Forum Webinar: Update on Federal Preservation Policy

Hi everyone. We are going to get started in just a moment. Uh we're going to let the room populate. getting good representation from around the country. Um, welcome everybody. We're going to get started in in just a moment here. Thank you for joining. Okay. Well, why don't we begin? Uh, good afternoon everybody and welcome. Uh, thank you for making time to join today's webinar which is part of the National Trust Forum uh webinar series. Uh my name is Shaw Sprag. I'm the vice president of government relations for the National Trust. Uh and for the next hour, we will be providing a federal policy update uh and what we might expect in the coming weeks and months at the federal level. Uh if you haven't joined us previously, preservation leadership forum uh is the professional membership uh program of the national trust and this webinar series would not be possible without our forum uh members. So uh for those members that are on the webinar, thank you. We appreciate your your your support. Uh we have a lot to cover today uh including several important updates to share uh plus a special guest that we are excited to have join us uh for part of the conversation. Uh before we begin, I'd like to just uh share a few logistical notes. We will take audience questions during the Q&A portion of the webinar. uh what you uh just you submit your questions at any time using the Q&A function uh which is directed to the panelists. You're also welcome to use the chat to communicate with other participants. Closed captioning is available and can be turned on or off through the controls at the bottom of your Zoom window. And after the webinar, we will be sending out a recording to everyone who has registered. And you can also find uh these recordings for all forum webinars on our YouTube channel. Uh as a reminder, we ask that everyone is respectful to each other in the chat and follow our code of conduct. Next slide, please. So, we have a fantastic lineup of speakers, including members of the Trust government relations team. That includes Pam Bowman, our senior director, and Lauren Cohen, our director of government relations. Uh, we're also uh very pleased to be joined by Tom Maya, our chief legal officer and general counsel. Um, but we're also very pleased to welcome uh uh Michael Lungquist to the to the conversation today. Michael is the deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Congressman Mike Kerry, who represents the 15th district of Ohio and serves on the important House and Ways Committee. Uh um in addition to overseeing legislative operation, Michael handles a wide-ranging portfolio of issues uh including tax and appropriations, housing, finance, uh services, uh financial services, and energy. So, in terms of our agenda today, we'll just give you a quick snapshot of of what we intend to cover. Uh after we hear from Michael, we're going to turn to Tom Mays for an update on the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's recently proposed section 106 regulations. We'll also cover uh the latest developments on federal funding and historic tax credit, provide a legislative roundup of key bills the trust is supporting, and conclude with a look ahead on what's on the horizon and uh the Q&A portion of the webinar as time permits. Uh before turning it over to Michael, however, um next slide please. I I wanted to say a few words about Congressman Kerry and the leadership role he is playing on Capitol Hill right now uh on preservation issues. Uh Congressman Kerry agreed to become the vice chair of the historic preservation caucus in the house uh recently. Uh so we are very excited about uh his role uh in that regard and he is advancing not one or two but several preservation focused bills this Congress. So uh very grateful to have Michael with us today. Uh but as a member of the Ways and Means Committee, uh Congressman Kerry uh is an original co-sponsor of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act, uh and has been a a key, uh uh supporter on the committee for those improvements. Um, Congressman Kerry is also leading the Revitalizing Downtowns and Main Streets Act and was one of the first to support increase investment in the Historic Preservation Fund during this semi-quincentennial year. Uh, and most recently, he's joined with Congressman Klyber to reauthorize the African-American Civil Rights Network, uh, which we are grateful for. Um uh so it very clear about the congressman's interest and passion for historic preservation and uh with that let me welcome Michael to the conversation. Uh Michael um next slide please. Michael uh maybe you could tell us a little bit about uh where where Congressman K's interest in historic preservation started. uh what you can tell us about how the uh congressman makes these connections between historic preservation and economic development, housing creation and community development. >> Absolutely. Well, first of all, thank you for the invitation to participate in this. Um the National Trust has been a great resource throughout my entire time working here on the hill. uh Sha, Pam, Lauren, Tom. Uh thank you all. And especially lately, Pam, approaching our office uh with that great legislation with Representative Klyurn of South Carolina uh renewing the African-American Civil Rights Network Act, but I'm sure we'll get into that. Um yeah, worked for Congressman Kerry on year five of of working for him. Uh it's been a pleasure to be able to work on historic preservation issues for him as well for the past few years. And um Congressman Kerry uh was a history major. Um has uh had had a historical home in Ohio he uh redid and and then of course preserved. Lives in a historical home in German Village uh which he also refurbished um and really uh quite a fantastic piece of property. He knows every uh ounce of history associated with his specific piece of property in the overall neighborhood. Um, and it really shows uh in his work for Congress his true passion for historic preservation. You know, uh, oftentimes when groups come in, they ask, you know, congressman, what's your number one priority in Congress? And, uh, and there's quite a few things, uh, he could say or should say, but truly, um, I think one of them is historic, uh, preservation. Um and uh he's been uh he's been able to influence a lot of great legislation. I think uh as it pertains to HTC GO um we had a bill uh that we led with Representative Brad Schneider of Illinois to restore the one-year