Last week, TRG was pleased to attend the webinar Federal Preservation Priorities for 2026, hosted by the National Trust for Historic Preservation (National Trust) Leadership Forum. The program provided updates on legislative actions, funding allocations, and advocacy work impacting historic preservation nationwide.
Among the topics discussed was the significant and longstanding bipartisan support for historic preservation, as evidenced by Congress’ recent rejection of proposed budget cuts to the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund. In honor of America’s Semiquincentennial, the National Trust will be requesting additional one-time funding from Congress to support the surveying of historic sites and digitization of historic resources nationwide. Hurdles still exist, however and presenters noted problems with the timely disbursement of allocated federal funds. The National Trust is also monitoring the sale (deaccessioning) of several federally-owned historic properties, including iconic DC locations such as the Old Post Office and the Robert C Weaver building (more commonly known as the HUD building).
Presenters also discussed efforts to revise the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA), specifically Section 106, which requires federal agencies to consider the potential effects of agency actions on historic properties. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), announced a new initiative to amend Section 106 regulations to better accomplish the objectives and requirements of the NHPA. The National Trust, long an advocate for updating this program, has requested to be part of the ACHP working group. However, the National Trust has expressed deep concern over a U.S. Army decision to meet their Section 106 requirements via “Program Comments,” rather than traditional case-by-case consultation, broadly applicable to all of the Army’s historic resources, including over 122,000 historic buildings, 84,000 historic archaeological sites, and some 300,000 new historic resources anticipated to be placed under the Army’s control in the coming years. The National Trust fears that the unprecedented change will raise serious legal questions and ultimately endanger historic sites under Army jurisdiction.
TRG appreciates opportunities to stay informed about current developments and challenges in the field of historic preservation.
