PRC Advocacy and Education Director MaryNell Nolan-Wheatley joined the Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation on March 4 to meet with congressional staff on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. to advocate for long-term reauthorization of the Historic Preservation Fund to provide $250 million for State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and competitive grant programs. The meetings occurred during Advocacy Week hosted by Preservation Action and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers.
The Historic Preservation Fund, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026, is a line item in the Department of Interior budget allocated via the National Park Service. It helps State Historic Preservation Offices fulfill their federally mandated duties, including facilitating listings in the National Register of Historic Places, reviewing the effects of federally funded or permitted projects on historic properties, and managing the state and federal Historic Tax Credit programs.
Louisiana boasts one of the most successful Historic Tax Credit programs in the country, consistently ranking within the top 10 states in terms of number of projects completed each year. Since 2017 in Louisiana alone, historic tax credits have generated over $4.4 billion in investment. Funding the HPF is critical to maintaining the future success of this program in Louisiana.
The PRC applauds the efforts of the Louisiana delegation in Washington D.C. including Carrie Broussard (State Historic Preservation Officer) and Andrea McCarthy (Tax Credit Program Director) both with the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development Division of Historic Preservation; Dr. Rachel Watson (State Archaeologist and Director) with the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development Division of Archaeology; John T. Campo, Jr., president and founder of Campo Architecture and Interiors and Shelby Shankle, the firm’s Historian; and Patrick West of Stonehenge Capital.
