IMLS Preserve America grants

Apply Now to Become a Preserve America Community
Next Quarterly Deadlines: September 1 and December 1, 2008
<URL:http://www.imls.gov/news/2008/081308b.shtm>.

Community leaders are encouraged to apply for the Preserve America
community designation, which recognizes a community's efforts to
care for and share its cultural and natural heritage. The
designation also makes the community eligible for special federal
funding. Preserve America is a White House initiative conducted in
cooperation with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
and other federal agencies. The last two 2008 application periods
are September 1 and December 1. Applications forms are available at
<URL:http://www.preserveamerica.gov/communities.html>.

Through participation in Preserve America, communities share
knowledge about the nation's past, strengthen local identities and
local pride, increase neighborhood participation in preserving the
country's cultural and natural heritage assets, and support economic
vitality.

Once a community receives the Preserve America designation, it is
eligible to apply for Preserve America grants, which may be used for
research and documentation, education and interpretation, planning,
marketing, or training. These grants, which must be matched by the
community, cannot be used for construction or repair projects. Last
year, the government awarded nearly $5 million in federal funding
for Preserve America grants. In 2008, $7.5 million has been made
available for the grants, which range from $20,000 to $150,000.

Other benefits of the designation include:

    White House recognition, a certificate of recognition, and
    inclusion in national and regional press releases

    Official notification of designation to state tourism offices
    and visitors bureaus

    A Preserve America Community road sign and authorization to use
    the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and
    promotional materials

    Listing in a Web-based Preserve America Community directory

    Enhanced community visibility and pride

The Preserve America program was established by the Bush
Administration in 2003 and, so far, Honorary Chair and First Lady
Laura Bush has awarded the designation to more than 600 communities
nationwide. This month, the U.S. House of Representatives
overwhelmingly voted to authorize the program permanently.

To win the designation, applicants must submit an application with
written support from community leaders and evidence of cultural or
historic preservation activities. Applicants must be:

    Tribal communities (federally recognized) with an elected
    governing official or subdivisions of such tribes. *
    Municipalities or counties with an elected governing official,
    or unincorporated communities within their jurisdiction;

    Distinct neighborhoods within large cities or city-counties with
    a population of 200,000 or greater; or

    Partnering agencies include the Advisory Council on Historic
    Preservation; the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce,
    Defense, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, and
    Transportation; the General Services Administration; the
    National Endowment for the Humanities; the President's Committee
    on the Arts and the Humanities; and the President's Council on
    Environmental Quality.

Further information is available at

    <URL:http://www.preserveamerica.gov>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 22:10
                 Distributed: Thursday, August 14, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-22-10-007
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