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(FWD) NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #41, October 4, 2001



NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE, Vol. 7, #41, October 4, 2001
by Bruce Craig <rbcraig@nccph.org
National Coordinating Committee for the Promotion of History (NCCPH)
*****************

1.   NCC Annual Contribution Appeal
2.   Legislative Setbacks Noted In Light Of Terrorist Attacks
3.   Update: Events of September 11
4.   New Chair of House Resources Committee
5.   Legislation Introduced: Cesar Chavez Study Act; Family History Month
Resolution
6.   Update: "Save America's Treasures" Program
7.   News Bits and Bytes: New Archives Security System; History News Service;
NPS Appointment

1.  NCC ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION APPEAL
The NCCPH is supported by the voluntary donations of over 60 member
organizations which collectively provide most of the NCCPH's annual operating
budget.  As we approach the end of our fiscal year, we are pleased to report
that in 2001, with the addition of a few new institutional supporters and
increased organizational contributions from existing members, the NCCPH will
be able to sustain its annual operating budget without tapping into
organizational reserves. Nevertheless, the NCCPH did opt to conduct a
strategic planning workshop in FY 2001 rather than in FY 2002 as originally
planned, and consequently we have incurred some additional expenses that were
not included in our annual operating budget estimate.

This year, in appreciation of NCCPH's work including its timely production of
the NCC WASHINGTON UPDATE and other advocacy activities designed to advance
the interests of the historical and archival community, the NCCPH Board of
Directors invite you to please consider making a contribution to the
organization in the amount of $10, $25, $50 or whatever you deem fitting in
this once-a-year appeal.

Send your checks - payable to "NCCPH" to the National Coordinating Committee,
400 A Street SE, Washington D.C. 20003.  Please note that as an educational
institution organized under Section 501-(c)-4 of the Internal Revenue Code,
individual and corporate contributions to the NCCPH are NOT deductible as
charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

2.  LEGISLATIVE SETBACKS NOTED IN LIGHT OF TERRORIST ATTACKS
One of the side effects of the recent terrorist attacks is Congress's
decision to put on hold a number of legislative proposals that before
September 11 were high on the domestic agenda.  Among the bills put on hold
(probably until next year) is the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 2001
(H.R. 701; CARA), the National Monument Fairness Act (H.R. 2114), and the
E-Government Act of 2001 (S. 803).

CARA, which sought to make changes to the use of funds derived from offshore
oil and natural gas revenues, cleared the House Resources Committee by a 29
to 12 vote and had over 240 co-sponsors.  The Senate was scheduled to
consider two competing versions of the measure, one (S. 1328) introduced by
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA), the other (S. 1318), by Senator Frank Murkowski
(R-AK).

The Monuments bill sought to make sweeping changes to the 1906 Antiquities
Act. Introduced by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID), the legislation, among other
provisions, sought to curb presidential designation of national monuments and
required consultation with governors and congressional delegations prior to
presidential designation.  Following contentious debate, the bill passed the
House Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands in August.

The E-Government legislation promised to bring a degree of coordination and
discipline to the way federal agencies made use of information technology.
Introduced by Senator Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), the measure was to allocate
$200 million a year to encourage the development of interagency e-government
projects. The Administration wants to spend far less. Attempts to reconcile
disagreements had not moved beyond low-level discussion by staff.

3. UPDATE: EVENTS OF SEPTEMBER 11
Word comes from the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in New
York City that the Heye Center and Museum's objects were not affected by dust
and soot.  Conservation staff report that there was no damage to objects on
display. Apparently the Museum's air handling system was closed down shortly
after the blast. The Museum is again open to the public and has resumed its
normal hours of operation.

The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress has initiated the
"September 11, 2001 Documentary Project" and is calling upon folklorists
across the nation to document on audio tape the thoughts and feelings
expressed by citizens and others following the tragic events of September 11,
2001.  The Center will collect and preserve audio-taped interviews that
present stories of personal experiences in the wake of the terrorist attacks
and what many have called "an act of war." The recordings and supporting
documentary materials will become part of the Center's Archive of Folk
Culture.  To receive copies of interview release forms or for further
information, contact the American Folklife Center at (202) 707-5510; e-Mail:
folklife@loc.gov.

4.  NEW CHAIR OF HOUSE RESOURCES COMMITTEE
Shortly after the death of Rep. Floyd Spence (R-SC), Rep. Joel Hefley (R-CO)
stepped down as chair of the House Resources Committee Subcommittee on
National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands to assume the chairmanship of
the Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Readiness.  Replacing Hefley is
conservative member Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA).

Born in Mariposa California, Radanovich was elected to Congress in 1994.  He
has served as Western Caucus chairman, has served on the parks subcommittee,
and has been a member of the full House Resources Committee for seven years.
Upon becoming Chairman, Radanovich stated, "I am honored to have been
appointed Chairman of this great subcommittee...I am eager to address the
concerns of those who live closest to the land, and ensure that common-sense
policies are applied and adhered to in our parks and public lands."

