Speaking of Preservation Action

From the "Residential Design Awareness Tour presentation on the website of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh.
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From the front page of the Preservation Action website. JOIN!

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HISTORIC CHALLENGE TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION NATIONWIDE
What's Happening and Why This is a Critical Time for Grassroots Action

Imagine a highway project through a historic downtown that only considers resources already on the National Register. Now imagine a federally funded project in the West, bulldozing through centuries of tribal cultural resources because there was no law saying these resources mattered enough to consider during the planning process. It's pretty easy to do if you think back to the days of urban renewal, prior to the National Historic Preservation Act.

The worst threat to historic preservation in this country didn't make a most endangered list. It's the threat to the mother of all preservation policies, the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) established in 1966 to set out the federal government's commitment to preservation. The NHPA articulates why protection of our heritage is important while proscribing how the government goes about taking care of our nation's heritage.

In April, a "discussion draft" circulated within the House Resources Committee's subcommittee on National Parks that proposed subtle but significant amendments to the law. Basically, the draft proposes to limit the scope of historic resource impact review (Section 106) to resources already on the National Register or determined eligible by the Secretary of the Interior during federal undertakings. When projects apply for federal dollars, federal review of resources kicks in.

A few other changes would make owner consent requisite for pursuing National Register status and prevent Certified Local Governments (CLGs) from linking National Register designation to local landmarks regulations.

Why is this Happening Now?

The effort stems from an interest within the majority party (but not monolithically embraced by the majority party) to streamline government while privileging the rights of an individual over the rights of the community. Within an influential faction, those interested in reducing the deficit and streamlining are rooting out perceived abuses government-wide.

In an April 20 hearing on the discussion draft, preservationists were characterized as thugs bullying property owners into National Register designations or providing misleading information to owners. The hearing demonstrated a concern that thorough Section 106 review slows the process, doesn't reflect the "original intent" of the law, costs applicants too much money, and is too liberal in its consideration of what's important.

A misunderstanding of how significance is established is leading to an assumption that all resources over 50 years old are potentially eligible for the National Register.

The Big Picture

In sum: this land is my land, and that land over there is your land...

Even some of those in support of streamlining the NHPA and similarly frightening changes like the effort to disallow easements on donor-occupied residences and the reductive reorganization of the National Park Service say they are preservationists and support preservation on their own terms.

The bad news is, these terms are generally focused on the obvious economic benefits of certain kinds of projects, revolve around private investment and seem to miss the federal government's responsibility to maintain our shared heritage for this an future generations. Governments lead by example. This effort in Congress reflects currents within the states, but should the federal government mirror the worst state policies for preservation, even the most enlightened communities will suffer.

The President's Preserve America initiative is somewhat controversial within some preservation circles in that it reflects this shift in thinking about how preservation activity figures into role of government -- specifically the federal government and the communities it serves. When he suggested removing $12.5 million from Save America's Treasures Congressional earmark grants, Representatives from both parties balked (this isn't as simple as a partisan issue). The House of Representatives has proposed restoring all of SAT to last year's level, and has zeroed out Preserve America, but the latter program remains popular (especially in designated Preserve America communities, which are many). Preservation Action has asked its members to weigh in on our support of Preserve America.

It's a Presidential initiative for preservation that would support heritage tourism planning in hundreds of communities nationwide -- a good thing. But it also represents this aforementioned shift toward less government, more private investment and volunteerism that (in the current budget scenario) siphons funds away from the nation's only bricks and mortar grant program.
These are rough times for preservation advocates, but these threats represent why Preservation Action was established in the first place in 1974. Threats to core regulations, funding and tax law reflect ignorance of preservation's relevance to a civil society, healthy communities, and the relationship between the past, our personal identity and our connection to others where we live, and throughout the country.

Now is the time to think, admit confusion, learn, and make time to speak up. Let's make the most of this opportunity to educate our leadership. Build the movement by being part of it.
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Speaking of the value of historic preservation, this article, "Cashing In on Cachet: Historic Listing Can Boost Home Value," ran in one of the weekly sections of the Washington Post that only circulates in Virginia, so I never came across it. It's one of the better syntheses of the benefits of historic preservation:

"In recent years, several studies have concluded that a historic designation increases values in a neighborhood. A 2001 study of Abilene, Tex., conducted by researchers from Pennsylvania State and Rutgers universities, shows that the benefits of historic designation outweigh the costs for residents. It also found that the additional property tax money the government brings in is greater than the costs associated with preservation tax incentives.

Another study, by the research center of the Government Finance Officers Association, found that historic preservation activities increase property value, create jobs, and boost tourism and expenditures by owners of buildings that operate as historic attractions. The center, headquartered in Chicago, provides public finance research and advisory services to communities.

A different study, published in the journal of the American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, found that historic designation influences adjacent owners to maintain or rehabilitate their properties."