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 Week. 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
  • Damien Davis, Washington Trust/African American Community Cultural & Educational Society (AACCES), Richland
  • Karen Fraser, Washington Trust and former State Senator, Olympia
  • Edna Fund, Washington Trust and former Lewis County Commissioner, Centralia
  • Lauren Miles, 4Culture, Seattle
  • Burr Neely, American Cultural Resources Association, Bellingham
  • Noah Oliver, Cultural Resources staff with the Yakama Nation, Ellensburg
  • Huy Pham, Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP), Seattle
  • Michael Walker, Washington Trust/Vancouver’s Downtown Association, Vancouver
  • Cameron Wong, Asian & Pacific Islander Americans in Historic Preservation (APIAHiP), Issaquah

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 $250 million in funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) in Fiscal Year 2027, including:
    • $70 million for State Historic Preservation Offices
    • $34 million for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices
    • $25 million for the Preservation Technology Initiative
    • $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 (Historically Black Colleges & Universities) 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
  • Support for H.R. 3418, legislation that would re-authorize the HPF at $250 million annually for 10 years
  • Advocacy for continued support for National Heritage Areas, including the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area and the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area
  • Support for H.R. 2941/S. 1459, legislation that would improve the federal Historic Tax Credit Program—a program through which more than 21,000 units of housing were created in federal fiscal year 2025

Our Takeaways

Overall, we received positive messages of support for historic preservation and heritage in our meetings with Washington’s Congressional representatives. To wit:

  • 7 out of 10 of Washington State’s Congressional House Members have signed on to a Dear Colleague letter supporting funding the HPF at $250 million for Fiscal Year 2025
  • 5 out of 7 Congressional House Members with a National Heritage Area within their district have signed on to a Dear Colleague letter supporting funding the National Heritage Area Program at $33.5 million for Fiscal Year 2025

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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