By Mayor Bob Young, Member, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and John L. Nau, III, Chairman, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
March 17, 2003

Laura Bush recently announced the Preserve America initiative at the National Association of Counties meeting last week in Washington (DC). The initiative will lead to economic and cultural benefits for our nation and its communities.

Preserve America is a call to action for Americans to join the federal government in taking better care of our nation's historic properties and heritage sites. It is also a call to form effective partnerships with local governing bodies and organizations to make these holdings more beneficial to the public — especially beneficial for those who live near such properties.

This is important in our communities, states, regions and nation for many reasons. Here early in the 21st Century, we stand at the edge of an important frontier —' the heritage frontier. In order to fully comprehend our nation, which is our collective being, it is essential to understand the many diverse paths we have followed to the present. Where we have been is our only reliable guide to where we should go. The special places of our shared heritage, whether great or small, are essential to understanding who we were, who we are, and the evolution of our role in the community. What we choose to pass on to posterity will tell our descendants what we valued, what we believed, and in many cases, the things for which we sacrificed.

We are pleased that Preserve America was initiated by President and Mrs. Bush in partnership with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the Department of Interior and the Department of Commerce. We are especially honored that Mrs. Bush has personally committed to lead this initiative.

Preserve America will incorporate a few new and existing elements, and the effort will continue to mature and grow. Its initial components include:

1. An Executive Order: Preserve America by which President Bush commits federal agencies to work with their many public and private partners to identify and plan constructive use for federal historic properties.

2. A Preserve America Community designation that will be granted to communities that demonstrate a sustained commitment to preservation of our shared heritage and encourage public appreciation and use of those resources.

3. A Presidential Preserve America Award, presented annually to innovative preservation programs, projects and partnerships that exemplify sustainable historic preservation and heritage tourism efforts.

We hope that your city will be among the first cities in the nation to experience this exciting initiative by taking steps to earn the Preserve America Community designation. And, it should. The rich heritage is in evidence throughout the city. The places and events that shaped your city's history are the very foundation for this important initiative.

Members of ACHP include federal agencies, private sector experts and state and local officials. The ACHP itself represents a partnership committed to creative, innovative preservation with a purpose. Such partnerships are precisely what will stimulate economic, cultural, educational and social benefits through Preserve America.

Heritage tourism is but one of the more obvious positive results of preservation. Americans and our visitors from abroad are hungry to learn more about our nation's heritage, to visit its special places and understand the events that took place here a year ago, a century before, or a millennium in the past. As Americans travel, they are choosing to reconnect with existing aspects of our country's authentic heritage in their journeys.

As part of an even wider trend, tourism remains a vibrant and growing segment of our economy. It is clear that as the active Baby Boomer generation begins to retire, they will have more freedom and time than any generation in our history, and travel is high on their priority list. Communities that understand what visitors seek and find ways to package and communicate what they have to offer will benefit most from these trends.

Meaningful historic preservation is not a cost, but an investment in our future. It provides tangible economic, social, educational and cultural benefits. These benefits will be perpetuated through the various Preserve America initiatives and the Administration's long-term commitment to the preservation and understanding of our heritage.

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is honored to now join with the President and Mrs. Bush in making this visionary framework for heritage preservation a reality. We invite you to join us —as we Explore and Enjoy Our Heritage —Preserve America.

The President's executive order and Mrs. Bush's announcement of Preserve America, and information about the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, are available at www.achp.gov