In early March, Washington Trust staff members and our team of citizen advocates traveled to Washington, D.C., for National Preservation Advocacy Week. Together, we met with our state’s representatives and senators to emphasize the value of preservation to Washington’s communities. Every year, this is our chance to speak directly to the senators, representatives, and other high-level lawmakers who can enact real change to federal historic preservation policy and budgets.

Our Delegation

Despite our distance from the nation’s capital, Washington State is known for always bringing a robust contingent to Preservation Advocacy. This year’s delegation was 12 members strong:

  • Chris Moore, Washington Trust, Seattle
  • Moira Nadal, Washington Trust, Seattle
  • Dr. Allyson Brooks, Department of Archaeology & Historic Preservation, Olympia
  • Christina Bruning, Downtown Issaquah Association, Issaquah
  • Edna Fund, Washington Trust, Centralia
  • Temple Lentz, The Historic Trust, Vancouver
  • Noah Oliver, Yakama Nation, Toppenish
  • Paul Parker, Washington Trust/Olympia Historical Society, Olympia
  • Huy Pham, Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation, Seattle
  • Olive Theodore, Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle
  • Michael Walker, Vancouver’s Downtown Association, Vancouver
  • Cameron Wong, Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation/Renton Downtown Partnership, Renton

Our Meetings

In just two days, our delegation met with the offices of every Washington State Congressional representative:

  • Senator Maria Cantwell
  • Senator Patty Murray
  • Representative Suzan DelBene (District 1) 
  • Representative Rick Larsen (District 2) 
  • Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (District 3) 
  • Representative Dan Newhouse (District 4) 
  • Representative Michael Baumgartner (District 5) 
  • Representative Emily Randall (District 6) 
  • Representative Pramila Jayapal (District 7) 
  • Representative Kim Schrier (District 8) 
  • Representative Adam Smith (District 9) 
  • Representative Marilyn Strickland (District 10) 
  • Representatives from Governor Bob Ferguson’s D.C. office

Our Talking Points

Naturally, there were a lot of topics to advocate for in our brief time on the Hill, but we were up for the challenge! Here were the issues we covered:

  • Advocacy for $225 million in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund in Fiscal Year 2026, including:
    • $70 million for State Historic Preservation Offices
    • $34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
    • $40 million for Save America’s Treasures
    • $28 million for the African American Civil Rights Grant Program
    • $17 million for Paul Bruhn Historic Revitalization Grants
    • $13 million for HBCU preservation Grants
    • $11 million for the Semiquincentennial Grant Program
    • $7 million for the History of Equal Rights Grant Program
    • $5 million for Underrepresented Communities Grants
  • Advocacy for continued support for National Heritage Areas, including the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area
  • Advocacy for the continued leasing of the Cadillac Hotel in Seattle’s Pioneer Square as the home of the Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park/Klondike Gold Rush Museum
  • Advocacy and concern for the mass firings of federal employees across multiple agencies

Our Takeaways

Overall, we received positive messages of support for historic preservation and heritage in our meetings with Washington’s Congressional representatives, though it was repeatedly noted that there’s much uncertainty at the federal level right now. We at the Washington Trust will keep in touch with our Congressional representatives throughout the year to continue to share our concerns, advocate for preservation programs and policies, and make our voice heard.

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