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Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance

Program Descriptions

15.904:  Historic Preservation Fund Grants-In-Aid

Objectives:  (1) To provide matching grants to States for the identification, evaluation, and protection of historic properties by such means as survey, planning technical assistance, acquisition, development, and certain Federal tax incentives available for historic properties; (2) to provide matching grants to States to expand the National Register of Historic Places, (the Nation's listing of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture, archaeology, engineering and culture at the National, State and local levels) to assist Federal, State, and Local Government agencies, nonprofit organizations and private individuals in carrying out historic preservation activities; and (3) to provide grants to Indian Tribes and Alaskan Native Corporations to preserve their culture.

PROGRAM AND AWARD	FINANCIAL AND INFORMATION CONTACTS
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS	FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO.
APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS	INFORMATION CONTACTS
RELATED PROGRAMS	ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS
PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS	POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS

15.904 ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

Applicant Eligibility:  Eligible applicants States and Territories as defined in the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, operating programs administered by a State Historic Preservation Officer appointed by the Governor or according to State law, and which are otherwise in compliance with the requirements of the Act. Eligible applicants for the Tribal Grant Program are Federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaska Native Corporations.

Beneficiary Eligibility:  Subrecipients eligible are State and local governments, public and private nonprofit organizations, and individuals. According to their own priorities and plans, States select their own projects and may subgrant to public and private parties, including local governments, federally recognized Indian tribal governments, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and/or individuals to accomplish program objectives. At least ten percent of each year's appropriation must be subgranted to local governments certified as eligible to carry out preservation functions according to 36 CFR 61.

Credentials/Documentation:  Each State must have a qualified Review Board, employ professionally qualified staff, and maintain an approved statewide historic preservation plan in accordance with 36 CFR 61. OMB Circular No. A-87, "Cost Principles for State and Local Governments" applies for State grantees and Indian tribes.

15.904 APPLICATION AND AWARD PROCESS:

Preapplication Coordination:  The Annual Application from the State uses the standard application forms furnished by 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments." Environmental impact assessment is required. E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," applies. An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the Single Point of Contact in the State for information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review.

Application Procedure:  Application is made by the States for an annual grant in the form of planned activities and projects. 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements For Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments," applies to awards to States. Applicants for financial aid for subgrants and contracts must contact the State Historic Preservation Office for application information. Applicants for HPF Tribal Grant projects may contact the National Park Service at (202) 343-9572.

Award Procedure:  The Annual appropriation is allocated by the Secretary of the Interior among States and Territories.

Deadlines:  Set dependent upon the date of enactment of appropriations for the fiscal year for which assistance is requested. States set subgrant deadlines.

Range of Approval/Disapproval Time:  Up to 1 month for Federal grants; subgrant time depends on State procedures.

Appeals:  Not applicable.

Renewals:  Not applicable. Grants to States are for 2 years, subject to "Use or Lose" procedures established by the Federal agency.

Criteria for Selecting Proposals:  Each State selects subgrant proposals for funding in accordance with its own priorities.

Examples of Funded Projects: 

1. the archeological excavation of the Russian American Site at the Baranof Castle State Historic Site in Sitka — Tlingit elders worked with the field crew on the excavation of significant archeological deposits from the early 1800s,
2. the documentation of sites related to the Titan II missile wing in Arkansas, which included surveys of 11 silo sites and 20 buildings at Little Rock Air Force base and nomination of five silo sites to the National Register of Historic Places,
3. the thematic study of movie theater buildings and of drive-in movie theaters in Idaho. Both documents formed the basis for the nomination of groups of historic theaters to the National Register of Historic Places,
4. the exterior rehabilitation of the 1878 Ladoga Normal Hall in Indiana, including the repair of rotted and broken roof trusses, the rehabilitation of the bell tower, and the repointing of masonry,
5. the repair and transformation of the 1925 Goffstown High School in Goffstown, New Hampshire into 38 apartments for low-income senior citizens, using a creative combination of the federal historic Preservation Tax Incentives, low income tax credits, and Community Development Block Grants,
6. a countywide survey of Bowman County, a sparsely populated county in extreme southwest North Dakota; by documenting serveral small towns and individual farmsteads, the study illustrated population growth and building trends,
7. a subgrant to Tulsa, Oklahoma, a Certified Local Government, to revise and publish the city's historic preservation plan,
8. the survey and documentation of 38 Lustron Houses in 15 South Dakota communities (Lustron houses are prefabricated, enameled all-steel ranch-style houses manufacturing during the post-World War II housing boom); a group of these houses was nominated for listing in the National Register of Historic Places, and
9. a $7,000 subgrant to support the restoration and repair of the 1893 Charles and Anna Drain House in Douglas County, Oregon — the Queen Anne-style house serves as the administrative offices for the local school district.

Range and Average of Financial Assistance:  $160,847 to $934,281; $535,559.

15.904 RELATED PROGRAMS:

• 15.910 National Natural Landmarks Program;
• 15.912 National Historic Landmark;
• 15.914 National Register of Historic Places;
• 15.915 Technical Preservation Services;
• 15.924 Historically Black Colleges and Universities Preservation Initiative.

