Lobbying Opportunities for Advocates | Historic Preservation | Wisconsin Historical Society

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Lobbying Opportunities for Historic Preservation Advocates

Lobbying Opportunities for Advocates | Historic Preservation | Wisconsin Historical Society

For people passionate about historic preservation, there is nothing like speaking up for preservation in Washington, D.C. When you show up at your legislator's Washington, D.C. office in person, you leave a lasting impact. Legislators recognize the effort you have made to see them. Even if you can't afford a trip to the nation's capital, you still have the option of in-district lobbying. District offices serve as a bridge between legislators in Washington D.C. and their constituents back home.

Historic Preservation Advocacy Week

Each year, hundreds of grassroots lobbyists from around the country converge in Washington, D.C. to support a common preservation agenda. Originally called Preservation Lobby Day, this event is now called Historic Preservation Advocacy Week. It is coordinated by these five national preservation groups:

Members from these groups prepare briefing materials that contain local examples. They use these briefs, along with briefs created by partnering national organizations, at meetings with their senators and representatives.

During the meetings, they explain why specific preservation programs should be protected and given adequate funding. Advocates typically ask for increased funding to the Historic Preservation Fund each year.

The meetings are held on a single day so advocates can report back to their primary organization (one of the five listed above) to share what they heard on Capitol Hill.

Historic Preservation Advocacy Week also serves as a focused mini-conference for the preservation community, which makes it a great networking opportunity. The program includes a policy briefing to review the common preservation agenda, and training for both new and seasoned advocates.

All major special-interest groups sponsor similar events in Washington, D.C. Preservation issues can be easily overshadowed by other causes with more outspoken supporters. If you do not represent your local preservation interests in Congress, it is unlikely that anyone else will.

Lobbying is a great complement to letter-writing campaigns and other forms of government outreach. It can bring local preservationists together for a common cause. And it can be a lot of fun!

Know the Important Congressional Committees

Historic preservation issues are addressed primarily by these three Congressional committees. Committee assignments change regularly. To find out if your senator or representative is currently on any of these key committees, visit the committees' websites listed at the end of this article.

The Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriation

This subcommittee (often shortened to the Interior subcommittee) is one of 12 subcommittees focused on various categories of discretionary federal spending. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, this subcommittee governs a broad array of spending on federal preservation programs. These include the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), which provides partial funding for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs). Each state's SHPO is responsible for administering the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and the Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credit (FRTC) program in its state, among many other tasks.

The National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee

The Natural Resources Committee governs policies related to managing our nation's resources. Policies governing historic resources are included within this category, specifically the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). The NHPA, first enacted in 1966, is the basis for all federal historic preservation law.

Preservation law is periodically revisited and reviewed for potential changes. For example, in 2005 some members of Congress sought to make a change to Section 106 of the NHPA. Section 106 governs the review of potential impacts on historic places from federally funded projects, also known as undertakings. These Congressional members sought to limit Section 106 review to historic places already listed on the NRHP. Since only a small number of historic places that are (or may be) eligible for the NRHP have actually been listed, preservationists spoke out against this restriction. The proposed change was defeated — thanks to grassroots lobbying work.

The Ways and Means Committee

This committee within the House of Representatives oversees changes to federal tax law. Preservationists engage the committee members whenever there are proposed changes to federal tax incentives for historic preservation. Currently, these include the FRTC and conservation easements. The FRTC provides a 20 percent tax credit on SHPO and National Park Service (NPS)-approved rehabilitation expenses for properties on listed in the National Register or within a National Register district. The federal conservation easement program grants property owners a tax deduction on the value of the easement or on development restrictions the owner willingly places on a property with historic significance.

Lobby the In-District Staff

In-district lobbying offers an alternative tool for low-budget preservation advocacy groups. In-district staff members are their boss's eyes and ears in their district or state. While not all D.C. staff are originally from a legislator's home state, in-district staff are residents. This means they have first-hand knowledge of local preservation issues. A typical district office has between four and eight staff members.

D.C. office staffers are inundated with correspondence (email, fax, and snail mail) and grassroots lobbyists. In-district staff members often are not. Many district offices process social security and VA claims, but they will also take an interest in and facilitate preservation matters, especially if their boss is on committees with active preservation concerns.

Resources: Congressional Committee Websites

Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
Natural Resources Committee/Energy and Natural Resources Committee
Ways and Means Committee (House Group Only)

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Historic Preservation Advocacy Guide

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