The League joins our colleagues at Adirondack Architectural Heritage in supporting Assembly Bill 7535A (Jones) and Senate Bill 7868 (Stec), which amends Article 14 of the NYS Constitution to convey land to Debar Pond Institute in order to facilitate the preservation of the historic Debar Pond Lodge. We urge you to make your voice heard to support this measure as well! Please contact Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie (518.455.3791) and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (518.455.2715) by phone before this Friday, May 27. If not passed before June 2, Debar will have to wait an additional two years for any possibility of restoration.

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From aarch.org:

Adirondack Architectural Heritage (AARCH) enthusiastically supports Assembly Bill 7535A (Jones) and Senate Bill 7868 (Stec), which amends Article 14 of the New York State Constitution to convey land to Debar Pond Institute in order to facilitate the preservation of the historic Debar Pond Lodge. For over 15 years, AARCH has advocated for the preservation and public use of Debar Pond Lodge and put the property on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

This legislation responds to the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation’s proposal to demolish the lodge, replacing it a Debar Lodge Day Use Area, following 17 years of ownership during which the buildings were unused. In exchange for adding 400 acres of nearby land to the Adirondack Forest Preserve, approximately six acres of land including Debar Pond Lodge will transfer to the nonprofit Debar Pond Institute, who will provide public programming and educational opportunities at the site.

The constitutional amendment outlined in A.7535A/S.7868 will accomplish the following:

• Save the NYS & National Register-listed Debar building complex from destruction

• Allow organizations to use the Debar Pond Lodge for public educational programs, workshops, events, accommodations, and tours

• Enhance the New York State Forest Preserve in the Adirondacks by at least 400 acres

• Disburse use of the Forest Preserve away from the overused High Peaks region

• Provide jobs and economic benefits to the local area

• Save New York State a half-million dollars or so in demolition and site improvement costs

• Maintain and facilitate public access, including new handicapped access, to Debar Pond and the surrounding Forest Preserve

A.7535A/S.7868 has the support of a broad-based coalition of local and regional government, historic preservation, environmental, and economic development interests, including Adirondack Wild, Adirondack Diversity Initiative, Adirondack North Country Association, Town of Duane, Franklin County Board of Legislators, Adirondack Association of Towns and Villages, and the Adirondack Local Government Review Board.

We applaud the introduction of these bills and urge the Assembly and Senate to pass them during the 2022 session. Thank you to Assemblymembers Jones, Simpson, and Englebright and Senator Stec for their leadership.

The NYS Climate Action Council has developed a Draft Scoping Plan that serves as an initial framework for how New York State will meet the climate goals established in the 2019 Climate Leadership and Protection Act (Climate Act). The Draft Scoping Plan includes extensive language about making buildings more energy-efficient, but does not discuss ways to encourage building reuse as a strategy that reduces wasteful energy expenditures associated with demolition, reconstruction, and the discarding of building materials. 

The Council is accepting public comments on the Draft Scoping Plan until June 10, 2022. We encourage preservation advocates to submit comments highlighting the essential role of historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and the diversion of building materials from landfills in combating climate change.

• Our Colleagues at Historic Ithaca and their CR0WD partners have put together an excellent comment guide.

• Link to scoping plan

• Link to submit comments

• Or email comments to scopingplan@nyserda.ny.gov

This press release is cross-posted from parks.ny.gov

Repair of Historic Barns Can Qualify for 25% New York State Tax Credit

New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation announced the launch of the revitalized Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit program. The new program allows state taxpayers who rehabilitate their historic barns to earn a credit against state income tax owed.

"New York's rural landscapes are characterized by historic barns, forming the identities of many communities," said Erik Kulleseid, Commissioner of the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. "Retaining these historic structures, are among the state's most threatened historic resources, contributes to heritage tourism and expands opportunities for the state's agricultural economy. State Parks is pleased to add this program to its existing historic tax credit programs."

The amount of the tax credit is equal to 25% of the expenditures incurred to rehabilitate a historic barn. To qualify, a barn must have been built prior to 1946, and the work must be approved by the Division for Historic Preservation. Taxpayers can begin to claim the credit on their 2022 New York State taxes.

Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation reinstating and improving the barn tax credit program, which had been limited in availability due to 2018 federal tax code changes. The legislation was sponsored by State Senator Michelle Hinchey of the 46th District, and Assemblymember Didi Barrett of the 106th District.

"New York's historic barns are emblematic of our agricultural heritage and a testament to upstate's economic leadership as the original breadbasket of America," said Senator Michelle Hinchey. "Thanks to our bill to revive the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit program, we are making it more affordable for New Yorkers to give these beloved buildings a new shot at life. Historic preservation is an important driver of rural revitalization, and I am so proud to have sponsored the legislation that will help save thousands of historic barns from disrepair, boosting local economies and local pride in the process."

"I was proud to sponsor legislation to resurrect the New York State Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit, and I am delighted that the statewide application process is now open," said Assemblymember Didi Barrett. "In the Hudson Valley – once the breadbasket of our young nation – historic barns are an iconic testament to our region's deep agricultural roots. This tax credit will incentivize the next generation of farmers and small business owners to grow their businesses here in New York State, while preserving some of our most picturesque and historic structures!"

"The Preservation League of NYS is grateful to Governor Hochul for signing the Historic Barn Rehabilitation Tax Credit into law, and to Senator Hinchey and Assemblymember Barrett for their leadership on this important preservation issue," said Preservation League President Jay DiLorenzo. "This credit is a much-needed resource for barn owners across the state, who thanks to this program, will be able to make vital repairs and bring countless barns back to life – either reinvigorating their agricultural function or adaptively reusing them for innovative new purposes."

Program information and staff contact information can be found on the Division for Historic Preservation's website www.parks.ny.gov/shpo/tax-credit-programs/. Applications can be mailed to 1 Delaware Avenue North, Cohoes, 12047 (for express mail services) or to P.O. Box 189, Waterford, NY 12188 (for USPS mail service).

On Wednesday May 18, 2022 at 6:00 PM, a Historic Barn Tax Credit Information Session will be held at Glimmerglass State Park, Lakeview Pavilion, 1527 County Road 31, Cooperstown, NY 13326. Olivia Brazee from the State Historic Preservation Office and Ellen Pope, executive director of Otsego 2000, will walk participants through the requirements for receiving the credit. The event is free but registration is recommended at: https://forms.donorsnap.com/form?id=315d40c2-8bcc-4086-87c6-df061aeed264

New York State’s 2023 budget was approved on Saturday, April 9, totaling $220 billion. While we are still gathering the details included in the budget, there are some highlights relating to preservation that we wanted to call out. 

New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs

The New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs (residential/income producing) are currently authorized until December 31, 2024. As that date draws closer, those who want to utilize the credits will wonder if they will be available when they are ready to proceed with their projects. In response, the League worked with our colleagues to request the reauthorization of the programs through December 31, 2029. We were pleased to see that the budget proposal from the NYS Assembly included a recommendation to extend the programs through December 31, 2031, but that proposal did not make into the final budget agreement. We will need to make a concerted push for inclusion in the 2024 budget to ensure the continuation of these programs.

Environmental Protection Fund (EPF)

In November, the League and our colleagues advocated for increasing the EPF to $500 million in the 2023 budget. While the final budget didn’t reach our requested amount, we are happy to report that funding for the EPF increased considerably to $400 million. Until now, the EPF was capped at $300 million by statute although for a number of years it did not reach that level. The EPF provides capital funding to protect the environment and to restore historic sites. Funds related to preservation are managed by the Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP). The amount of the EPF earmarked for historic preservation grants is determined internally but we are hopeful that with the overall increase in the fund, we will see increased grant opportunities for preservation.

Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act

The budget established a proposed $4.2 billion bond act that will require approval in November by New York voters. This is a significant increase in the value of the Bond Act, which was first proposed in 2019 at $3 billion but was delayed due to Covid-19. Although $400 million is earmarked for “Green Building Projects,” this act does not contain any funds directed specifically to historic preservation and is entirely focused on making “environmental improvements that preserve, enhance, and restore NY’s natural resources and reduce the impact of climate change by funding capital projects.”

Limit on Size of Residential Development

Governor Hochul’s proposed Executive Budget included a plan to lift the decades-old statewide limit on the allowable size of new residential development. The Governor’s proposal would have lifted the current limit on residential floor area ratio (FAR) which stands at 12. This would have effectively allowed New York City in particular to permit residential construction of any size. The League’s colleagues in New York City worked successfully to keep this proposal from being included in the final budget.

Operations Budgets

The approved budget for NYSOPRHP has been significantly increased to $463 million. Within the agency, historic preservation received a 21% budget increase predominately to fund staff positions to respond to an overwhelming workload. The majority of the overall increase for OPRHP was $250M for Capital Projects. Previously this was $120M, so this represents a wonderful and needed increase.

The budget included a $140 million commitment for the New York State Council on the Art’s (NYSCA) arts and cultural projects, including $50 million for capital projects. NYSCA is an important source for historic preservation funding through their Capital Projects grants and the Preservation League-administered Preserve New York and Technical Assistance Grant programs.

