill, and increases to critically important competitive grant programs. The letter requests:

  • $65 million for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs)
  • $34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs)
  • $35 million for the Save America’s Treasures Grant Program
  • $24 million for African American Civil Rights Initiative Competitive Grants
  • $12 million for competitive grants for Historically Black Colleges and Universities
  • $12 million for the Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants
  • $10 million for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program
  • $5 million for the History of Equal Rights Competitive Grant Program
  • $3 million for Underrepresented Communities Grants

This is critical funding for Oregon’s SHPO and THPOs to do their work, as well as much needed grant funding. Restore Oregon has signed onto a coalition letter in support of this request. We are also a member of Preservation Action and will advocate as part of this nationwide effort for the State of Oregon, alongside many other statewide historic preservation nonprofits.      

Preservation Action share this update on two other legislative efforts underway (which RO is also supporting):  

  1. The Historic Preservation Enhancement Act (H.R. 6589) has been introduced by Rep. Teresa Leger-Fernandez (D-NM) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and is in preparation in the Senate by Senator Martin Heinrich to double the HPF authorization to $300M.
  2. The Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (S. 2266, H.R. 2294 or HTC-GO), legislation is to improve and enhance the Historic Tax Credit. It continues to gain steam and is up to 86 bipartisan cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate.

Thank you Rep. Blumenauer for your leadership on all these efforts. Your unwavering support for historic preservation is appreciated!