Advocacy Alert + Call to Action: Contact your members of Congress in support of the Historic Preservation Fund today!

Preservation New Jersey has engaged with every member of New Jersey’s Congressional Delegation to underscore the critical importance of the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). Together with our statewide network of preservation partners and advocates, we are dedicated to ensuring that New Jersey’s elected officials in Washington fully recognize how essential the HPF and related federal programs are to the health, vitality, and future of our communities.

New Jersey’s historic places tell the story of our nation—and they need your voice now.

We need YOU to take action. Please contact your representatives in Congress and urge them to support the HPF.

Here’s a call script you can use when reaching out to your members of Congress:

“Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I am a resident of [Your City or Town], New Jersey.

I am calling to urge you to help facilitate the immediate release of Fiscal Year 2025 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) funding and to support strong, sustained funding for the HPF in Fiscal Year 2026.

Congress must immediately approve the FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity so that New Jersey’s State Historic Preservation Office and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices can continue to safeguard our state’s historic places and cultural resources.

I also urge you to demonstrate bipartisan commitment to preserving our nation’s history—especially as we approach the 250th anniversary of our country in 2026—by fully funding the HPF in FY 2026. These funds are essential for SHPOs to meet their federal responsibilities under the National Historic Preservation Act and to continue supporting preservation projects in communities across the state.

The Historic Preservation Fund is a lifeline for preservation efforts in New Jersey. FY 2025 funds have yet to be released, leaving projects on hold and agencies underfunded, despite Congressional approval. Even more alarming, the President’s FY 2026 budget proposes to cut nearly all HPF funding—jeopardizing the future of historic preservation nationwide.

Our communities rely on the HPF to support affordable housing, encourage heritage tourism, preserve local identity, and drive economic development. These threats come on top of severe staffing cuts at the National Park Service, further delaying project reviews and undermining preservation efforts.

Please take action now to protect this vital fund and our shared heritage.”

Don’t want to make a phone call? Send a letter via Preservation Action or the National Trust for Historic Preservation