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SOHO President's Bi-Monthly Message
March 2017
By Jaye MacAskill
 The recent change of tone in Washington has non-profits of all varieties, including SOHO, bracing for an ominous future. Although we have different organizational goals, we all aspire to serve the common good, and we rely on a stable government and the rule of law to help and protect us in our various pursuits. In less than a month (at the time of this writing), the country has already witnessed preliminary assaults on a broad gamut of issues and institutions that many of us hold dear. For SOHO, some of these threats could directly impact the resources we aim to preserve. The environment, national parks, and laws that protect archaeological, national, and historic sites across the United States: all are suddenly at risk.
Last year, historic preservationists throughout the country were celebrating the centennial of the National Park Service and the 50th anniversary of the 1966 National Preservation Act. The National Preservation Act, also known as Senate Bill 3035, was the most far-reaching preservation legislation ever enacted in the United States. Amended on several occasions over time, the act is intended to preserve the country's historical and archaeological sites. In addition to instituting federal government policies such as Section 108, it created the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, and the State Historic Preservation Offices. In 2016, we were proudly reflecting on these accomplishments that honor and protect our national treasures and cultural legacy.
What a difference a few months makes! Fortunately, historic preservationists tend to be strong people by nature. Winning over politicians and citizens alike to our view that historic sites provide essential links to our past has been long and difficult. We have grown accustomed to fighting for what we believe in, and we will face new threats using every tool at our disposal, especially the law. Importantly, to have our voices heard, we need to be organized, focused, and united to leverage a broad constituency and effectively defend and advance our priorities in Washington.
Almost as quickly as the latest threats have emerged, the response has been rapid, and like-minded non-profits across the country are mobilizing to take action. Nationally, the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA) has teamed up with groups such as the Society for Historical Archaeology, Society for American Archaeology and the American Anthropological Association to form the Coalition for American Heritage. SOHO supports these efforts and coalitions, and we will provide updates on the national situation as it continues to unfold.
To continue to protect local resources and to advocate for historic preservation at the highest levels on behalf of the public, SOHO needs your financial support. A substantial battle chest is crucial to the success of any advocacy group. While SOHO can boast many past victories, it was less than twenty years ago that SOHO was a much smaller organization and did not have the means to fight in court to stop the demolition of a presidential library on Sixth Avenue. Now more than ever, we need your monetary donations to help balance the scales of power. If you want to join SOHO in our legal battles and advocacy, please give to SOHO today. We thank you for your contributions of any size.
On a final note, because I prefer being lighthearted and less "doom-and-gloom" in my columns, I'd like to mention that in addition to resilience, many preservationists also tackle challenges with a strong sense of humor. History does indeed matter, and this is why I encourage everyone who has the opportunity to visit Washington, D.C. to check out a little-known house museum operated by the National Park Service. It's the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site, and it's a really, really great place to discover somebody who's done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more. I haven't personally been there yet, but I'm sure the Frederick Douglass House is tremendous!
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