Administration releases 2008 budget recommendations

On February 5, President George W. Bush released his budget recommendations for FY2008. The Administration’s recommendation for the Department of Interior and historic preservation programs within that agency’s budget tracked for the most part with the Administration’s proposal last year. $63,658,000 has been recommended for Historic Preservation Fund programs. Of this amount, $35,717,000 is recommended for State Historic Preservation Offices, $4,000,000 has been proposed for historic resource survey, and $3,941,000 has been recommended for Tribal Historic Preservation Offices. $10,000,000 is recommended for the Save America’s Treasures program. An equal amount is recommended for Preserve America program grants. No funding has been recommended for the Historically Black Colleges and Universities program, according to House Interior Appropriations staff. National Heritage Area funding is not included within the HPF as was proposed in the President’s FY2007 budget. Heritage areas, referred to as the “heritage partnership program” receive $10,000,000 in the President’s recommendation; down from $14,000,000 estimated to be spent in this area in FY2007.