Advocacy Issues State Grants

Latest posts tagged in Advocacy

04/14/2021
By Elly Colmers Cowan

Sine Die 2021: State Legislative Advocacy Report

The 2021 Legislative Session of the Maryland General Assembly came to a close on Monday, April 12, 2021. After 90 days of championing key bills and testifying on many other pieces of important legislation, it is safe to say that Preservation Maryland had one of its busiest legislative sessions in recent history, and everything was accomplished remotely. With Session adjourned until January 2022, we are happy to report that we were able to make significant advances for preservation and smart growth in Maryland.

State Grants

The Programs: The State of Maryland has traditionally supported four specific grant programs that benefit preservation and historic sites across the state. The programs include:

  • The Capital Historic Preservation Grant Program: This program supports capital (bricks-and-mortar) upgrades and repairs to certified historic structures owned by non-profits or local governments. Project Example: Harford County’s Susquehanna Locks Project included stabilization of the historic canal walls and reinstallation of working gates. FY20 Appropriation: $600,000
  • The Non-Capital Historic Preservation Grant Program: This program funds architectural and archeological research, survey and documentation, public education, and planning and feasibility projects. This program directly supports local governments’ efforts to preserve places important to their constituents. Project Example: Queen Anne’s County Historic Sites Survey – identifying important 19th and 20th century historic sites in the County to assist with local planning efforts. FY20 Appropriation: $300,000
  • Historical and Cultural Museum Advancement Grant Program: This program provides support used to enhance museum exhibits, visitor facilities and provide educational programming at museums across the state. Project Example: Exhibit enhancement and updates for the Frederick County Historical Society – a destination for heritage tourism in downtown Frederick. FY20 Appropriation: $0
  • African-American Heritage Preservation Grant Program: This program provides direct grant support for capital (bricks-and-mortar) upgrades and repairs to sites representing Maryland’s African-American historical experience. FY20 Appropriation: $1 Million

The Challenge: In 2018, the Historic Preservation Capital Grant Program was funded at $600,000 and the  Historic Preservation Non-Capital Research & Survey Grant Program was funded at $300,000. This was some of the first funding these programs have received since 2010. The African-American Heritage Preservation Grant program received level funding at $1 million. Beginning in FY20, the Maryland Historical Society will receive $250,000 to establish a grant fund for small museums all over Maryland.

These programs have been pivotal in preserving and interpreting some of the state’s finest resources. From the Antietam Battlefield to Historic St. Mary’s City to Smith Island – these programs have touched every corner of the state and provided the necessary funding to allow Marylander’s to preserve the places that matter to them. Unfortunately every year, the amount of grant requests for important preservation and history work across the state far outstrips the amount of funding available.

Our Position: Preservation Maryland emphatically supports increasing the state’s investment in these chronically underfunded programs. A state appropriation of $1 million (split between the Capital and Survey & Research,) would continue to spur a renewed interest in the history of this state and create a catalyst for heritage tourism. An increased appropriation of $3 million for the African American Heritage Grant program would help address the discrepancy between grant requests and funding available. We will also be supporting the Maryland Historical Society as they work to establish their statewide museum grant program.

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