Public Policy Help From the National Trust for Historic Preservation
Established preservation programs, deserving projects, and worthy causes depend on sound public policy to ensure their success. People who care deeply about their communities and the special places that enrich all of our lives should take an active part in the public policy process. Influencing public policy for the benefit of historic preservation can take many different forms, including:
- Writing and/or presenting testimony before legislative bodies and committees with jurisdiction over preservation matters
- Commenting on regulatory matters that require public input or commentary
- Taking civil action such as writing to elected officials, signing a petition, attending a rally, submitting an op-ed in your local newspaper
- Providing supporting data or research to policy decision-makers to steer them in the right direction
- Networking with your peers and preservation professionals to share information and best practices
- Initiating legal action or enforcement of legal protections through the court system
To properly engage in these activities requires the right mix of public policy resources for any given situation to address a preservation problem. To that end, the National Trust's Public Policy Department and Center for State and Local Policy offer testimony, economic and policy analysis, as well as case studies to preservation advocates to help them make their case to policy makers about the benefits of historic preservation across a broad range of issues. In addition, the National Trust offers other resources such as tips on saving historic preservation funding in state budgets, setting gubernatorial agendas that favor historic preservation, as well as its model public policies series and preservation books where you can find to two important advocacy resources:
- Blueprint for Lobbying - A primer designed to acquaint grassroots preservationists with the legislative process, lobbying techniques, and resources available.
Assistance Through Regional Offices and Partner Organizations
The regional and field offices of the National Trust, as well as Statewide and Local Partners, are a great resource to local communities across the country. These offices and organizations are the first line of defense for local preservation issues and bring the program and tools of the National Trust to preservationists on the ground.
The National Trust and its partners advocate for public policies that benefit historic preservation by:
- Passing legislation and implementing policies that preserve the historic and cultural fabric of our nation's communities
- Protecting historic and cultural resources from inappropriate legislation, regulatory rulings, or court decisions that hinder preservation
- Preserving community input in the policy-making process
- Researching and documenting best practices and model preservation policies
- Alerting preservationists to take action on pressing preservation issues
