1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

As a constituent and a cultural resources management professional, I am writing to urge you to support the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). For more than 40 years, the HPF has enabled the preservation and rehabilitation of historic buildings and archaeological sites in our state and across the country. It provides essential funding for state and Tribal historic preservation offices (S/THPOs), which are required by federal law to help protect historic places. These offices make sure that rehabilitation projects backed by the federal Historic Tax Credit move forward. They ensure that cultural resource reviews for critical infrastructure projects happen in a timely manner, helping communities get shovels in the ground faster. And they inventory the thousands of places that help tell the story of America. The HPF does not cost taxpayers a single dime; its money comes from royalties from offshore drilling royalties. The HPF also supports competitive grant programs that make sure that communities from coast to coast can protect and celebrate the places that make them unique. This year we saw first-hand how a lack of funding endangers preservation efforts around the country. A delay in the distribution of FY2025 HPF funding caused one SHPO to lay off staff and forced many others to begin the process of cutting their workforce. Thankfully distribution of those funds is now moving ahead, but the delay demonstrated the essential need for the federal government to support state and Tribal preservation efforts. Furthermore, the authorization for depositing funds into the HPF from offshore royalties expired last year. Without renewal of this authorization, the HPF will lose its ability to support state and Tribal preservation efforts. As the nation prepares to commemorate its 250th anniversary next year, it is more important than ever that we make certain that communities are able to record and preserve our country’s history.