Glacier Point Road in Yosemite National Park Credit: NPS
May 31, 2025 - On Friday, The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks released the following:
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The Honorable Lisa Murkowski The Honorable Jeff Merkley |
The Honorable Mike Simpson The Honorable Chellie Pingree |
Dear Senator Murkowski, Senator Merkley, Representative Simpson, and Representative Pingree,
I am writing to you today on behalf of over 4,300 members of the Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks (Coalition), a non-profit organization composed of retired, former, or current employees and volunteers of the National Park Service (NPS). The Coalition studies, educates, speaks, and acts for the preservation of America’s National Park System. As a group, we collectively represent over 50,000 years of experience managing and protecting America’s most precious and important natural and historic resources. Among our members are former NPS directors, regional directors, superintendents, resource specialists, rangers, maintenance and administrative staff, and a full array of other former employees, volunteers, and supporters.
We would like to call your attention to the delay in the disbursement of Fiscal Year 2025 funds from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), despite its appropriation by Congress in the recent FY 2025 Continuing Resolution. Without prompt release of these funds, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and competitive grant programs may be forced to eliminate essential staff responsible for reviewing Historic Tax Credit projects, identifying historic properties, and supporting community preservation efforts. These roles are federally mandated and vital to safeguarding our shared heritage.
These federal dollars leverage billions in public and private investment. The delay of disbursement increases the risk of irreversible harm to important historic, cultural, and archaeological sites. Preservation efforts will stall, and irreplaceable resources may be lost.
Additionally, the current Administration’s FY 2026 budget request seeks to eliminate nearly all HPF annual funding. This would undermine the statutory responsibilities of states and Tribes and stall Historic Tax Credit rehabilitation projects that fuel local economies. Since its inception over 50 years ago, the HPF has preserved thousands of nationally significant historic places across the country.
We strongly urge Congress to ensure the immediate disbursement of Congressionally approved FY25 HPF funding to avoid delays in preservation projects that are proven to grow local economies. We also urge our Congressional representatives to reaffirm bipartisan, robust funding support for the HPF in FY 2026 appropriations, especially in anticipation of the 250th anniversary of our nation.
Please act now to help ensure our historic places can continue to preserve the full story of our history and our uniquely American stories can be shared with future generations.
Sincerely,
Philip A. Francis, Jr.
Chair of the Executive Council
Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
Source: The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks
