National Trust for Historic Preservation: Return to home page

In February 2025, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Government Relations department hosted a Preservation Forum webinar titled “Navigating Congress and the Administration in 2025 and Beyond.” The webinar generated significant interest from the preservation community and offered participants key insights about advocating for our policy priorities in the current political environment. The audience was encouraged to submit questions and panelists were able to address some, but not all of the questions received. The following information responds to questions the panel received but did not have time to address.

We need your help to tell lawmakers and decision makers that our nation’s heritage matters. Visit the Action Center for the latest from the National Trust.

Question: How does the historic preservation component survive under the current administration? What steps can National Trust members take to support your efforts with Congress and the Administration?

Answer: The nation’s historic preservation program will survive the current political environment as it has in the past, through the hard work, persistence, and dedication of advocates like you. The National Trust is working closely with preservation champions on both sides of the aisle, as historic preservation has broad bipartisan support in the federal government.

Support these efforts by joining us in our advocacy for positive preservation outcomes. We are actively advocating for increased funding for the Historic Preservation Fund, as well as its reauthorization, and we are making the case to Congress not only to maintain, but also to improve the federal historic tax credit—both are essential tools for preserving our nation’s historic places. Read more about the National Trust’s funding priorities for FY 2026 in our annual appropriations report, which can be found here:The Preservation Budget: Select Preservation Priorities for FY 2026 Appropriations

Now, more than ever, we must remain vigilant and take action to protect places that matter. Engage with your representatives and share your preservation experiences—how are recent policy changes affecting your community, your ability to do your job, and your capacity to achieve historic preservation outcomes? Your voice plays a crucial role in ensuring that preservation remains a priority in federal decision-making. Share your story.

Question: Have your expectations and strategies changed since viewing the new administration in action?

Answer: Our commitment to advocacy remains as strong as ever, and we continue to believe in the power of informed, consistent engagement. That is why we are working with allies on both sides of the aisle in Congress to protect and advance historic preservation policies. While legislative advocacy is a critical part of our strategy, we also recognize that this work extends beyond Congress.

To achieve our policy goals, historic preservation advocates must also engage with local officials, federal agencies, and aligned organizations to ensure that preservation remains a priority at every level of government. By building coalitions and strengthening relationships across the public and private sectors, preservation advocates will be best positioned to protect our nation’s historic and cultural resources, even in a dramatically changing political environment.

Question: How is the current administration expected to affect Section 106?

Answer: The National Trust remains committed to supporting the National Historic Preservation Act, including Section 106 and the critical role consultation plays in protecting historic and cultural sites. Recent executive actions, however, including the Executive Order declaring a National Energy Emergency, may allow certain federal projects to significantly curtail Section 106 review. The National Energy Emergency Executive Order, grants federal agencies broad authority to expedite permitting for specific energy and infrastructure projects, potentially limiting opportunities for public engagement and consultation with tribal nations and preservation stakeholders. Please share your story about how recent executive actions are impacting historic preservation efforts in your community.

While Section 106 remains a fundamental safeguard for the preservation of historic and cultural resources, the National Trust is closely monitoring these developments and working with partners to ensure that historic preservation considerations remain a priority in federal decision-making. Additionally, the reduction in staff across federal agencies is expected to further impact the Section 106 review process, potentially hindering the ability of federal agencies to assess and mitigate potential harm to historic properties. These challenges highlight the importance of staying vigilant in advocating for the preservation of Section 106 and the broader protections it ensures for our nation's heritage.

Question: What is an example of an unauthorized program?

Answer: While it is not altogether uncommon for federal program authorizations to lapse, a central example of an unauthorized program is the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), which is a vital source of funding for the nation’s historic preservation programs. Authorization for the HPF expired at the end of September 2024.

Since it was established in 1977, the HPF has been authorized to receive $150 million annually, not from taxpayer dollars, but from offshore oil and gas lease payments to the federal government. Until recently, Congress appropriated far less than the amount deposited into the HPF account, creating a balance of authorized but not yet appropriated funds. Congress, in recognition of the growing need for HPF funding, has appropriated more than the authorized deposit for the fourth year in a row. As a result, the National Trust is working to increase the amount of funding that is authorized to be deposited into the HPF account each year. The longer the HPF remains unauthorized, the greater the uncertainty for states and Tribes that rely on this funding.

