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Tell Your Senators: Protect Community Voices and Historic Places

On October 15, 1966, President Johnson signed the National Historic Preservation Act — a law he said was meant "to give part of our country back to its people." For sixty years it has done exactly that. Before a federally funded project damages a historic place, the people who live there get to be heard. The law hasn't stopped progress — it has made federal projects better, and it's why the Survivor Stairs still stand at the World Trade Center. 

A permitting reform bill now before the Senate (S. 5653) would make much of that consultation optional. Agencies could end the conversation on their own. Fewer places would qualify for review, and fewer harms would count. 

The National Trust opposes these provisions. We support more efficient and predictable federal permitting—but not at the cost of your voice.

Tell your Senators: Oppose the bill as written and demand meaningful changes to its historic preservation provisions.

We encourage you to personalize the letter before sending.

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