Latest news with #HistoricPreservationFund
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Millions in federal funding for history preservation in jeopardy due to budget cuts
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Preserving history in Oklahoma and across the United States could be at risk due to federal budget cuts. Without the millions in funding, projects restoring and maintaining pieces of state history may be on the chopping block. In President Trump's proposed budget, the Historic Preservation Fund is eliminated. Lynda Ozan, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, says their agency could run out of money by late summer, putting a stop to their efforts. 'We are currently operating on our fiscal year 24 money, which will run out soon. Our fiscal year 25 money should have been released in October of last year,' said Ozan. Oklahoma City: The pinnacle of the sports world Oklahomans working in the agency are also at risk of losing their jobs due to layoffs. Ozan says preserving history is a big part of economic development, as older buildings and historical artifacts are restored over generations. 'Things from road construction to cell tower installations, and then our big tax credit programs like First National or even Price Tower up in Bartlesville that was just purchased, those are going to need our staff to help them through that process,' said Ozan. 'And then, just regular things that we do with our community, whether it's education with children or community outreach through our Main Street program here in Oklahoma to help revitalize downtowns.' Oklahomans are now encouraged to act. 'They need to reach out to their elected officials, whether that is at the local level or all the way up to Washington, D.C.,' Ozan said. Ozan provided an example on one of the ways we see history preserved in Oklahoma, using the mother road, known as Route 66. 'We're coming up on a major anniversary for Route 66. All those small communities are going to see influx of people. We've done a lot of history in these communities that people will now be experiencing because we've helped them do that,' Ozan said. Ozan also recommends asking local lawmakers to walk through the historic buildings in a specific community to show them why they're important. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia preservation society says federal cuts hurt efforts to preserve historic sites
The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation has worked to keep the state's historic structures in good shape and protected from the damages of time since 1973. However, the organization said Thursday that federal funding cuts, including funds allocated to them that are being withheld due to changes in Washington, are putting their mission at risk. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] 'Recent developments at the federal level of government present a direct threat to historic preservation and require us all, as advocates for historic places, to speak up,' the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said in a statement. The organization said the 'critical federal funding' that keeps their historic preservation efforts going in Georgia has not yet been distributed for the 2025 fiscal year. TRENDING STORIES: Historic railway museum in Duluth named to Places in Peril list Historic Georgia sites named to 2025 'Places in Peril' list Historic McAfee House sold in Cobb County for $1, plans to move home for preservation proceed Groups tour historic theatres across north Georgia Georgia Trust sells 103-year-old Gwinnett Co. library to City of Norcross for preservation Additionally, and in their words 'even more troubling,' was that the funding is almost 'completely eliminated' in the 2026 fiscal budget in Washington. That's because the latest federal budget would almost completely remove the Historic Preservation Fund, a federal program that assists state-level and local preservation work. The organization said it puts Georgia's historic sites in jeopardy. 'The administration's failure to release the 2025 Historic Preservation Fund and its proposal to nearly eliminate this critical funding in 2026 will have catastrophic consequences for historic preservation efforts nationwide,' W. Wright Mitchell, president of the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, said. Mitchell said the funds being withheld also meant that state historic preservation offices could end up closing down, adding that 'the damage from these actions could take decades to repair.' The Historic Preservation Fund was first created in 1966 through the National Historic Preservation Act. The legislation was signed into law by former President Lyndon B. Johnson. The fund is what is used to administer the National Register of Historic Places, issue Historic Tax Credits for reinvestment and, among other functions, provide technical assistance, reviews and approval of federal tax credit projects. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation said this type of funding helps to incentivize private investment in historic communities across the state, as well as lead to investments that create jobs, both directly and indirectly. 'The continued withholding of appropriated funds and the proposed elimination of future funding will be detrimental to all historic preservation efforts in the state,' the organization said. Channel 2 Action News has reached out to the White House for comment and are waiting for their response. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Nahar Net
06-05-2025
- Business
- Nahar Net
What Trump's budget cuts could mean for the environment