5.  LEGISLATION INTRODUCED:
Cesar Estrada Chavez Study Act:
Rep. Hilda L. Solis (D-CA) has introduced legislation (H.R. 2966) to
authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study
of sites associated with the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement
to determine appropriate methods for preservation and interpretation. The
measure was referred to the House Committee on Resources, Subcommittee on
National Parks, Recreation and Public Lands with a request for Executive
Comment from the Department of the Interior.

Chavez's life as a labor organizer and founder of the National Farm Workers
Association (later United Farm Workers of America) is well documented.  The
study will transcend Chavez's life as the Secretary is to assess the broader
issue - the history of agricultural labor in the West. The legislation
authorizes $300,000 for the special three-year study. The report is to assess
sites for potential inclusion as units of the National Park System, and is to
identify and determine the eligibility of sites for listing on the National
Register of Historic Places or for listing as National Historic Landmarks.

Family History Month:
In recognition that researching family history is a "very important component
to self-identity," the Senate passed legislation (S. Res. 60) designating
October as "Family History Month."  Co-sponsored by 84 members, the
resolution requests the President issue a proclamation calling upon the
people of the United States "to observe the month with appropriate ceremonies
and activities."

6.  UPDATE: "SAVE AMERICA'S TREASURERS" PROGRAM
Last month, the National Park Service (NPS) and the National Endowment for
the Arts (NEA) announced $13.7 million in grants for the "Save America's
Treasurers" program.  Some 55 projects  in 27 states plus the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico were awarded funds ranging from $50,00 to $500,000.
The grants are administered by the NPS in partnership with the NEA and are
designed to be used for critically needed repairs and  restoration efforts
for some of the nations most threatened historic places, archives, and
artifacts.

Selection criteria require that each project funded 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.  Because each grant requires non-federal matching
funds, the program has stimulated contributions from states, localities,
corporations, foundations, and individuals.

Although the passage of the FY 2002 appropriations bill in its present form
is somewhat uncertain in the aftermath of recent national tragedies, funding
for the fourth year of grants looks promising. The Bush Administration
recommended $30 million for the program in the Interior Department
appropriation.  First Lady Laura Bush, who has a long-term interest in
preservation, publically stated her support for the program in a May 11
interview on PBS's NewsHour with Jim Lehrer and has agreed to serve as the
program's Honorary Chair.

The NPS and NEA are working to give this next year's applicants more guidance
on their applications. Guidelines and applications will be posted on the NPS
website in late December 2001 at www2.cr.nps.gov/treasures

Archive Managers PLEASE NOTE - In a recent information meeting with Save
America's Treasures program managers, the NCC learned that only 20% of the
applications came from preservation projects for collections while the other
80% of the applications sought funding for buildings and structures projects.
In the briefing, program managers indicated that they would like to see more
collections and artwork project submissions in the next application cycle and
would like to raise the relative distribution of preservation funds awarded
for archives related projects.

One of the stumbling blocks to increasing the number of applications appears
to be the challenge of demonstrating the "national significance" of archival
projects; there is no equivalent in the archival world to the National
Historic Landmark program or National Register of Historic Places both of
which help provide a framework for assessing the national significance of
historic structures and buildings. For advice and assistance relating to
archival projects, interested archivists should call the NEA's Kim Jefferson
(202.682-5516) or Michael McLaughlin (202.682-5457).

8.  BITS AND BYTES:
Item #1- New Archives Security System:
Diebold Incorporated of North Canton, Ohio, will construct three customized
high-tech vaults to protect the United States Constitution, the Declaration
of Independence, and the Bill of Rights at the main National Archives
building in Washington D.C.  The physical security system includes a
customized retraction system that will allow the documents to be displayed
during the day and retracted into the safety of a secure vault overnight.

Item #2 - History News Service:
NCC readers may wish to know of the History News Service (HNS), the
five-year-old "op-ed" syndicate co-directed by James M. Banner, Jr., and
Joyce Appleby.  HNS distributes op-ed articles, written by professional
historians, that contextualize current events in historical terms.  Now sent
regularly to over 300 newspapers, wire services, and other outlets in North
America, HNS articles have appeared in most of the nation's major
metropolitan daily newspapers that accept articles for non-exclusive use--
for instance, the Miami Herald, the Chicago Tribune, the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution, the Denver Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the
Sacramento Bee.  HNS pieces are also used by "Talking History," the weekly
radio program produced at Creighton University, and by the
HistoryNewsNetwork, the website dedicated to history and current events.  The
service is open to all professional historians.  Guidelines about writing for
HNS and other information pertinent to it can be found at
http//h-net.msu.edu/~hns.

Item #3 - NPS Appointment:
The National Park Service (NPS) has announced the appointment of Donald W.
Murphy, recent director of the Department of Parks and Recreation for the
City of Sacramento, California, to the position of Deputy Director of the
NPS.  Murphy is a seasoned professional who served as director of the
California Department of Parks and Recreation from 1991-1997.  He is a
co-founder of the Americans for Our Heritage and Recreation, an organization
dedicated to full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).
Murphy will replace Jacqueline Lowey.  The NPS's second Deputy Director,
Denis Galvin, remains in office and has not yet announced his future plans.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  * * * * *
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