Congress Approves Funding for Preserve America Grants

The U.S. House and Senate have approved up to $5 million for Preserve America grants in the FY 2006 U.S. Department of the Interior appropriations bill. This action paves the way for the President to approve the matching grants program for the fiscal year, which begins October 1, 2005.

The grants are designed to support a variety of activities related to heritage tourism and innovative approaches to the use of historic properties as educational and economic assets. They would go beyond the bricks and mortar grants available under Save America’s Treasures.

Eligible recipients for these matching (50/50) grants include State Historic Preservation Officers, Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, designated Preserve America Communities, and Certified Local Governments that are applying for Preserve America Community designation. Individual grants would range from $10,000 to $100,000.

The grants program will begin after October 1, 2005. Check the "Federal Support" section of the Preserve America Web site (http://www.PreserveAmerica.gov/federalsupport.html) for further developments on this program.