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours President Donald Trump's first 100 days included a wide range of attacks on environmental and climate initiatives. His proposed budget does the same. The document released Friday looks to curtail or cut billions of dollars for everything from drinking water, clean energy and weather satellites to national parks, emergency management and environmental justice, to name a few. That aligns with Trump's aggressive targeting of climate policy and crackdown on diversity initiatives as he pushes fossil fuel investment. Federal agencies are racing to bolster coal power and oil and gas while blocking renewable energy sources, rolling back landmark water and air regulations and attacking scientists in federal weather work tied to climate research. The much-anticipated plan will define the Republican president's second term, but it's important to note that Congress will ultimately decide the spending plans. This skinny budget is a proposal, often considered a statement of the administration's values. It includes topline numbers only, regarding discretionary spending. A more detailed budget is expected soon. Here's a look at some of the environmental and climate funding at risk: Clean water The proposed budget looks to slash $2.46 billion in Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds. The clean water funds, through federal-state partnerships, give low-cost financing to communities for water quality infrastructure including municipal wastewater facilities, decentralized wastewater treatment systems and more. The drinking water funds provide money to states and water systems to help them align with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The plan says states should be responsible for funding their own water infrastructure projects, but would provide a decreased amount, $305 million total, to give states time to adjust. National Parks The administration is targeting $1.2 billion in spending cuts to the National Park Service's operations, construction, its Historic Preservation Fund, and National Recreation and Preservation grants. The budget said the reason for the cuts is because parks get "duplicative" state, local and private sector support. The Service has been the subject of an aggressive downsizing effort, which could impact park hours, safety and upkeep. Millions of tourists are expected to visit national parks this summer. Severe weather reporting and resources The weather, oceans and fisheries agency — the parent agency to the National Weather Service — has been the subject of massive Department of Government Efficiency layoffs, impacting its crucial observations and forecasts. The proposal outlines $1.5 billion in cuts to what it calls "climate-dominated" NOAA operations, research and grants, plus infrastructure and satellites. It says these are not aligned with the administration ending the Green New Deal, referring to the Democrats' moonshot plan to combat climate change and shift away from fossil fuels. The budget says NOAA's educational grant programs have, for instance, "funded efforts to radicalize students against markets and spread environmental alarm." Environmental justice While environmental justice was touted under the previous administration, the Trump administration has moved to reverse those policies as part of its broader shift from DEI. Friday's proposal said it would remove $100 million in "taxpayer funded programs that promote divisive racial discrimination and environmental justice grants that were destined to go to organizations that advance radical ideologies." Trump cut White House advisors who worked to ensure the federal government helped communities in heavily-polluted areas, and eliminated Biden's "Justice40" initiative that required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to those communities. The Department of Transportation also rescinded Biden-era memos that called on state agencies to factor social and environmental justice into infrastructure decisions. Communities near heavy industry, ports and highways are often made up largely of Black, Latino and low-income Americans. Biden's infrastructure law The budget proposal seeks to repeal more than $15 billion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, named the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021. The Biden administration's law looked to spur domestic manufacturing, improve roads, bridges and ports, fund cleaner drinking water and other programs. Among other things, canceling the spending — which it calls the "Green New Scam" — would impact key electric vehicle tax credits that have helped boost electric vehicle uptake in the U.S. Removing 'equity' from FEMA money The budget proposes $646 million in cuts to Non-Disaster Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs. FEMA is intended to provide disaster response and recovery support for states and communities impacted by storms, wildfires, floods and more. Trump has been critical of the agency, which helps fund debris removal, rebuilding efforts and first responder expenses. FEMA has already been politicized in the administration's first 100 days; for example, its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program was ended, and the agency's acting director canceled $188 million in grants to New York City, finding the money inconsistent with Trump administration priorities. The budget says "FEMA under the previous administration made 'equity' a top priority for emergency relief and declared that DEI was mandatory," referring to diversity, equity and inclusion. The budget looks to reduce these programs that it calls "wasteful and woke."
