Obama's Budget Would Wipe Out Preservation Grant Program

Historical institutions are at risk right here in Pennsylvania - but according to President Obama's FY 2011 budget proposal, a federal grant program created to preserve historical sites all across America may soon become history.

The $30-million-a-year Save America's Treasures program, started under President Clinton and overseen by the nonprofit National Trust for Historic Preservation, is zeroed out in President Obama's spending plan.  The program has paid out nearly $294 million over the past decade to more than 1,100 different sites and generated at least $377 million more in matching funds, according to the National Trust.  

Notable historical items or sites funded through the program include the original star-spangled banner, Rosa Parks' bus, and President Lincoln's summer cottage in Washington.

The program has been under fire from critics for some time, saying it has become a repository for questionable Congressional earmarks. According to the Office of Management and Budget, much of its spending is done "without using merit-based criteria.".  

The National Park Service, who has administered the program, claims that the Interiror Department is simply facing a tight budget and wants to use the funds towards priorities in the national parks, which face a $9 billion deficit.  Advocates claim that the program is essential for leveraging private support, and is an economic engine for the communities which are home to these historical sites.  

The Cultural Alliance will continue to keep you up to date on this issue as the federal budget process progresses.