Executive Summary

In conjunction with its May 9, 2003, quarterly meeting, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) hosted a second summit meeting of Federal agencies to discuss cultural heritage tourism. As was apparent at the first summit meeting in November 2002, many Federal agencies are already supporting heritage tourism in various ways through their missions and programs. In light of the Administration’s recent signing of Executive Order 13287, “Preserve America,” and the launch of the Preserve America initiative, this meeting provided an opportunity to hear about current efforts in support of Preserve America’s goals and to begin discussing ways to improve the coordination and consistency of such efforts.

In addition to members, observers, and staff of the ACHP, the meeting included representatives from six cabinet departments and 19 sub-agencies, bureaus, and independent agencies. Federal attendees included representatives of the Departments of Agriculture (Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forest
Service), Commerce (Economic Development Administration, International Trade Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), Defense (Installations and Environment, Legacy Program, Army, including the Center of Military History, Navy), Housing and Urban Development, Interior (Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, including the Recreation One-Stop Project, National Park Service, including the Heritage Areas and National Trails System Programs), and Transportation (Federal Highway Administration), as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities, the Smithsonian Institution, and the United States Postal Service.

The program opened with remarks from John Nau, ACHP Chairman, followed by a video presentation of First Lady Laura Bush’s announcement of Preserve America at the National Association of Counties on March 3, 2003. The session continued with presentations by Kit Kimball, Director, Office of External and Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of the Interior; Sandy Baruah, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration, Department of Commerce; Douglas Baker, Deputy Assistant Secretary, International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce; and John Fowler, Executive
Director, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

Following the presentations, the group divided into two facilitated discussions: one on issues in treating Federal resources as heritage tourism assets for land- and property-managing agencies, chaired by ACHP member Mayor Bob Young, and one on issues in assisting non-Federal parties with heritage tourism development for assistance agency and program representatives, chaired by ACHP member Susan Schanlaber. Agencies were asked to share their views on several issue areas and to consider appropriate follow-up actions.

Participants in the breakout groups indicated that it might be productive to establish an interagency working group on Federal involvement in heritage tourism. A survey of participants indicated that the highest priority areas to pursue are:

• Increasing coordination of Federal programs supporting heritage tourism,
• Exploring successes and barriers to success in Federal entrepreneurship,
• Ensuring economic sustainability for Federally supported heritage tourism initiatives,
• Establishing measures for success,
• Working with the tourism industry,
• Increasing funding for heritage tourism, and
• Ensuring an adequate educational component in Federal heritage tourism efforts.

Also considered by the group were such areas as: necessary interaction with States, tribes, local governments, and the business community; criteria for evaluating best practices; needed research on a wide range of topics; and improving public information as well as public support through various means. It was emphasized that such a working group should produce concrete products and not duplicate the efforts of other related groups.