payout for the historic tax credit uh as opposed to the current five-year which was implemented in in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act back in 2017. and working very closely with uh Darren Leood's office, we were able to have it included in the newest iteration. Uh I think should the opportunity come. Uh that's a top priority for my boss. I mean, the overarching legislation obviously um but especially restoring value um through the uh one-year payout. Um maybe I'll walk through a couple other uh pieces of legislation that you uh you mentioned in your introduction, Shaw. um revitalizing revitalizing downtowns and main streets act with uh Mr. Gomez, a fellow ways and means uh member from Los Angeles. Um this is a new federal tax credit to convert uh underutilized or vacant commercial property into a housing. It can be mixed use obviously uh but there are affordability requirements uh for the units to be held uh for those of whom uh have uh under uh 120% of the area meeting income and then for difficult development areas it's a 30% credit uh with more stringent affordability uh requirements and then uh for historic preservation projects in rural uh areas of the country uh it's uh it's up to 35%. Um, and we uh drafted it in a way in which uh you can stack it with the HTC. The last thing we want to do is disincentivize the preservation of certain historical buildings where maybe you would take a shortcut and just, you know, want to uh renew the building without uh protecting its um historical aspects. Um obviously historic preservation fund, I'm sure you all are very familiar with it. and another great Ohioan uh delegation member Mike Turner uh who we share a district line with leads the legislation every year we make it a top ask if not the top ask within the interior appropriations we did it again this year I think we've had a relatively favorable outcome uh obviously hoping we can get appropriations done this year uh voted on a CR this week uh we will see how that plays out but the house version goes through December 4th but regardless um something that my boss continues to advocate for every year in appropriations and make make a top ask. Um and then the uh the African-American Civil Rights Network uh which I mentioned Pam very graciously approached our office. She knew my boss's interest. There is a lot of historical significance and the civil rights movement in Columbus, Ohio and around the district. Um I think we're working with our Senate counterparts to see if we can have some deliverables and appropriations for the program. uh which would be great especially during uh America's 250th um and then as well just renewing the program. Uh we've had very positive meetings with both majority and minority natural resources committee staff. Uh I know there's been some recent developments. It was addressed in a uh in a in a legislative hearing yesterday and and the park service deferred to Congress and uh so hopefully it's something we can get uh through committee and Mr. Westerman, the chairman and that resources uh goes through regular order for everything. So, we'll we'll do our best to get it on the markup calendar uh hopefully in September and and have it on suspension. Um as it previously passed by voice vote in both the House and Senate and was passed by or signed into law by President Trump, unfortunately expired um at the end of 25. Uh but obviously there's a litany of, you know, pieces of legislation we're working on. Uh sometimes you don't get the overarching legislation, but if you can even get pieces and parts, it can really move the needle. And uh and lastly, I'll just say, you know, the value in a lot of this is hearing from you all and what you're seeing on the ground. Um and uh I think there's a lot of value uh in having these webinars, having these meetings, and we really really want to be a resource uh for you all in your work. >> Thank you, Michael. And and certainly the congressman is covering a lot of ground and a lot of different committees in his u in the legislation he's supporting. We we really appreciate that and uh you know appreciate his forward look um around housing and office to uh housing conversion and and putting preservation sort of on the forefront of of the policy developments in that regard too that that we think will be really helpful. So thank you for that that leadership. Um, yeah, I think one of the things that we would love to hear a little bit more from you is how historic preservation uh is has enjoyed bipartisan support for for many years. Um, and just interested to hear your thoughts about how preservation as an issue has uh, helped, you know, continues to bring Republicans and Democrats together even even in a, you know, uh, difficult political environment. Maybe you can speak to those collaborations and and how some of this work transcends uh, some of the politics of the day. >> Yeah, absolutely. No, that's a great question, Sha. Um well, first off, Congressman Kerry is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. Uh he has a civility and respect caucus with uh a fellow congresswoman out of the city. We split the city of Columbus with uh Joyce Batty. Um so it's always something that uh has been important in his work here and uh it especially shows in the preservation space when you go to these events. I mean, it's evidenced by the caucus membership obviously uh and the chairs and the vice chairs and I think we work very well together. Uh it's really one of the great areas uh where there is a lot of bipartisan work. Uh HTC go is is fantastic evidences of that as well. Um it of course is is a very partisan environment especially considering we are in an election year. Um but regardless I do see a pathway for bipartisan work uh whether it's on ways and means where we really have great membership on both sides of the dis who work well together and I think are very businessoriented and understand um you know it's it's it's probably uh one of the most bipartisan committees itself but let's say you know dependent upon how the election turns out and who's who's in the majority in either chamber you know we would love to work um on long-standing bipartisan tax issues uh in a year-end deal. And so when you look at uh some of the improvements we could make to HTC GO, I think that would be a fantastic opportunity to make a big bipartisan push. Um some other items, uh you know, could be cost prohibitive if they're looking at maybe, you know, lower cost technical bipartisan uh provisions. Um, but