The Historic Preservation Fund is under direct threat and Congress needs to hear from you! Despite Congress appropriating funds for the HPF in March, funding has not been released. This provides funding for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (S/THPOs), and competitive grant programs. These funds are critical for SHPOs and THPOs to carry out their federally mandated duties.
The delay’s impact continues to grow more dire as multiple SHPOs have now been forced lay off staff. This means National Register nominations, Determinations of Eligibility, Federal Agency consultation, Section 106 review, and Historic Tax Credit projects are all at risk of slowing down or ending entirely. This puts historic places at risk and threatens to halt preservation projects nationwide.
Further compounding the immediate threat, President Trump’s proposed FY26 budget nearly eliminates the HPF entirely. As we prepare to recognize the 250th anniversary of the nation in 2026, we should be recommitting to preserving the places that tell America’s story- this proposal does the opposite.
We need your help!
Congress needs to hear from preservation advocates! We urge you to keep up your advocacy and reach out to your members of Congress .Ask them to:
- Help facilitate the immediate disbursement of congressionally-approved FY25 Historic Preservation Fund funding.
- Support necessary and robust funding for the Historic Preservation Fund in FY26.
If you have a contact in your Representative or Senator’s office, use the sample letter and one-pager to reach out to them directly. If you need any help finding staff contacts, feel free to reach out to Rob Naylor at Preservation Action (rnaylor@preservationaction.org).
We’ve also made it easy for you to take action! Easily personalize and send a letter to your members of Congress today! Please also share this alert with your networks.
Additional Resources:
NCSHPO: Historic Preservation Under Threat
Coalition Letter to Secretary Burgum on HPF Funding Delay