NJ State and Local Edition

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Feature Stories

Legislative Updates

Announcements

FEATURE STORIES

   The “Historic Homeownership Assistance Act” (H.R. 1172/S. 664) has added three new cosponsors in the House and one in the Senate, bringing the total number of sponsors to 214 in the House and 39 in the Senate.  Representatives Corrine Brown (D-FL), Rush Holt (D-NJ) and George Nethercutt (R-WA) were the latest additions to the list of House bill cosponsors.  Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) was the newest addition to the Senate bill’s list of cosponsors.

   Advocates are urged to press forward with gaining more cosponsors.  Majorities of 218 in the House and 51 in the Senate are just within reach!  We urge all advocates to use the summer (July 31 - September 5th) congressional recess to visit with Members of Congress in their district and state offices and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 1172/S. 664.  Visit the Trust's Legislative Action Center on the Internet at http://congress.nw.dc.us/nthp to view the latest cosponsors list and obtain our legislative briefing on the homeownership tax credit.  If your member is not on the cosponsors list, schedule a visit ahead of time and make good use of the upcoming recess period to secure your Member's support for the bill.

   The historic homeownership tax credit may be enacted as part of a compromise community-renewal tax package that is awaiting introduction in the House.  A Senate community renewal bill (S. 2779) has been introduced (see Legislative Update section) but does not include the homeownership tax credit.  Stay tuned for breaking developments on the tax front.

National Trust Testifies on Many Glacier Hotel

   National Trust Vice President for Public Policy, Kathryn Higgins, testified before the House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands on June 27  in support of legislation (H.R. 4521, S. 2627) that would preserve, restore and maintain two of the most historically important sites in Glacier National Park in Montana – the Many Glacier Hotel and the Going to the Sun Road.    Introduced by Rep. Rick Hill (R-MT) and Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) respectively, H.R. 4521 and S. 2627 would provide $20 million for much-needed infrastructure upgrades in Glacier National Park and extend the park’s yearly operating season.  Extending the operating season will increase park visitation and, in turn, generate additional revenues for the rehabilitation of historic structures such as Glacier Hotel. 

   In her testimony, Ms. Higgins advocated for federal funding to upgrade the park’s infrastructure but also supported a National Park Service proposal to create a historic lease financing authority that would allow a developer investing in the rehabilitation of the Glacier Hotel to qualify for a 20% federal rehabilitation tax.  Ms. Higgins stated that extending financial incentives, such as the commercial credit, is necessary to provide an adequate return to developers and concessionaires on rehabilitation investments in historic structures located within the National Park System. 

   Many Glacier Hotel was constructed by Great Northern Railroad magnate Louis Hill in 1914.  Great Northern owned the land adjacent to the proposed Glacier National Park, and Hill saw an opportunity to increase railroad patronage by drawing tourists to the park which he billed as “the American Alps.”  Hill also constructed a 53-mile road – the Going to the Sun Road – to take visitors from the railhead to Lake McDermott, the site of Many Glacier Hotel.  This road is considered a major feat of engineering and is considered one of the most beautiful roadways in the world, in addition to being the centerpiece of Glacier National Park.

   The National Trust has been actively pursuing strategies for the preservation of Many Glacier Hotel since 1996, when the Trust first named the hotel as one of America’s Eleven Most Endangered Historic Sites.   In 1997, the Trust provided an $8,000 grant to help underwrite the cost of an historic structures report for Many Glacier to identify and evaluate historical and architectural features that should be preserved or restored as part of a rehabilitation effort.  In addition, Barbara Pahl, Director of the Trust’s Mountains/Plains Regional Office in Denver, has worked tirelessly to promote the cause of Many Glacier through testimony at field hearings and in meetings with National Park Service regional staff.

   H.R. 4521 has been reported out of the House Subcommittee on National Parks with amendments.  S. 2627 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

Senate Energy Committee Delays Mark Up of CARA Bill Until July 18

   The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee postponed its mark up of the “Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2000” (H.R. 701) on June 28 to allow the committee more time to fully develop its own version of the CARA bill. Negotiations between Energy Committee Chairman Frank Murkowski (R-AK), Ranking Member Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) stalled over the more controversial provisions regarding coastal programs and federal funding for land acquisition. Rather than face a barrage of amendments to the CARA bill, Chairman Murkowski rescheduled the mark up for July 18.