regardless, we're going to make a we're going to make it a top priority should we all come to the table and negotiate something for your end. >> We we certainly appreciate the commitment and and the push uh uh no matter what the lame duck legislative environment looks like. Um question for for for our uh audience members who uh don't always u meet with congressional offices, but wondering if you might offer some some words of advice and encouragement about you what's persuasive uh in in your mind uh when it when it comes to um meeting with constituents? uh what kinds of stories, examples or or data um do you like to see uh conveyed in those meetings and and any any thoughts for for our audience for upcoming advocacy work? >> Yeah, absolutely. Um for those of you who have haven't been to the Hill, I highly encourage you to do it. It's it's um it's very interesting just how it's impressive how accessible um you know the member but but also the staff are. So, highly encourage you to make a trip uh at some point. Um but you know, I mean, I take a lot of meetings, some better than others. I would say district nexus is probably the most important aspect when you're meeting in the House. State nexus, when you're meeting in the Senate, uh historic preservation touches every single district uh in the country. Um so that shouldn't be too problematic. I think um economic impact of some of these projects that have been done in certain members districts or states uh and pointing to uh the um just how valuable um those dollars are coming from the federal government, the tax credits and otherwise the preservation fund and the rate of return. Um, and then I think following up uh with staff, uh, getting to know the staff, uh, oftent times members, while they won't necessarily defer to the staff, uh, the staff are the ones fielding the meetings, they're going to the, uh, the briefings, uh, they're going to the events, maybe on the congressman's behalf. Uh, but it can really go a long way in influencing a decision. And obviously it's always up to the member uh to have final say, but I think if you can uh if you can foster a solid relationship with the staff of of the district uh that you live in, um it's extremely beneficial and get to know even uh district staff, right? Have them out to some of uh the projects that have been done in the district. Have the member out, have them uh uh meet the developers uh and and see the um impressive work that you all do. and uh there's constant coordination between the district and DC. So that can influence policy as well. >> That that's fantastic advice and uh thank you for for noting just how accessible uh staff are and and willing to hear from from constituents back home. Um so this question is how how can we help you? How can we help you and Congressman Kerry on these uh number of of legislative priorities uh to get them over the finish line? We know it's a a little undetermined as to to what might have traction between now and the end of the legislative session, but maybe you can leave us with a few uh thoughts about how we can be most helpful to you going forward. >> Well, you've already been a huge help. I'll say that. Um adding co-sponsors uh whether it's revitalizing downtowns HTC GO historic preservation fund legislation is always a great indicator to the committees of jurisdiction uh whether on or off committee members co-sponsoring I think both are influential but especially um on committee uh education uh you know certain offices may be more familiar with your issues than others I think uh you know uh in whatever capacity you and educate uh staff. Uh there there's opportunities to educate uh members, but um stressing the importance uh of historic preservation. It's not just a hobby. It's not just a passion. It's extremely important to our local economies and the fabric of our of our country and essential that we maintain it. Um, but uh, yeah, I would say adding co-sponsors to the pieces of legislation we're pushing and then if we're missing anything on our end, if you're hearing anything, trying to track down a rumor, you're hearing there may be a vehicle uh, moving, flagging that for us and and letting us know how we can be most helpful in moving it forward. >> That's that's excellent and and well said, Michael. Thank you for that that broader perspective. It's always uh assuring to hear congressional staff really articulate uh what uh our audience sees every day, which is the the such positive impact of of preservation in communities throughout the country. So, um thank you. We know you're a busy guy and uh need to move on to uh your other meetings of the day, but uh you know, on behalf of the National Trust, we just want to thank you and thank Congressman Kerry again for your leadership and we're we're just very excited to continue to work with you and and the office and um you know, thank you for joining us today. No, thank you Sha for the invitation to speak to you all and uh please for any of the uh attendees of the webinar, do not hesitate to uh reach out to our office. We'd love to hear from you. But thank you again and hope everyone has a good rest of their day. >> Thank you, Michael. >> Take care. >> Great. Well, uh now we have uh an important and timely update to to share. Um uh last Friday, July 17th, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation circulated a proposed comprehensive rewrite of the section 106 regulations. Uh and while the council had previously announced its intention to revise the regulations, the proposal was released much sooner than than anticipated and and a vote scheduled on an accelerated timeline that is significantly earlier than than previously indicated. uh but here to share more about the proposed regulations uh their impact on protecting historic and cultural resources uh and the steps that the National Trust is taking uh as a voting member of the council is the trust general counsel Tom Maya. So Tom, thank you for for carving out a few minutes of your day to speak to our audience today about what's happening uh uh at the ACP. Thank you, Shaw. And uh thanks for making time to insert this important piece of information into the webinar. This of course came as a surprise to us, but the advisory council on Friday sent around to the voting members this proposed rewrite of the regulations. I don't think it's possible to overstate how devastating these um proposed changes would be. They essentially eviscerate the section 106 process as we have known it for some time for