Preservation Partners Letter to OMB | June 27, 2025

It has been an agonizing 10 weeks of attempting to shake loose the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) required for State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) to apply and subsequently draw down funds which were appropriated by Congress back in March. This is but one of many program areas that has been caught up in the federal government’s attempts to cut what is deemed ‘wasteful spending’.

With each passing day, an increasing number of SHPO offices are contending with significant challenges as a result of the federal delay to release FY25 funding appropriated by Congress back in March to the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). 9 months into the federal fiscal year, SHPOs have not received any FY25 funds which their operations depend upon – and which Congress has long supported. Additionally, many states fiscal years end on June 30^th – creating an accounting issue for states who have incurred expenses in 2025, but not received reimbursements of FY25 HPF money. Further, this delay essentially creates an unfunded mandate of SHPO offices who have federal responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act.

In the absence of FY25 funding, SHPO offices across the country have utilized remaining FY24 funds…many of which have now depleted remaining balances. With funds gone or dwindling, office operations pose face significant challenges – and coming to the forefront is the ability to fund staff salaries. The Ohio SHPO regrettably had to lay off 12 staff members (1/3 of its office). Many other states are in similar predicaments and the uncertainty of the situation has placed a burden upon employees responsible for providing for their families.

The longer funds are delayed…the worse the situation becomes

The immediate release of FY25 HPF funding is needed to ensure critical operations are maintained in each SHPO office. Many states have already depleted their FY24 funding reserves, making contingency planning necessary. Above all, offices are committed to doing all they can to retain their committed staff members responsible for carrying out the important functions of each office.

Temporary cost saving measures have been instituted by several offices to stave off layoffs as long as possible. Such efforts are detrimental to the efficient functioning of an office and also come at a cost to community preservation. While not all offices have these options at their disposal, some temporary strategies include:

• Establishment of staff travel restrictions
  • severely constraining SHPO offices abilities resulting in a lack of capacity to perform their duties
• Rerouting already awarded preservation grant funding to pay staff salaries
  • delaying or possibly cancelling important revitalization projects
• Borrowing of state emergency funds
  • not viable for every office, requires repayment, and has a limit

Without This Funding

• Congress’ years of investment in our nation’s history in every U.S. state and territory will be squandered
• Significant layoffs will occur at some SHPO offices across the country, and staff will not exist to complete:
  • Federally mandated duties under the NHPA including permitted project review through section 106 (creating an unfunded mandate for SHPOs, and subsequently burdening the DOI, leading to inefficiency with the slowing of projects & ultimately resulting in negative and less efficient outcomes and higher federal project costs down the line, and putting the nation’s historic assets at risk unnecessarily to the detriment of citizens
  • Reviews on the federal Historic Tax Credit program, spurring negative economic impacts from a common sense economic driver and leading to job loss and resulting in decline in revitalization of communities with disinvestment
  • State reviews akin to Section 106 and a variety of grant and management of programs which reflect each states history, form a states identity and sense of pride, and positively contribute to the well being of residents and communities
  • Revitalization projects will cease, as funds continue to be directed away from projects to instead support operational needs of each SHPO
  • Ultimately, these impacts will be irreversible and result in the inevitable closing of many SHPO offices in their entirely, to the detriment of our historic resources and quality of life across the country – a particularly sad notion as we prepare to commemorate America’s Semiquincentennial in 2026. 

Take Action!

• Contact:
  • Your Congressmembers!
    • Let them know the detrimental effects on your state, including the immediate threat to the operation of SHPO offices including staff layoffs and program and project interruptions, and threats to historic resources
    • Alert appropriation Committee members that the failure of the Executive Branch to release congressionally appropriated funds is unacceptable, and we need their support to compel the release of this critical funding
    • Share these resources
  • The Office of Management & Budget (OMB) and the Department of Interior, calling for the immediate release of these funds!
  • Media!
  • Fellow Advocates!
• Share relevant social media posts and tag all relevant stakeholders including community organizations, local & state leadership, and your state Congressional delegation
• Take Action! Through the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Action Center

…and anything else you can think of!