Specifically, the HPF supports key programs such as State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs and THPOs), who administer federal historic preservation programs at the state and local level, and the Save America’s Treasures program, which preserves nationally significant historic and cultural resources. The HPF also funds competitive grant programs like the African American Civil Rights Grant Program and the Underrepresented Community Grant Program, which allows communities to preserve a more complete history of our country.

Your voice is critical in urging Congress to reauthorize the HPF and support the preservation movement. Without a current authorization, programs that protect our nation’s history and cultural resources are put at risk. Click here to take action and tell your representatives to reauthorize the HPF!

Question: Which people in Congress would be the most open to preservation projects?

Answer: We believe most members of Congress appreciate the economic and social value historic preservation delivers to communities throughout the country. It is worth noting, that in the House of Representatives, Representatives Mike Turner (R-OH) and Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM) co-lead the Historic Preservation Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators who appreciate how historic preservation helps activate dormant spaces and supports community revitalization. We would encourage you to reach out to your House delegation and urge them to join the Historic Preservation Caucus. In moments of political change, it is crucial for preservation advocates to educate elected officials about the ways historic preservation creates jobs, vibrant downtowns, and economic opportunity. To help you get started, you can read our top 10 tips for effective advocacy here.

Question: How much money does the National Trust receive from the Federal government?

Answer: The National Trust does not receive any money from the federal government for our operating budget. The National Trust, from time to time, does apply for and receive grant funding for project specific work and preservation activities at our historic sites. We work to ensure our allies in the preservation field receive necessary funding through the Historic Preservation Fund and other programs, but our operating budget does not rely on funding from the federal government.

Question: Will the National Trust be working on any advocacy at federal or state level related to insurance policies for historic properties?

Answer: Property insurance is a significant national issue that presents a unique set of challenges for historic structures. The National Trust hosted a webinar in 2024 to hear from several experts, including colleagues from the National Trust Insurance Services, to speak about this issue. While there is currently not a political consensus about to best address skyrocketing insurance rates, the National Trust will continue to monitor federal efforts to address broader insurance-related issues and will advocate for historic preservation solutions that could be included in any moving legislation.

Preservation Advocacy Week, hosted by the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) and Preservation Action (PA), brought hundreds of advocates to Washington, DC, last week.

With over 200 meetings with congressional offices, participants emphasized federal legislative priorities for the preservation movement, including funding for the Historic Preservation Fund and support for the Historic Tax Credit.

The week featured advocacy trainings and panel discussions, including National Trust Government Relations team members Lauren Cohen and Shaw Sprague outlining successful advocacy tips and current preservation policy goals. National Trust President and CEO Carol Quillen and Congresswoman Teresa Leger Fernández (D-NM) each spoke about the value of preservation to communities across the country.

The week concluded with a wonderful reception on Capitol Hill to celebrate the meaningful relationships that were built through this advocacy effort.

In March 2025, the National Trust for Historic Preservation released our annual report recommending funding levels for vital federal preservation programs. Historic preservation is not just about protecting our past—it is essential to preserving the very places, stories, and traditions that define us as a nation. Programs housed under the National Park Service like the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), Cultural Programs, and more, are vital resources in this effort, safeguarding America’s irreplaceable treasures and driving economic growth, community identity, and sustainability through the reuse of historic buildings.

Looking into FY 2026 the report urges Congress to make critical investments in historic preservation including investing $225 million in the HPF.

By advocating for robust funding for preservation, we ensure that we can continue to protect the places that tell the stories of our nation’s past, present, and future. Together, we can work toward safeguarding America’s heritage by protecting and enhancing these programs.

As the budget cycle moves forward the National Trust remains committed to advocating for funding these essential programs and will update the report as more details emerge.

Reach out to your members of Congress now to urge them to robustly fund and reauthorize the HPF!

A Message from Carol Quillen, President & CEO, National Trust for Historic Preservation

In the past several days, President Trump’s Administration has issued a number of directives whose broad language reaches across many areas of preservation work. National Trust staff are working to understand the implications of these directives. This will take time, and we expect further clarification from the administration. As we learn more, we will share information with you.

In the meantime, our work continues, with you as our trusted partners, supporters, and friends. Together, we activate the power of historic places to serve the public good, improve people’s lives, and enable a shared future in which all people can thrive. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to that work.

President Trump Immediately Issues Executive Orders Impacting Historic Preservation

By the National Trust Government Relations Team
Current as of February 4, 2025

On day one of his return to the Oval Office, President Trump signed a series of executive orders that have significant implications for historic preservation and environmental policy.

The executive orders address a broad scope of activities, but several in particular directly affect historic preservation efforts.