decades and um and we have already the national trust has already voted no on this. I do want to highlight some of the more dramatic changes that are being proposed. The overall theme is to really shift authority toward the federal agencies so that they are making determinations about what is historic, how much consultation they do, how many people they involve in the process. It dramatically reduces the requirement for consultation and public participation. Let me break that down a little bit. It it leaves the consultation with state historic preservation offices and tribal uh governments largely to the discretion of the federal agency. The same with public participation. As many of you know, the National Trust mission is to facilitate and encourage public participation in historic preservation. And this is a particularly damaging part of these proposed regulations to to essentially cut out the state historic preservation offices, the tribal historic preservation offices, and the public from this consultation. Um, it also limits the project subject to section 106 review in a couple of different ways. Um, it narrows the definition of adverse effects. It eliminates indirect effects and cumulative effects. It also attempts to narrow the definition of what is actually historic. So it essentially tries to change that. So it could only be buildings and could not be some of the landscapes or landscape features that in particular uh tribal people find uh to be part of their cultural heritage. Um and again it makes uh mitigation discretionary rather than expected. So these are really damaging substantial changes to the section 106 process uh being proposed through the regulatory process. If you could go to the next slide please. So there's there's going to be a process here. First, the the advisory council will need to vote on it. That vote will conclude on Friday. That will determine whether they issue these as proposed rulemakings. And then it will go through a process. And we're going to share more about that process uh next week. Uh and the advisory council is going to share more of the specifics of that. But here's some of the things that the National Trust with our partners is doing. We are actively communicating with the preservation community about this. Uh we're coordinating with the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices and with NASPO, the Association of Native uh uh tribal preservation officers. We're also trying to make this information known across the preservation community. You may have seen some news reports on that. and we've been distributingformational materials. We have submitted written comments to the council from the National Trust that summarizes some of these changes and we have registered our no vote against this. Um, and we are scheduling a follow-up webinar that will go into more detail about this uh next uh week on July 30th at 1:00. So look for an announcement about that. All of this information can be found currently on our website at the link that's included and that I think Priya has shared in the chat. So look for more information. I do want to um make sure people are aware of this and have access to the information that can help guide how you might react to it. And I hope you will attend the webinar next week where we'll be able to go into more detail about this. And Shaw, thank you for making time in this webinar so that we could bring this to everyone's attention. >> Thank you, Tom. We re really appreciate your leadership in this and uh the quick action to the trust to um communicate broadly to the preservation community about about these changes. Uh, next slide. Thank you. Um, I did want to remind everybody that the conversation about the National Historic Preservation Act uh, reform isn't happening only at the advisory council level. Congress is also examining section 106 as part of the broader debate over federal permitting reform. Uh many of you will recall that last October the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee held uh what appears to have been its first hearing devoted exclusively to section 106. Uh what that that hearing signaled is a growing congressional interest in um whether the the statute should be amended as as part of future permitting legislation. uh uh we we don't yet have legislative text, so it's too early to know what specific changes Congress may may pursue, but based on that hearing and and reports, uh it does uh uh point to um u certain areas that that are ga gaining attention, including defining the area of potential effect, consultation, uh timelines, how properties are determined to be eligible for the national register. And uh we we also hear about judicial reforms uh that uh that we saw with NEPA that that um are being talked about around NHPA as well. Um at the same time there are encouraging signs that many members of Congress recognize the importance of preserving meaningful section 106 process. Uh just yesterday, Senators Hinrich, Widen, Canwell, Herono, King, Cortez, Masto, Hickinlooper, and uh Padilla, and GGO uh issued a statement urging the ACP to reconsider its proposed regulations and develop an approach that uh does not undermine the rights and voices of the communities most affected by federal undertakings. uh that was within just a few days of those regulations uh emerging. So um encouraging to see that that response from from uh from Congress. I'll just final note that you know this is a rapidly evolving issue and we expect uh developments in both Congress and the ACP over the coming weeks. So, we will be following both very closely and I hope you will join us uh next week for the webinar that Tom referenced uh where we'll have an opportunity to provide uh even more detailed updates. With that, I will turn it over to my colleague Lauren for uh a few of our other major uh legislative priorities. >> Great. Thank you. Good afternoon, everyone. It's good to be with you. I'm going to spend a few minutes giving you an update on two areas that many of you uh are watching just as closely as we are. Uh federal appropriations for historic preservation programs and where things stand with the federal historic tax credit advocacy. So, I'll start with appropriations. Uh Congress is now in the midst of the fiscal year 2027 appropriations process. The House has released its proposed funding levels for the Historic Preservation Fund, for the ACP, and other items. Um, but we're still waiting for the Senate to unveil its version of the bill. So, for context, the