As the Trump administration passes the 100-day mark, the relentless pace of action – both from the White House and increasingly on Capitol Hill – has only intensified.
Some of the key developments that could affect CRM:
President’s Budget Plan Seeks to Slash NPS, Eliminate Most of HPF
The White House released the President’s FY26 preliminary budget request Friday, calling for $163 billion in cuts to federal spending in the next fiscal year.
Although the budget proposal is preliminary, and a fuller plan will be released later this month, the proposal calls for sizable reductions in key preservation programs:
- Historic Preservation Fund: The White House seeks to cut the HPF’s appropriation by $158 million, which would leave just $10 million for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The White House claims that “many historic preservation projects have matching funds from State, local, and private sources, rendering the Historic Preservation Fund highly duplicative. Further, the projects are often of local, rather than national, significance.”
- NPS National Recreation and Preservation: The proposal seeks to cut the National Park system’s budget by almost a billion dollars, including a $77 million cut for the NPS National Recreation and Preservation programs, representing a more than 80-percent cut. The White House argues that “many National Recreation and Preservation grants are already supported by State, local, and private sector efforts . . .”
Are the President’s cuts going to become law? His budget proposal is just that: a proposal. Congress often appropriates more funding than the White House suggests. That said, the proposed numbers reinforce the fact that the preservation community will need to work hard to educate lawmakers about why these programs matter.
House Committee Releases Policy Changes, Funding Targets for Interior
Before Congress takes up the FY26 appropriations, it’s hoping to enact a massive reconciliation bill that includes the President’s priorities on taxes, border security and other issues. The House has started its efforts on the bill, with multiple committees voting on their sections of the bill.
Last week, the House Natural Resources Committee released its portion of the bill, which mandates more frequent oil and gas lease sales and rescinds some as-yet unspent funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In all the committee says its provisions would reduce the deficit by $15 billion.
Although ACRA is still reviewing the draft, there are a few provisions that may impact CRM and preservation, including:
- Project Sponsor Fees for NEPA. The proposal includes provisions stipulating that, if project sponsors pay a fee for preparing NEPA documents, environmental assessments must be finalized within six months and environmental impact statements within one year; in addition, no administrative or judicial review of an EA/EIS for which a fee was paid would be allowed.
- Funding for America250 and the “Garden of Heroes.” The proposal also would provide $150 million for activities related to the country’s 250th anniversary in 2026, and $40 million to establish and maintain President Trump’s National Garden of American Heroes.
The Committee will vote on the package this week. House Republicans hope to pass the full reconciliation bill by Memorial Day, but internal disagreements over taxes and other provisions could delay that.
Interior Department Begins Consolidation
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has announced plans to consolidate a wide range of administrative functions currently handled by individual bureaus and offices, placing in charge a former representative of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to make key decisions.
In a Secretarial Order issued on April 17, Burgum announced he has placed the Assistant Secretary of Policy, Management and Budget (AS-PMB) in charge of the consolidation, giving him the power to make funding, personnel and policy decisions. The AS-PMB role is currently filled by Tyler Hassen, a former oil company executive who, according to news reports, first came to Interior earlier this year as a representative of DOGE.
Interior Announces Emergency Energy Procedures
The Interior Department has announced plans to implement emergency permitting procedures to accelerate the development of domestic energy resources and critical minerals, enabling many energy projects to move forward with at most seven days of Section 106 consultation.
The announcement came in response to President Trump’s January executive order declaring an energy emergency and follows on the heels of guidance issued by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) for emergency procedures under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for energy projects.
The announcement states that the Department plans to use the emergency provisions in 36 C.F.R. § 800.12(b)(2) to satisfy compliance with section 106 for a wide range of energy projects. Under that provision, agencies can fulfill their Section 106 obligations by notifying the ACHP, S/THPOs and others of the undertaking and giving them up to seven days to comment.
ACRA is carefully reviewing the announcement and working with its allies in the preservation community to assess its impact and consider next steps.
Trump Appoints New ACHP Vice Chair
President Trump has appointed Travis Voyles as an expert member of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and has designated him vice chairman, a post that has been empty for months. In that role, Voyles will carry out the functions of the chairman until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a new chairman.
Voyles previously served as EPA’s Assistant Deputy Administrator. Before that, he was the Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources for the Commonwealth of Virginia, where he oversaw the SHPO, among other offices.
In a statement, Voyles said he was “honored to serve as vice chairman and look forward to working with the other ACHP members, federal agencies, and key stakeholders to celebrate our nation’s history and continue the important work of ensuring the preservation of America’s historic places.”
ACRA Urges FCC to Reject Petition on NEPA, NHPA
ACRA has submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), urging it to reject a petition to exempt broad classes of telecommunications infrastructure from NEPA and NHPA.
In March, CTIA – The Wireless Association requested that the FCC revise its rules to provide that wireless facility deployments pursuant to a geographic area license that do not require antenna structure registration are not major federal actions under NEPA or undertakings under NHPA.
In its comments, ACRA states that the petition “seeks to undermine more than two decades of collaborative work by the federal government, industry, states, Tribes and others to ensure a sensible balance between improvements to our telecommunications infrastructure and compliance with federal law.”
Noting that the FCC, ACHP and NCSHPO instituted a nationwide programmatic agreement in 2004 that streamlined the Section 106 process for FCC undertakings, ACRA wrote that, “[b]y asking the FCC to alter the NPA terms without going through the open consultation process established more than 20 years ago, the petition asks the FCC to violate both the letter and spirit of NHPA.”
Help Show Your Elected Officials That #HistoryMatters
As recent developments show, the need to educate policymakers about the benefits of CRM is as great as ever. One of the best ways to accomplish this is with site visits and constituent meetings in their local offices.
This summer ACRA, SAA and SHA are bringing back our joint campaign to bring senators and representatives to project sites during the upcoming August congressional recess. In representing our community before Congress, we deliver the message of how CRM preserves our shared cultural heritage for present and future generations, and how this preservation of our past enriches local communities and creates economic benefits.
Please join us for a webinar on May 8 at 2:00 pm EDT to learn more about the campaign and how you can make your voice heard. Register NOW to reserve your spot!