15.904 PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

See 15.914, National Register of Historic Places for the number of historic districts, individual properties, and National Historic Landmarks nominated because of the Historic Preservation Fund Grants-in-Aid Program. Since 1968, over $922 million has been awarded to 59 States and Territories, the National Trust, and Tribes. Over 800 subgrants were awarded by 59 State and Territorial grantees in Fiscal Year 1999. These categorical matching grants administered by the National Park Service provide partial funding support to State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) in carrying out statutory responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, for the following types of activities: (1) conducting a comprehensive survey of historic properties (13.4 million acres and 158,000 properties assessed) and maintaining inventories of information gained from such survey; (2) nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places (1,600 nominations); (3) assisting and advising Federal and State agencies and local governments in carrying out their historic preservation responsibilities (e.g., 89,000 Federal projects reviewed); (5) cooperating with local governments in developing local historic preservation programs (total of 1,188 Certified Local Governments (CLGs); and (6) advising and assisting in the evaluation of proposals for rehabilitation projects that may qualify for Federal tax incentives (e.g., 2,900 Federal Tax Credit applications reviewed). Some of the indicators of program success or outcome include: historic resources saved, customers satisfied, timely responses to requests, and increases in grant products such as those noted above.

15.904 FINANCIAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE INFO:

Federal Agency:  NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Type of Assistance:  Formula Grants; Project Grants.

Obligations:  (Grants) FY 99 $72,412,000; FY 00 est $74,793,000; and FY 01 est $72,071,000.

Budget Account Number:  14-5140-0-2-303.

Authorization:  National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.

Regulations, Guidelines, and Literature:  A brochure describing the grant and related programs are available upon request from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., NC 350 Washington, DC 20240. See the "Catalog of Historic Preservation Publications." Important examples include: "The National Register of Historic Places," 1966-1994 issue, a softbound volume describing National Register properties published in conjunction with the National Trust for Historic Preservation Press and the National Conference for State Historic Preservation Officers, (John Wiley and Sons, Preservation Press, 1 Wiley Drive, Somerset, New Jersey 08875, $98.00), the Historic Buildings Preservation Briefs series; the Preservation Planning series; the Preservation Tech Note Series; and, the National Register Bulletin series. Program regulations are specified in Volume 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Program standards are found in "The Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation."

15.904 INFO CONTACTS:

Regional or Local Office:  For financial aid information concerning projects funded through State programs, applicants should refer to Catalog Appendix IV for list of State Historic Preservation Offices, and contact the appropriate State agency for subgrant eligibility information. This list is also available on the National Park Services ParkNet, Links to the Past, World Wide Web site (www.cr.nps.gov). Corrections and additions should be directed to Tawana Jackson, Preservation Heritage Services Division, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, NW., NC 200, Washington, DC 20240 or E-mail Tawana_Jackson@nps.gov.

Headquarters Office:  Associate Director, Cultural Resource Stewardship and Partnerships, National Park Service, Department of the Interior, Washington, DC 20240. Phone: (202) 343-9564.

(See Appendix IV for more contact info.)

15.904 ASSISTANCE CONSIDERATIONS:

Formula and Matching Requirements:  Sixty percent Federal; 40 percent State (public and/or private funds and/or allowable in-kind donations). American Samoa, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands and Virgin Islands are exempt from matching share per Public Law 96-205.

Length and Time Phasing of Assistance:  Fiscal year in which funds are appropriated and one succeeding fiscal year.

Uses and Use Restrictions:  Matching grants can directly finance State staff salaries, equipment, and materials, and travel necessary to accomplish program purposes. States may transfer funds to third parties to carry out historic preservation activities such as surveys, preservation plans, National Register nominations, architectural plans and specifications, historic structures reports, and engineering studies necessary to restore properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and for acquisition or repair of these properties. Development projects must comprise one or more of the 4 allowable treatments defined in the "Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties" (36 CFR 78). These treatments are preservation, restoration, rehabilitation, and reconstruction. Major reconstruction is not eligible. Other activities must meet the applicable Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation. In 2000, the amount appropriated from the Historic Preservation Fund for financial assistance to the States, Territories, and the Freely Associated States of Micronesia, was $31.598 million, with an additional $2.572 million for grants to Indian tribes, and $10.623 million for project grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. In accordance with Section 102(a)(5) of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, grantees must agree to assume, after completion of the restoration project, the total cost of the continued maintenance, repair, and administration of the property in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary.

15.904 POST ASSISTANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Reports:  An annual performance report is required comparing planned accomplishments with actual results. Summary completion reports must be maintained for subgrant expenditures. Expenditure reports as specified in OMB 43 CFR Part 12, Subpart C, "Uniform Administrative Requirements for Grants and Cooperative Agreements to State and Local Governments" or in OMB Circular No. A-110 are required.

Audits:  In accordance with the provisions of OMB Circular No. A-133 (Revised, June 24, 1997), "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Non-Profit Organizations," nonfederal entities that receive financial assistance of $300,000 or more in Federal awards will have a single or a program-specific audit conducted for that year. Nonfederal entities that expend less than $300,000 a year in Federal awards are exempt from Federal audit requirements for that year, except as noted in Circular No. A-133.

Records:  Full fiscal and project records to be maintained by grantees in accordance with OMB Circular Nos. A-87, and 43 CFR Part 12 for States and Tribes; OMB Circular Nos. A-122 and A-110 as required.