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump proposes cutting funds for national parks, turning some over to states. See Florida sites
President Trump's budget blueprint calls for $163 billion in spending cuts to non-military programs, including $1.2 billion for national parks, monuments, historic sites, seashores and trails. That's about 25% of the park service's budget of $4.8 billion. The 2026 budget plan also proposes turning some national park sites over to states, removing them from the National Park System. The proposal quickly came under fire. 'This is the most extreme, unrealistic and destructive National Park Service budget a President has ever proposed in the agency's 109-year history," said Theresa Pierno, president and CEO of the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonprofit advocacy group. A letter from the president's Office of Management and Budget to the Committee on Appropriations outlined Trump's recommendations on "discretionary funding levels" for fiscal year 2026. "The recommended funding levels result from a rigorous, line-by-line review of FY 2025 spending, which was found to be laden with spending contrary to the needs of ordinary working Americans and tilted toward funding niche non-governmental organizations and institutions of higher education committed to radical gender and climate ideologies antithetical to the American way of life. "We also considered, for each program, whether the governmental service provided could be provided better by State or local governments (if provided at all). Just as the Federal Government has intruded on matters best left to American families, it has intruded on matters best left to the levels of government closest to the people, who understand and respect the needs and desires of their communities far better than the Federal Government ever could." That was the case in the proposal when it came to the National Park Service. "The National Park Service responsibilities include a large number of sites that are not 'National Parks,' in the traditionally understood sense, many of which receive small numbers of mostly local visitors, and are better categorized and managed as State-level parks. "The Budget would continue supporting many national treasures, but there is an urgent need to streamline staffing and transfer certain properties to State-level management to ensure the long-term health and sustainmentof the National Park system." The budget plan suggests a cut of $900 million in fiscal year 2026 for park operations. More cuts proposed by Trump: National Park Service's Historic The plan recommended a $158 million cut in the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund, saying, "Many historic preservation projects have matching funds from State, local, and private sources, rendering the Historic Preservation Fund highly duplicative. Further, the projects are often of local, rather than national, significance." National Park Service Construction: "The Biden Administration wasted Federal funding on construction projects at sites that are more appropriately managed at the local level. This reduction (of $73 million) complements the Administration's goals of federalism and transferring smaller, lesser visited parks to State and tribal governments. At the same time, the Budget allows NPS to prioritize larger projects at the Nation's crown jewel parks." National Park Service : "Many National Recreation and Preservation grants are already supported by State, local, and private sector efforts, including large amounts of mandatory funding through the Land and Water Conservation Fund Stateside Grants. Further, these projects are not directly tied to maintaining national parks or public lands." The recommended cut was $77 million. "Cuts of this magnitude would devastate our national parks, further pushing them into a financial hole," the National Park and Conservation Association posted on its website. "For generations, Americans have believed that some places are so special that they should be protected for all time, and for all to experience. Any effort to hand many of these sites over to the states is a betrayal, and the American people won't stand for it," Pierno said. According to the National Park Service, there are 433 national park sites in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam. Sixty-three of the sites have national park as part of their name. According to the National Park Service, there are 11 national park sites in Florida: Big Cypress National Preserve Biscayne National Park Canaveral National Seashore Castillo de San Marcos National Monument De Soto National Memorial Dry Tortugas National Park Everglades National Park Fort Caroline National Memorial Fort Matanzas National Monument Gulf Islands National Seashore Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve ➤ See all 11 national park sites in Florida According to Smithsonian Magazine, two Florida parks made the list for the most and least visited in 2024. The top 10 most-visited National Park Service sites in 2024 were: Golden Gate National Recreation Area (17,187,508 visits) Blue Ridge Parkway (16,733,639 visits) Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12,191,834 visits) Gateway National Recreation Area (8,929,035 visits) The Lincoln Memorial (8,479,349 visits) Gulf Islands National Seashore (7,801,176 visits) Natchez Trace Parkway (7,364,833 visits) George Washington Memorial Parkway (6,782,717 visits) Lake Mead National Recreation Area (6,412,854 visits) Vietnam Veterans Memorial (5,295,711 visits) The 10 least-visited National Park Service sites in 2024 were: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (11,907 visits) North Cascades National Park (16,485 visits) Kobuk Valley National Park (17,233 visits) Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (18,505 visits) National Park of American Samoa (22,567 visits) Isle Royale National Park (28,806 visits) Katmai National Park and Preserve (36,230 visits) Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (81,670 visits) Dry Tortugas National Park (84,873 visits) Great Basin National Park (152,068 visits) There are 20 different national park types that fall under the protection of the National Park Service. They are: National Monuments: 87 National Historical sites: 76 National Historical Parks: 63 National Parks: 63 National Memorials: 31 National Preserves: 19 National Recreation Areas: 18 National battlefields: 11 National Seashores: 10 National Wild and Scenic Rivers and Riverways: 10 Other designations: 10 National Military Parks: 9 National Scenic Trails: 6 National Battlefield Parks: 4 National Parkways: 4 National Rivers: 4 National Lakeshores: 3 National Reserves: 2 National Battlefield Site: 1 International Historic Sites: 1 Contributing: Dinah Volyes Pulver, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on Florida Today: National parks US, Florida. Trump plan cuts budget, state transfer