   In addition, the National Trust has learned that both Senator Landrieu and Senator Bingaman both support $150 million for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), as opposed to only $100 million for the HPF included in the House-passed CARA bill (H.R. 701).  This is a significant development that should be reinforced by preservation advocates.  We urge all advocates to send letters of thanks and support to Senators Bingaman and Landrieu for their efforts to include a permanent authorization of $150 million for the HPF. 

   Send your thank you letters and expressions of support by phone, fax or e-mail to: Jeff Bingaman (D-NM): 202-224-5521 (phone); 202-224-2852 (fax); senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov (e-mail) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA): 202-224-5824 (phone); 202-224-9735 (fax); senator@breaux.senate.gov

ACTION NEEDED

   Advocates should contact Chairman Murkowski and urge him to support Senators Bingaman and Landrieu’s efforts to include $150 million for the HPF in any draft CARA bill that is marked up by the Energy Committee because:
 

The HPF has historically been authorized at $150 million annually since 1976, but requires reauthorization every five-years.   A permanent authorization of the HPF under CARA should be consistent with this funding level, not less than previous authorized levels.

CARA is a unique opportunity to make a sustained commitment to the preservation of our historic built environment, which cannot be achieved without stable and permanent funding for the HPF, which has received only 32% of its authorized funding level since 1990.

For more than 30 years, the HPF has supported programs which celebrate and protect our past through matching grants to state, tribal and local governments. In addition, one dollar from the HPF leverages sixty-five dollars from State and local governments and the private sector for preservation work. 

HPF funding is used by the State Historic Preservation Offices to administer the federal rehabilitation tax credit, which has leveraged over $19 billion in private investment in historic resources since 1976. 

Full and permanent funding of the HPF will boost rehabilitation and reuse of existing buildings and help provide alternatives to urban sprawl.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

• Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA), Spencer Abraham (R-MI), Tim Hutchinson (R-AR), Herbert Kohl (D-WI), John Kerry (D-MA), Robert Torricelli (D-NJ) and Joseph Lieberman (D-CT) introduced S.2779, the “American Community Renewal and New Markets Empowerment Act” on June 22.  S. 2779 would provide for the designation of renewal communities and provide tax incentives relating to such communities. 
  The bill would also provide a tax credit to taxpayers investing in entities seeking to provide capital to create new markets in low-income communities, and establish Individual Development Accounts (IDAs).  S. 2779 is a hybrid of President Clinton’s New Markets Initiative and the “American Community Renewal Act” (H.R. 815), a bill sponsored by Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK).  The new Senate bill is considered a potential legislative vehicle for attaching the historic homeownership tax credit.  The House is also expected to produce its own version of a compromise community renewal tax  proposal.

• Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) introduced H.R. 4613, the “National Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000” in House on June 8th.  The bill is the companion legislation to S. 2343, which was approved by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 7th with minor technical amendments.  If enacted, the legislation will establish a process for identifying and selecting eligible entities – including nonprofits – to which a historic light station could be conveyed for “education, park, recreation, cultural, or historic preservation purposes.   The House Resources Committee is expected to hold a hearing on H.R. 4613 in July.  The Senate bill has not cleared the Energy Committee due to a delay in finishing minority review of the bill report.  Stay tuned for further updates.

• Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) have reached agreement on a compromise version of the “Religious Liberty Protection Act (H.R. 1691/S. 2181) that would be limited to land-use and institutionalized persons only.  The National Trust has sent a letter to to Senators Kennedy, Leahy, Daschle and Lieberman that included specific suggestions to “fix” any compromise RLPA bill targeted at land use by including the following changes: 

1. a carefully defined definition of “substantial burden” to track established Supreme Court precedent
2. allowing local governments the option to “cure” any substantial burden by accommodating religious expression before being subject to the prospect of litigation
3. a limit on judicial remedies for claims brought under the Act to injunctive relief only and religious claimants should bear full burden of persuasion that it has been “substantially” burdened by a governmental action
4. include language affirming the authority of  local governments to adopt and apply natural land use laws and regulations.