These include Promoting Beautiful Federal Civic Architecture, that seeks to advance a policy that federal public buildings should be identifiable as civic buildings and respect regional, traditional, and classical architectural heritage, and Celebrating America’s 250th Birthday, the purpose of which is to celebrate America’s Semiquincentennial and to honor the history of the nation. In addition to creating a White House Task Force (Task Force 250) headed by the Department of Defense, the executive order reinstates past efforts to establish a National Garden of American Heroes. The order also seeks to protect America’s monuments from vandalism and cites recent pro-Hamas-related vandalism to specific sites in Washington, D.C.

President Trump also issued an executive order declaring a National Energy Emergency, which seeks to increase domestic energy production by expediting review and approval of energy generation projects.

This executive order threatens to disrupt efforts to balance energy development with the protection of historic and natural landscapes, potentially endangering culturally significant sites and the broader environment.

This declaration halts offshore wind leasing and freezes federal agency approvals for new or renewed wind energy projects. It also includes language placing a temporary moratorium on the wind project in Lava Ridge, Idaho due to potential impacts on the landscape for which the Idaho congressional delegation and preservation advocates have expressed concerns. The proposed project was near the Minidoka National Historic Site, which prompted it to be on the National Trust’s America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list in 2022.

In week two of President Trump’s second term, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued a memo to Federal Agencies ordering a temporary pause of agency grant, loan, and financial assistance programs pending a review to determine if federal financial assistance programs align with the Trump Administration’s priorities.

While the OMB memo was quickly rescinded, the Historic Preservation Fund and the federal historic tax credit were specifically referenced as requiring review.

As of January 31, a second federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump Administration’s freeze on federal aid funding, siding with 22 states that argued against the directive.

The executive orders and the freeze on federal spending continue to create uncertainty around the future implementation of historic preservation programs.

As the Trump Administration’s policy agenda comes into more specific focus, we will continue to support preservation priorities and work to ensure that historic and environmental protections are not weakened.

Stay connected with us with our frequent online posts as we continue to track these developments and sign up for our monthly advocacy newsletter, which will provide you with the updates from the Hill on historic preservation and include opportunities to take action whenever historic places are threatened.

Congress concluded its legislative activities before the December 20th government funding deadline in dramatic fashion as efforts to extend funding came down to the wire.

Washington received a preview of the funding challenges to come when President-elect Trump objected to the proposed funding package negotiated by the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate.

House and Senate leaders then quickly negotiated a smaller funding package to avert a government shutdown and fund the government through March 14, 2025. The funding package extends government funding at fiscal year 2025 levels, provides important aid to the nation’s farmers, and extends Farm Bill authorizations for another year.

Amid the challenging political debate around government funding, there is positive news for historic preservation.

As part of the disaster assistance package, there was bipartisan agreement about providing $50 million in supplemental disaster assistance funding through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF).

In early December, the National Trust and preservation partners led a letter to House and Senate leadership (PDF) urging funding to support historic resources damaged by natural disasters.

This supplemental HPF funding recognizes the important role historic preservation plays in strengthening community resilience and maintaining cultural heritage.

In the coming weeks, Washington will transition to a new Administration and Congress. Historic preservation advocates will have a renewed opportunity to demonstrate how historic preservation addresses critical national priorities like the ability to promote economic development, enhance national identity, advance sustainable development, and foster cultural engagement.

Ahead of the nation’s 250th Anniversary, advocates will be called to support the National Historic Preservation Act and demonstrate how historic preservation is solutions-oriented, creates jobs, and leads to community revitalization.

Educating policymakers about the ways the preservation movement recognizes and honors our diverse cultural heritage is a critical policy objective as the nation reflects on our past and charts our future.

Advocates are encouraged to share their preservation success stories which would not be possible without robust preservation policies in place. How has your community benefitted from the more than $180 million in grant funding appropriated from the Historic Preservation Fund? How are historic tax credits helping spur revitalization efforts in your community? How have legislative efforts to preserve your community’s history enhanced our learning and understanding?

The National Trust’s Government Relations team looks forward to providing the preservation community with detailed policy updates each month through our newsletter, and we will continue our collaboration with Preservation Forum to address critical issues through our webinar series and written commentary.

As we begin the new year, our focus remains on fostering collaboration and ensuring that historic preservation priorities are front and center amidst the evolving political landscape. The coming months will be pivotal, and we look forward to working with our allies to maximize these opportunities and protect our shared history