current enacted funding for the Historic Preservation Fund for fiscal year 2026, which is what we're in now, is uh just over $181 million. The House proposal for fiscal year 2027, as you can see on the screen, would provide uh $163.65 million. Um that also includes a one-year extension for the authorization of the historic preservation fund. Um so, you know, you'll you'll note that there is a discrepancy, a difference in the enacted number for 26 and the proposed house number for fiscal year 2027. So, at first glance, those numbers are certainly um a little bit disappointing to see a difference there, but you know, we all want to see continued investment in the historic preservation fund, but I think it's important to put these numbers into context. Our reading of the House proposal is that it isn't a reflection of diminished congressional support for the historic preservation fund or our work uh generally. um but rather it's a product of the very difficult fiscal environment that appropriators are working in uh for this uh fiscal year's work. Um appropriators are under significant pressure to reduce discretionary spending across much of the federal government and nearly every program within the interior bill is facing those same headwinds that we're seeing for preservation or even worse. Um additionally I I'll note that the current enacted number of $181 million. Also includes over $15 million in congressionally directed spending. Um, which the proposed House number does not include. The congressionally directed spending dollars only come from the Senate side. Um, so we'll see those things added in later. But adding to the uncertainty is the fact that we're quickly approaching the end of this fiscal year. The current government funding expires on September 30th. Um, and just yesterday, the House passed a continuing resolution that would keep the government funded through December 4th, allowing them to avoid the threat of shutdown right before the October recess and the November election. Um, however, Senate Majority Leader uh John Thun has already indicated that the Senate will pursue its own approach rather than simply taking up this House passed bill. So at the moment there's no there's still considerable uncertainty about exactly how Congress will avoid a shutdown um or you know brinksmanship and how the process will intersect with negotiations over fiscal year 2027 appropriations. Um like I said the Senate has yet to release its interior bill but once it does there will still be negotiations um before Congress reaches its final funding agreement. So, while the House numbers are an important marker, they are nowhere near the final word for what we're going to see for fiscal year 2027 funding. Uh, so there's still a lot of meaningful work to do. Um, and the same is true for the historic tax credit where our focus right now is on building support before Congress takes up its next major tax package. The historic tax credit continues to enjoy broad bipartisan support as we've already heard in this webinar and um we've seen encouraging momentum over the past several months. This summer in fact we've seen a steady increase in bipartisan biccameal co-sponsorship for the historic tax credit growth and opportunity act. um new senators to sign on as co-sponsors just since uh last month in June include um include several more to and that includes Senator Shelley Morapo of West Virginia, um Senator Angela Alsbrooks of Maryland, Senator Jim Justice of West Virginia, and Senator Sheldon White House of Rhode Island. So if you are from West Virginia, Maryland, or Rhode Island, great job on your advocacy getting your senators signed on for their support for the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act. So that's a really encouraging sign because it demonstrates that support for strengthening the credit continues to grow in both chambers and on both sides of the aisle. At the same time, we're also being realistic about the legislative landscape. Right now, Congress is unlikely to move a standalone historic tax credit bill. So instead, our focus is on positioning HTC GO for inclusion in the next major tax package. Whether that's another reconciliation bill, which would be solely Republicanled and crafted, or a broader, more bipartisan tax measure. Exactly what the legislative vehicle looks like and when it emerges will likely become much clearer after the November elections. Uh the outcome of those elections will shape not only the makeup of Congress but also the legislative priorities heading into the next session of Congress when it convenes in January of next year. In the meantime, our strategy is very straightforward. Continue building bipartisan support so that when Congress turns to tax legislation, the historic tax credit is well positioned to be part of that conversation. The more members of Congress hear those success stories from their own states and districts, the stronger our position becomes when tax negotiations begin. And I will stop there and pass it to my colleague Pam Bowman. >> Thank you, Lauren. And hi, everyone. We appreciate you joining us this afternoon. For the next 10 minutes, you're going to hear brief summaries of nine preservation topics. And we have limited time today, so these will not be covered in depth. Instead, a series of links are going to be added to the chat for places where you can find more information. And we'll be sharing those resources with uh all of you following the presentation. And before I begin, I just want to say a very big thank you to all of you who are engaged with these efforts. Your voice has really mattered and your advocacy on behalf of these historic places and programs is critical to their preservation and continued success. I'll start first with Bears Ears. On July 13th, President Trump issued a new proclamation to once again dramatically reduce the boundaries of Beer's National Monument. The Bearsier's cultural landscape in southeast Utah includes archaeological sites, cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and ancient roads that tell the stories of diverse people over the course of 12,000 years. And it's one of the most significant cultural landscapes on the continent. This action would eliminate more than 90% of the monument, a reduction even larger than the 2017 proclamation. It removes protections for more than a million acres and leaves thousands of extraordinary sites vulnerable to looting and vandalism while opening up formerly protected land to mining, oil, and gas