Santa Monica Lauded for Preservation Efforts

By Lookout Staff

February 23 - Santa Monica has been designated one of the nation's newest Preserve America Communities, qualifying it for preservation grants and helping raise its status as a visitor destination.

The designation formalized at a ceremony in Monterey last week places Santa Monica among the nation's 220 Preserve America Communities. Fresno and Monterey are the only other California cities to receive the designation.

"There are benefits that come from the program," said Mayor Pam O'Connor, who received certificates signed by Mrs. Laura Bush on Friday. "There is a pot of grant money that is available. Besides the recognition, the ability to compete for grants is very important.

"Our heritage can help with our community's economic vitality," O'Connor said, noting that the City's Convention and Visitor's Bureau can push Santa Monica's designation, boosting tourism.

Designated communities can use the Preserve America logo and are listed in a government Web-based directory to showcase preservation and heritage tourism efforts.

They also are eligible for special existing and proposed Preserve America grants and funding through various government agencies.

"Preserve America communities demonstrate that they are committed to preserving America's heritage while ensuring a future filled with opportunities for learning and enjoyment," Mrs. Bush said in a statement.

The program, she said, "provides strong incentives for continued preservation of our cultural and natural heritage resources. I commend them for their commitment to preserving an important part of our nation's historic past for visitors, neighbors, and, most importantly, for children."

The Preserve America initiative is a White House effort to encourage and support communities trying to preserve and enjoy "America's priceless cultural and natural heritage," according to a statement issued by the program.

The program strives to boost shared knowledge about the nation's past, strengthen regional identities and local pride, increase local participation in preserving the country's cultural and natural heritage assets and support the economic vitality of communities, the statement said.

"There are significant economic, educational, and cultural benefits that historic preservation, through efforts such as heritage tourism, provide a community," John L. Nau, III, chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).

"Sustainable preservation is not a cost for maintaining the past, it is an investment in the future,” Nau said. “These communities are to be commended for their dedication to historic preservation and their vision for the future."

As of January 2005, there were 220 designated Preserve America communities in 34 states, including one American Indian tribe.