03-05-2025
- Business
What Trump's budget cuts could mean for the environment
President Donald Trump's first 100 days included a wide range of attacks on environmental and climate initiatives. His proposed budget does the same. The document released Friday looks to curtail or cut billions of dollars for everything from drinking water, clean energy and weather satellites to national parks, emergency management and environmental justice, to name a few. That aligns with Trump's aggressive targeting of climate policy and crackdown on diversity initiatives as he pushes fossil fuel investment. Federal agencies are racing to bolster coal power and oil and gas while blocking renewable energy sources, rolling back landmark water and air regulations and attacking scientists in federal weather work tied to climate research. The much-anticipated plan will define the Republican president's second term, but it's important to note that Congress will ultimately decide the spending plans. This skinny budget is a proposal, often considered a statement of the administration's values. It includes topline numbers only, regarding discretionary spending. A more detailed budget is expected soon. Here's a look at some of the environmental and climate funding at risk: The proposed budget looks to slash $2.46 billion in Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds. The clean water funds, through federal-state partnerships, give low-cost financing to communities for water quality infrastructure including municipal wastewater facilities, decentralized wastewater treatment systems and more. The drinking water funds provide money to states and water systems to help them align with the Safe Drinking Water Act. The plan says states should be responsible for funding their own water infrastructure projects, but would provide a decreased amount, $305 million total, to give states time to adjust. The administration is targeting $1.2 billion in spending cuts to the National Park Service's operations, construction, its Historic Preservation Fund, and National Recreation and Preservation grants. The budget said the reason for the cuts is because parks get 'duplicative' state, local and private sector support. The Service has been the subject of an aggressive downsizing effort, which could impact park hours, safety and upkeep. Millions of tourists are expected to visit national parks this summer. The weather, oceans and fisheries agency — the parent agency to the National Weather Service — has been the subject of massive Department of Government Efficiency layoffs, impacting its crucial observations and forecasts. The proposal outlines $1.5 billion in cuts to what it calls 'climate-dominated' NOAA operations, research and grants, plus infrastructure and satellites. It says these are not aligned with the administration ending the Green New Deal, referring to the Democrats' moonshot plan to combat climate change and shift away from fossil fuels. The budget says NOAA's educational grant programs have, for instance, 'funded efforts to radicalize students against markets and spread environmental alarm.' While environmental justice was touted under the previous administration, the Trump administration has moved to reverse those policies as part of its broader shift from DEI. Friday's proposal said it would remove $100 million in 'taxpayer funded programs that promote divisive racial discrimination and environmental justice grants that were destined to go to organizations that advance radical ideologies.' Trump cut White House advisors who worked to ensure the federal government helped communities in heavily-polluted areas, and eliminated Biden's 'Justice40' initiative that required 40% of the benefits from certain environmental programs go to those communities. The Department of Transportation also rescinded Biden-era memos that called on state agencies to factor social and environmental justice into infrastructure decisions. Communities near heavy industry, ports and highways are often made up largely of Black, Latino and low-income Americans. The budget proposal seeks to repeal more than $15 billion of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, named the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, passed in 2021. The Biden administration's law looked to spur domestic manufacturing, improve roads, bridges and ports, fund cleaner drinking water and other programs. Among other things, canceling the spending — which it calls the 'Green New Scam' — would impact key electric vehicle tax credits that have helped boost electric vehicle uptake in the U.S. The budget proposes $646 million in cuts to Non-Disaster Federal Emergency Management Agency grant programs. FEMA is intended to provide disaster response and recovery support for states and communities impacted by storms, wildfires, floods and more. Trump has been critical of the agency, which helps fund debris removal, rebuilding efforts and first responder expenses. FEMA has already been politicized in the administration's first 100 days; for example, its Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program was ended, and the agency's acting director canceled $188 million in grants to New York City, finding the money inconsistent with Trump administration priorities. The budget says 'FEMA under the previous administration made 'equity' a top priority for emergency relief and declared that DEI was mandatory,' referring to diversity, equity and inclusion. The budget looks to reduce these programs that it calls 'wasteful and woke.' ___ @alexa_stjohn. Reach her at ___