drilling and infrastructure development. The proclamation also terminates the Bears Ears Commission comprised of tribal nations that have helped guide stewardship efforts at the monument. The links we're sharing in the chat provide a history of the Bears Ears National Monument and preservation efforts by tribes, organizations, and communities. And the National Trust will be working to oppose this revocation in collaboration with our coalition of partners, and we'll be sharing updates on that effort in the near future. Another culturally significant landscape facing considerable threat is the greater Choco cultural landscape. And this situation is particularly time-sensitive and we need to make our voices heard. This landscape includes Choco Canyon in New Mexico, which was designated as the Choco Culture National Historical Park and as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The landscape has been sustained by PBLO people for over a millennium and remains an ancestral homeland and place of ongoing cultural and ceremonial importance for multiple tribal nations. In 2019, a 10mi buffer zone was created between the park site and oil and gas drilling to preserve and protect cultural resources. And now that protection is at risk and for the second time, the National Trust included Choco on its annual list of America's 11 most endangered historic places in May earlier this year. In April, the Department of the Interior held a very brief 7-day comment period on a proposal to revoke the public order that created that important zone where the National Trust and many others submitted public comments. And now, the Bureau of Land Management will prepare an environmental assessment and has proposed revoking protections for approximately 336,000 acres located within a radius of 10 miles surrounding the National Historical Park. The BLM has opened up a 14-day comment period which closes on July 29th at midnight mountain time. The links in the chat will direct you to resources that can help with your comments, including our April comment letter and a link to the BLM website to enter your submission. The National Trust will again be submitting comments and we'll post them when available. And please also use our advocacy action to tell your members of Congress to support Choco. I also wanted to share a brief update on another one of our 2026 11 most endangered historic places sites, which is the Tuli Lake Segregation Center in California. During World War II, this center served as a maximum security prison for Japanese Americans who protested race-based incarceration. The site tells the story of the resilience of thousands of Japanese Americans who exercise their rights to protest and resist discrimination, incarceration, family separation, and direct attacks on their citizenship and human rights. A rural airfield now occupies about 350 acres at the heart of the former incarceration campsite. And the Federal Aviation Authority and Modoc County are seeking to expand the airfield runway, including the construction of a 3m long, 8 to 10 foot high security fence, which could permanently alter the setting, viewshed, and archaeological integrity of Tuli Lake. supporters, survivors, and descendants are expecting the announcement of a public comment period in August. And we'll share more details about that timing as soon as that information is available. But in the meantime, Congress needs to hear from you, particularly if you live in California or Washington State. So, please utilize our advocacy action and ask your members of Congress to support Tulle Lake. Uh, next slide, please. Yesterday, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks held a 25 bill hearing to consider testimony and views on those pieces of legislation. We're including a link in the chat to a recording of the live stream and the full list of the bills that were addressed yesterday. Many of you may be engaged on several of these bills, but I did want to highlight just a few that we're following closely and where uh we could use some additional advocacy. The list of the bills yesterday included uh Route 66 um designating it as a national historic trail and what better 100th birthday present during this centennial year to secure that designation. Uh we hope you'll join us with continuing to support this effort. Also on that list was new legislation with multiple provisions that would, among other things, preserve a select group of Rosenwald schools, establish a Rosenwald schools network, and commemorate the life and legacy of Julius Rosenwald and the partnership with Booker T. Washington and thousands of communities. The subcommittee hearing also included discussion of the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act, which would reauthorize the American Battlefield Protection Programs Grant Program and continue this critical investment for battlefield preservation through 2035. And also on the list, um, a bill that Congressman K's staff mentioned earlier is the newly introduced bipartisan and biccameal legislation to reauthorize the African-American Civil Rights Network. This bill would enable the continuation of a popular National Park Service program for a national network of sites, activities, and research that commemorate, honor, and interpret the history of the modern civil rights movement. During that hearing, we heard positive reaction from both the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee to several bills, including Route 66 and the African-American Civil Rights Network bill. The National Park Service also testified, and you can find their views um in the witness testimony uh that Priya has linked to in the chat from the live stream uh website. And on the Senate side, the next step in this legislative process will typically be a full committee hearing. We are going to continue our advocacy and engagement as we are urging Congress to take action on these bills before the end of the year. Uh there are now several um resources in the chat including advocacy actions for all of you to join that legislative push in the coming weeks and months. Um next slide please. And we have two more updates on congressional activity this summer. First is a legislative effort to address the deferred maintenance backlog at the National Park Service and other federal agencies. In 2020, enactment of the Great American Outdoors Act established the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund with an investment of 1.9 billion per year over 5 years to address the deferred