• The Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation held a hearing on S. 2512, the “Governors Island Protection Act of 2000,” on June 29.   The subcommittee heard two panels of outside witnesses that included representatives from the National Park Service, the General Services Administration, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Office of the Governor of New York.  Highlights of the testimony focused on the operating and maintenance costs of the  public spaces on the Island, which are “substantial.” Michael Carey of the NYC Economic Development Corporation stated the Island would require “over $70 million in capital costs to bring the existing services and island infrastructure to appropriate levels for public use.” 
  The National Trust is working to include provisions in the bill that provide for adequate community and public input into the planning process and ensure that any public revenues generated on the Island help pay for management and preservation of the Island’s resources.  If enacted, S. 2512 will establish the Governors Island National Monument and preserve two of New York Harbor's earliest fortifications, Fort Jay and Castle Williams.  The balance of the property will be conveyed to the State of New York.   Governors Island has played a significant role in every major military conflict from the American Revolution through World War II. 

• The National Trust is working with key Members of Congress in an effort to move legislation (S. 1910/H.R. 3404) in the House which affects one of the key historic sites associated with the First Women’s Rights Convention in 1848 – the Hunt House.   The National Trust and the Trust for Public Land acquired the Hunt House in May 1999 at public auction to secure the opportunity for preserving the property for public interpretation as part of the Women’s Rights National Historic Park.  The Hunt House dates from 1830 and was the home of Quaker abolitionist Jane Hunt and her husband, Richard Hunt, who were active in the reform community that emerged in western New York in the 1830s and 1840s.  
  The Hunt House has particular historical significance to the nation because of its connection with a signal event in the history of the women’s rights movement: a meeting held on July 9, 1848, at which Jane Hunt, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Mary Ann M’Clintock, Lucretia Mott, and Martha Wright planned the first women’s rights convention, which took place 10 days later in Seneca Falls, New York.   The convention was attended by more than 200 people and marked the beginning of the movement for women’s rights.  S. 1910 passed the Senate on April 13 and has been referred to the House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands.   The National Trust testified in support of S. 1910 before the Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Historic Preservation and Recreation on March 8.   The House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands has not scheduled a hearing on the bill to date and very little time is left on the subcommittee’s calendar before the August recess.  If no hearing is held in the House, the bill might pass as part of an omnibus bill at the end of the session. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

* Abraham Lincoln's Retreat - The Soldiers' Home, Washington, D.C. The summer home where Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation awaits restoration 

* Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center, Leavenworth, Kans. 39 historic buildings may be torn down 

* Historic Neighborhood Schools, Nationwide Abandonment, demolition, and suburban sprawl threaten these community icons 

* Hudson River Valley, N.Y. Industrialization and sprawl threaten scenic area rich in historic landmarks 

* Fifth and Forbes Historic Retail Area, Pittsburgh, Pa. Scores of historic buildings to be demolished for large-scale shopping and entertainment complex 

* Nantucket, Mass. "Teardowns" and "gut rehabs" of buildings imperil historic  island character 

* Okeechobee Battlefield, Okeechobee, Fla. Development threatens archaeological resources and important Second Seminole War battlefield 

* Red Mountain Mining District, Ouray and San Juan Counties, Colo. Sprawl and logging may overwhelm scenic historic mining sites 

* Santa Anita Racetrack, Arcadia, Calif. Expansion will ruin historic Art Deco structure 

* Valley Forge National Historical Park, Valley Forge, Pa. Revolutionary War buildings need immediate stabilization 

* Wheelock Academy, Millerton, Okla. Native American school buildings are seriously deteriorating 

High-resolution images of each 11 Most Endangered site can be viewed online at
www.nationaltrust.org/11most. 

   For further information on the Eleven Most List, contact the Trust’s
Department of Communications at 202-588-6141.

FHWA Seeking Project Applications for Covered Bridge Program

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is requesting state transportation agencies to submit project applications under the National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation Program (NHCBP).  The deadline for submitting applications is August 1, 2000.  The NHCBP provides $8 million this year for historic covered bridges.   The NHCBP provides funding for two categories of projects: first, for grants to assist states in their efforts to rehabilitate, repair and preserve the Nation’s historic covered bridges; and second, for the conduct of research and
technology transfer. 

If you have an interest in historic covered bridges, or if you know of a covered bridge – on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places – that is in need of work, please contact officials in your state’s Department of Transportation and ask them if the agency intends to compete for these funds.  For further information on the NHCBP or a copy of the FHWA announcement, please contact us at (202) 588-6255.  Direct any questions about the program via e-mail to Dan Costello, Senior Program Associate, at dan_costello@nthp.org.