National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

In July 2025. the National Trust’s Government Relations team shared a federal advocacy update focused on timely actions advocates can take to support historic preservation efforts and our progress to date.

This briefing provided the latest information on federal policy developments, preservation-related tax legislation, fiscal years 2025 and 2026 appropriations, and other key priorities.

The discussion focused on historic preservation’s most critical advocacy needs and provided a concise overview of the political landscape to help maximize our advocacy impact.

Responses to submitted questions will be posted here at a later date.

On May 20, 2025, Secretary of the Interior Bergum issued Secretarial Order 3431, “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History,” which implements Executive Order 14253 issued by President Trump earlier this spring.

The Secretarial Order directs federal land management agencies to review and potentially revise public-facing content across national parks, wildlife refuges, and other federally managed sites, as well as mandating the National Park Service complete infrastructure improvements at Independence National Historical Park ahead of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

In addition, agencies are instructed to review any monuments or memorials that were altered or removed since 2020, with potential reinstatement if any changes are deemed inconsistent with the Administration’s preferred interpretation of history.

We will continue our assessment of this Order and share updates as soon as they are available.

On April 28, 2025, President Trump appointed Travis Voyles of Virginia to serve as Vice Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), who will serve through June 2026.

While the full-time chairman role remains vacant, Voyles will perform the responsibilities of the chair until a new appointee is confirmed by the Senate.

Voyles currently serves as Assistant Deputy Administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Prior to this role, he served as Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he advised Governor Glenn Youngkin and oversaw five state agencies, including the Virginia Department of Historic Resources and the State Historic Preservation Office.

His professional background includes service as Oversight Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works under Senator Shelley Moore Capito, as well as previous roles at the EPA’s Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations.

He also worked for the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.

Voyles holds a law degree from Florida State University with a certificate in environmental, energy, and land use law.

He also earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Georgia Tech and a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Georgia.

The National Trust looks forward to engaging with Vice Chairman Voyles in his new role as the Advisory Council continues its work to advance the goals of the National Historic Preservation Act and guide federal agencies in their stewardship of historic resources.

At the National Trust, we view historic sites not only as memories of the past, but also as dynamic places that shape our present and future.

These places root us in our communities, bridge generations, and reflect the rich and diverse story of America. As we celebrate Historic Preservation Month this May, our mission to protect these places – and the stories they hold – feels more critical than ever.

We have enjoyed collaborating with many of you since our last message—helping to get the word out to policymakers about the importance of federal preservation programs and engaging with the preservation community at key events.

These have included statewide conferences hosted by the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia and the Kentucky Heritage Council, the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) conference and Hill Day, the National Preservation Partners Network (NPPN) conference, the Historic Preservation Caucus Congressional Briefing, and several others.

These engagements represent just a portion of the collective efforts we’ve shared with our diverse coalition of preservation partners, all working together to advance the goals of the historic preservation movement on Capitol Hill and across the country.

This month has brought a number of significant federal policy developments. The release of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request has set the stage for pivotal funding discussions that will impact preservation efforts for years to come.

Budget reconciliation negotiations around the “One Big Beautiful Bill” are also in play in the House and Senate, with far-reaching implications for federal investment in cultural programs and community revitalization.

Amid these shifts, we’re excited about the bipartisan reintroduction of the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act (HTC-GO) in both chambers of Congress – a major milestone we’ve worked hard to support. Our government relations team has been deeply involved in these efforts: meeting with congressional offices, collaborating with advocates nationwide, and keeping preservation priorities front and center on Capitol Hill.

As the policy landscape evolves, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting the programs and safeguards that preserve our shared heritage.

We invite you to join us in this work. Visit our Action Center to explore our current campaigns and discover how you can help make a difference.