maintenance backlog that in many cases impacts historic assets and structures. It was a critical investment in our national parks and public lands, but many projects were unable to be addressed by that 5-year fund, and the National uh National Park Services maintenance backlog uh remains at a very high amount, over 20 billion. Congress is pursuing bipartisan legislation that calls for an extension of this fund with billions in additional investments. The effort has proved so popular, it is now overwhelmingly supported in Congress and has attracted the support of 68 senators and 219 representatives. And just yesterday at the subcommittee hearing I mentioned, the chairman Danes reiterated his support for the legislation and his hopes that it'll come to the Senate floor before the end of the year. And finally, um, we wanted to call your attention to last week's introduction of the Preserve Act in the House, which was introduced by Representatives Titus from Nevada and Dogget from Texas. Since the General Services Administration was established in the late 1940s, it has stewarded one of the oldest and largest public art collections in the United States. Many pieces were commissioned under the New Deal programs and art embedded in the walls of historic buildings often cannot be transported or removed. The bill would require the GSA to, among other things, convene a committee of experts to develop a plan to preserve that publicly commissioned artwork for any buildings included in the in the federal building disposal process. And the legislation emphasizes the importance of ensuring that the artwork is accessible to the public. The National Trust has endorsed this legislation and we hope Congress will ensure passage of this um as soon as possible. And I will wrap up there and turn it to uh my colleague Lauren. >> Great. Thank you, Pam. Uh well, before we get to your questions, um I want to leave you with a few important dates and opportunities to keep on your radar over the coming months. So, first, Congress will be in recess for uh August and again in October. So, while that means that lawmakers are away from Washington, it's actually a great time to engage with them. During recess, members of Congress are back in their home states and in their home districts, uh meaning that constituents can um visit with them and visit with them in their local communities. So, if you've been thinking about inviting your uh US representative or or your US senator to tour a preservation project, visit a historic downtown or see firsthand how federal preservation programs are making a difference. This is your opportunity. Uh you've got you've got two months uh coming up again, August and October. Um, we all know that there's really just no substitute for seeing preservation in action, and these visits can be incredibly valuable in helping members of Congress understand why these programs matter. Also, looking ahead, election day is Tuesday, November 3rd. Uh, campaign season will certainly be in full swing, but our advocacy doesn't stop when the votes are counted. After the election, Congress uh returns for what's known as a lame duck session, which runs from November into early January before the next Congress is sworn in. This is often one of the busiest times of the legislative year during an election year as lawmakers work to wrap up unfinished business, including funding decisions, as I mentioned earlier, and other major policy priorities before the next Congress begins. We'll be keeping a close eye on developments and sharing opportunities for you to weigh in when your voice can make the greatest impact. So, be on the lookout for that and make sure you're signed up for our emails. Um, also I want to share as well that I hope you'll all join us in some capacity for the National Preservation Summit, which is September 22nd through 24th in Washington DC. The summit will also be livereamed, making it easy to participate from wherever you are. So, uh, just going through the three days of the summit. We'll kick things off on Tuesday evening with our welcome reception and the National Trust's annual preservation awards at the Washington National Cathedral. This will be a chance to celebrate extraordinary preservation achievements from across the country. On Wednesday, we'll spend the day uh back at the National Cathedral exploring how historic places are helping communities tackle today's biggest challenges. We'll hear from leaders in preservation, in government, business, and the arts as they discuss topics like adaptive reuse, historic tax credits, energy efficient rehabilitation, and new ways for interpreting America's history to make sure that we're telling the full American story. Then on Thursday, we'll take that wonderful conversation and everything we've talked about today and go to Capitol Hill for an advocacy day. This will be your chance to meet directly with members of Congress and their staff. Staff like we heard from earlier uh to help make the case for these incredibly important um preservation programs and priorities. Um so registration for the summit will open soon. I believe a link is being dropped in the chat where you can learn more about it. So keep an eye out for that. Um, but we do hope that you'll uh be able to participate in some capacity and you know, we'll be bringing all of the topics we brought today or we talked about today and potentially even more to Capitol Hill u on September 24th for that advocacy day. So, we would love to have your voices um heard and represented on that day. Um but also we want to make sure that you're connecting with your members of Congress throughout the year. This is about building relationships um with those uh who have been elected to represent you and with their staff. Oftentimes staff offer excellent connections to what's going on in the office and back home in the district. Um so we want to make sure we're building those connections. And now I think we will go over to question and answer. >> Great. Thank you Lauren. Um, we have a number of questions coming in. Um, I am not sure how long we have our general counsel on, so I'd like to focus uh questions directed uh uh primarily to him. One question, Tom, uh, was information shared with the trust as to the authorship of the proposed uh, regulatory changes? Uh we don't know who actually wrote the proposed changes. Um but I did press that question on the acting chair this morning and he um answered it by saying that the changes came from hidden. >> Thank you for for that. U