National Park Service and National Endowment for the Arts
Announce $13.7 Million in Grants to “Save America’s Treasures”

The National Park Service (NPS) and National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced on September 11 the awarding of $13,717,000 in Save America’s Treasures (SAT) grants to help preserve and protect our nation’s irreplaceable cultural heritage. Through the congressionally-appropriated Historic Preservation Fund’s SAT program, 55 projects in 27 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, will receive funding for critically needed repairs and restoration efforts for some of the nation’s most threatened historic places, archives, and artifacts.

“Through this public-private partnership, the National Park Service is helping to ensure that our irreplaceable cultural heritage will survive to help educate, inspire, and enrich the lives of this generation as well as future generations, ” said NPS Director Fran Mainella.

The Save America’s Treasures program addresses the urgent preservation needs of the nation’s most significant historic sites and collections. Grants are administered by the NPS in partnership with the NEA. The NPS awards and administers grants for historic structures and sites, including historic districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects. The NEA administers grants associated with collections, including intellectual and cultural artifacts, documents, and works of art.

"The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to be a partner in Save America's Treasures, helping to preserve our nation's priceless cultural heritage for generations of American's to come," said NEA Chairman Bill Ivey.

The availability of SAT applications and guidelines was announced in February 2001. The NPS received 368 grant applications from eligible federal agencies; state, local and tribal governments; and nonprofit organizations. Applications for the preservation of collections were forwarded to the NEA. A panel of experts representing preservation and conservation disciplines from non-competing federal agencies, reviewed the applications and recommended 55 awards totaling $13.7 million for approval.

Selection criteria require that each project be of national significance, demonstrate an urgent preservation need, have an educational or otherwise clear public benefit, and demonstrate the likely availability of non-federal matching funds. Each grant requires non-federal matching funds, which has stimulated contributions from states, localities, corporations, foundations and individuals who value our shared heritage.

Since FY 1999, 238 grants totaling $94 million have been awarded to preserve nationally significant and endangered historic buildings, structures, places, and archival and art collections. To date, 49 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Midway Island have received grants.

For a list of this year's grant recipients and additional information on the Save America’s Treasures program, visit:

NEA
www.nea.gov/endownews/news01/Treasures2.html
(202) 682-5570