The National Park Service (NPS) today announced $2.4 million in History of Equal Rights grants, through the Historic Preservation Fund, to fund 6 projects in 6 states that will preserve sites related to the struggle of all Americans for equality.
“As we begin the celebration of Pride Month, we reflect on the diverse and complex history of all Americans who fought for the equal rights of their people,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “The new History of Equal Rights grants program supports our state, tribal, local, and nonprofit partners in the physical preservation of historic sites related to the struggle for equal rights.”
Congress appropriated funding for the History of Equal Rights Grant Program in 2020 through the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars, with the intent to mitigate the loss of a non-renewable resource to benefit the preservation of other irreplaceable resources.
Established in 1977, the HPF is authorized at $150 million per year through 2023, and has provided more than $2 billion in historic preservation grants to states, tribes, local governments, and non-profit organizations. Administered by the NPS, HPF funds may be appropriated by Congress to support a variety of historic preservation projects to help preserve the nation’s cultural resources.