a follow-up question. Um, how might the ACP vote influence uh the type of changes that Congress might look to enact as part of their reform efforts? Um, and before I turn that over to you, Tom, I would just note um that uh Senator Heinrich in in commenting to um uh press today noted that it it has not been helpful to have the ACP regulations uh uh introduced for for those negotiating uh the congressional package. Uh it complicates that. Um so uh but um I I think u there is some question as to um you know whether Congress will look to these regulations for for thoughts uh and ideas. I think that's entirely possible. But um Tom, do you want to respond to that yourself? Well, uh, Sean, I was going to push the question back to you, and I think you've already answered it. Um, but I'll I'll add this point. Uh, Congressman Heinrich also emphasized that, um, that throwing the baby out with the bathwater is not the way to do this. that that consultation is still important and trying to eliminate the consultation with the state historic preservation officers and the tribal historic preservation officers is going too far. Uh, this question looks like a good one for Pam. Um, a question about the African-American Burial Grounds Preservation Act. Um could you give an update as to where that stands? >> Thanks Shaw. Um we don't um currently have an update on that piece. As many of you know there's been um uh ups and downs with some of the appropriations levels for these programs and there's an effort to try to uh reinstate that program and get that appropriation. Um and that did not happen during this cycle. Um it certainly continues to be a priority for our organization and others and it's something we'll be sharing more information um as soon as as we know what the next step is from our congressional champions. >> Thank you Pam. >> Um great um question about um looking beyond the current legislative session. What trends do you think will continue uh shaping preservation policy over the next year? Um, I I might just jump in before turning over to colleagues that um what we we recently saw Congress enact housing legislation, a broad uh broadly supported housing package that was largely focused on um uh HUD uh agency programs. uh a number of which were um were positive and and included rehabilitation of of uh both homes and um abandoned uh properties. there were provisions in there that um would would uh enhance the the HUD's RAD program, which is an instrumental piece for how historic tax credit financing pulls together both uh low-income housing tax credits and and historic tax credits. So, a number of positives, but I suspect that once we see uh that housing uh bill implemented that that there will be follow on uh uh interest in in housing. So, that that certainly uh I think will continue just given the broad bipartisan focus on that uh going forward. That's that's one piece. Perhaps my colleagues have other other uh points they want to make. >> Yeah, I mean I would I just wanted to add how motivating and accurate um Michael's comments were at the top of this webinar about just how bipartisan um some of these issues are on Capitol Hill and how much support we've generated for legislation and other efforts um on both sides of the aisle. Uh this has been true for a very long time. We've have a lot of bright spots right now with um new members of Congress um joining in support of legislation and some of the other national trust priorities. And we can see by these bills advancing through committee and attracting this support that um historic preservation really is popular. It's important to people in every state and district across the country. And really, it's based on all of the work you all are doing um to advocate for these important places. Um and thank you for all the collaboration um for these um projects we've discussed today. >> Yeah, I I absolutely agree, Pam. We we hear time and again that um historic preservation is this is this bright spot of uh bipartisanship in a um in an environment that is increasingly not feeling bipartisan. I think a lot of um you know news headlines and and things that we're u we're reading and all consuming um speak to a lot of uh partisanship but but um historic preservation really is an outlier there and you know we're seeing um freshman members of Congress those who are kind of in their first term uh becoming interested and becoming champions and u but we're also seeing um some you know members of Congress and senators who have been in for a while who are firsttime co-sponsors on pieces of legislation like uh HTC GO that have been around for a while. So, you know, our our message is is permeating in I think a really fresh and important way. Um, and so I just, yeah, I want to encourage all of you who, um, I'm seeing so many people in the chat that I have personally have done advocacy visits with. Um, and just encourage you to continue to do those those visits, um, virtual visits, site visits, coming to Washington. Um, it all really matters. It all stacks up. >> Right. Well, thank you. I We're going to have to conclude our Q&A uh, section here. There are a few remaining slides we wanted to to focus on, but uh the government relations team will be doing another webinar in September on advocacy uh priorities ahead of the uh September 24th advocacy day. So, uh be sure to jump on that whether you're coming to uh the summit or not. Uh it's an opportunity to to uh uh hear again about the key priorities that we'll be talking about. uh that day and uh another opportunity for Q&A. Uh so here we just wanted to flag the upcoming webinars uh in in a couple days we'll do mapping heritage tech tools for preservation planning in partnership with the American Planning Association. uh as Tom flagged earlier uh the section 106 regulations under threat webinar at one o'clock on July 30th uh and in August implementing heritageinformed decarbonization policies uh and you can find all this information at savingplaces.org upcoming webinars. Next slide please. Uh and also uh save the date uh October 19th uh the uh our legal department will again be hosting the national preservation law conference which uh will also be online but a very interesting and in-depth look at um u preservation law and legal advocacy. So mark your calendars for that. Uh I see that we are over time. We want to thank you all again for joining today and uh engaging and we look forward to working with you all uh going forward. Thank you for joining today. Hope to see you all soon.