image c/o AAIC

A Preservation Month For Action

by | May 13, 2025

With so much of historic preservation in the United States shaped by federal policy and funding – big shifts in the way the federal government interprets, regulates, and supports preservation can have a major ripple effect at the state and local level. 

From the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) to Federal Historic Tax Credits, as a nonpartisan, non-profit organization, we’ve always been dedicated to thoughtful advocacy around programs that work well for preservation. 

That’s why we need to tell you what’s currently at stake with one program: 

The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) is currently facing a major delay in the release of Fiscal Year 2025 funding (which began back on 10.1.24), and it’s causing a nationwide impact on preservation efforts. Here’s what’s going on and how we’re taking action in Maryland.

1. Congress Approved the Funding—But It Hasn’t Been Released

  • The HPF is funded through lease revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling—not taxpayer dollars.
  • Congress appropriates these funds annually, and they support essential work by State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs).
  • For FY 2025, the executive branch has not yet released the HPF allocation, despite Congress’ appropriation and expectation of continued funding. 

2. Why This Matters?

Without access to HPF money, SHPOs, which are our state agency partners, like the Maryland Historic Trust:

  • Can’t issue grants to organizations or municipalities (like Preservation Maryland).
  • Could have reduced capacity to provide technical assistance to local governments and historic districts.
  • May have to lay off staff or suspend services like National Register nominations, Section 106 reviews, and Historic Tax Credit project evaluations. In some states, like Ohio, this is already happening – and is crippling projects as we approach America’s 250th anniversary. 

This means:

  • Preservation projects stall or end completely.
  • Tax Credit supported private sector projects stall or are canceled – jeopardizing skill trades jobs and tax revenue. 
  • Large projects which are using significant taxpayer dollars could damage historic places without any review or mitigation – and more history could be lost.

3.  Taking Action

Preservation Maryland is inviting legislators to join us for in-person site visits—to see the projects that benefit directly from HPF-supported programs and what’s at stake. 

We believe that experiencing the historic places that risk falling through the cracks without stable funding (and the communities that depend on these resources for economic development, tourism, and telling important stories) will underscore the urgent need for action.

Last week United States Congresswoman, Rep. Sarah Elfreth (District 3) joined us for a tour of our rehabilitation project in historic Ellicott City. 

President & CEO Nicholas Redding and Rep. Sarah Elfreth review plans for Preservation Maryland’s Ellicott City rehabilitation project.
Laura Houston, Director of Revitalization Initiatives, shares the status of the Historic Preservation Fund.
Laura Houston, Nicholas Redding, Rep. Sarah Elfreth, and Patrick Mooney gather in front of the Historic Property Redevelopment Program’s project, the historic Ellicott City jail, which will be transformed into a national center for preservation innovation.

What can you do?

  1. Share this information
  2. Contact your federal legislators and let them know that the Historic Preservation Fund supports more than projects—it sustains the stories, places, and people that define our nation. It is also critical as we approach the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. 
  3. Support our work in the field Make a donation as a way of saying, yes, our history matters.