Durbin, Dewine Introduce Bill to Preserve Historic Presidential Sites

DURBIN, DEWINE INTRODUCE BILL TO PRESERVE HISTORIC PRESIDENTIAL SITES

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) have introduced the Presidential Sites Improvement Act (S. 431) to create new partnerships between private and public entities to preserve and maintain historic presidential sites, including birthplaces, homes, and tombs.

"Illinois was home to former presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan," said Durbin. "Visiting the cities and towns where presidents once lived and worked is one of the best ways for Americans living today to gain a real understanding of what led these men to the highest office in the nation. This legislation will help those communities preserve these homes, gravesites and other important presidential sites so they are open for future generations to explore."

State and local agencies, family foundations, colleges and universities, historic preservation organizations and other non-profit groups manage most of the presidential sites around the country. The costs of operating and maintaining these important sites are significant. As a result, necessary maintenance projects are often postponed and many sites are left in need of funding for capital, technological and interpretive display improvements.

The Durbin-DeWine bill would establish a five-member commission to make grant recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior. The commission would include the Director of the National Park Service, a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and a state historic preservation officer. Up to $5 million in competitive grant funds would be made available each year and would require at least 50 percent in non-federal matching funds.

http://durbin.senate.gov/releases.cfm