The League will be sure to share updates as further details of the budget emerge.

This Advocacy Alert comes from Olmsted200. Through events, education, and advocacy at the local and national levels, Olmsted 200 ensures that Frederick Law Olmsted’s legacy lives on by renewing public and policy commitments to the preservation and maintenance of our historic parks and places.

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A Resolution to honor Frederick Law Olmsted's 200th birthday has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI-12) and Rep. French Hill (R-AR-2).

The National Association for Olmsted Parks and Olmsted 200's nine other founding partners are working hard in 2022 to advance the life, work, and legacy of Frederick Law Olmsted during the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Resolution 1013, introduced with bi-partisan support, acknowledges Olmsted’s immense contributions to the nation and provides an opportunity for legislators to come together to recognize and renew attention to Olmsted’s enduring legacy and his advocacy of parks for all people.

But we need your help! Please contact your Representative to become a sponsor. This is a time-sensitive matter. To find your Representative, click here or use ASLA's form letter here. To co-sponsor, please have your Representative reach out to Dylan Frost at dylan.frost@mail.house.gov with Rep. Hill or Kevin Rambosk at kevin.rambosk@mail.house.gov with Rep. Dingell.

Olmsted200 is also encouraging Representatives to introduce remarks into the Congressional Record for Olmsted's birthday on April 26. You can utilize their template proclamation, adding projects in your region or state. To identify local projects, go to OlmstedOnline.org and use the advance search feature. You can also find projects listed on Wikipedia.

This press release is cross-posted from parks.ny.gov.

Dan Keefe | Brian Nearing
(518) 486-1868 | news@parks.ny.gov

Registry to Showcase New York Businesses in Operation For At Least 50 Years

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation today announced the launch of the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry. First proposed by Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell and State Senator Jose M. Serrano, the online registry was established to honor and promote New York businesses that have been in operation for at least 50 years and have contributed to their communities' history. The first round of designations includes 100 businesses across the state.

"Many of our state's homegrown businesses have helped shape the character and identity of the communities that they call home," OPRHP Commissioner Erik Kulleseid said. "From small bakeries owned by generations of the same family, and farms dating back to the 1700s, to manufacturers who ship products around the world, these homegrown businesses serve New Yorkers well. With the launch of the New York State Historic Business Preservation Registry, we are excited to showcase the businesses, large and small, that are the backbone of our state's economy."

The honorary program, which provides educational and promotional assistance to help ensure businesses in the state remain viable, will be coordinated through the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP). An interactive storyboard map, which provides information about the location and history of each business, can be found on the agency website https://parks.ny.gov/historic-preservation/business-registry/default.aspx

State Senator Jose M. Serrano said, "Congratulations to the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation on the commencement of the State Historic Business Registry. This program acknowledges and celebrates the cultural contributions that longstanding businesses provide to their communities, and showcases the local products that have been enjoyed for generations."

Assembly Member Daniel O'Donnell said, "Historic businesses are more than just businesses, they are vital institutions that have shaped and celebrated the history, identity, and culture of the diverse communities they serve. From the delicatessens that have fed immigrant communities for over a hundred years, to the bars that provided safe havens for LGBTQ New Yorkers, to the timeless Hudson Valley inns that were visited by some of our country's founders, New York State has many businesses that serve as invaluable symbols of our pride and heritage. As many businesses face unprecedented challenges that threaten their ability to survive and serve their communities, this Registry is an exciting opportunity to recognize, support, and promote the contributions of historic businesses to our State."

Nominations to the registry must be sponsored by an elected state official. Each elected official may nominate two businesses for inclusion per term. The program is non-competitive, and as long as the nomination criteria are met, businesses will be added to the registry. Business owners will be presented with certificates by the sponsor of their nomination and given window decals with the program logo. Anyone interested in having a business added to the registry should reach out to their state representative.

This statement is cross-posted from our colleagues at the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. The statement was released in response to calls to close locks on the canal system to prevent the spread of the invasive Round goby. The League agrees with their sentiment that, “Commercial and recreational navigation and invasive species mitigation can co-exist if all the stakeholders are willing to engage in open dialogue and seek long-term solutions.” Click here for a PDF.

A recent campaign to “Close one lock to save Lake Champlain from invasive fish” calls attention to environmental threats posed by the Round goby should it reach Lake Champlain via the Hudson River and Champlain Canal. However, the simple proposal put forth is wholly inadequate for managing a complex international waterway with multiple users and stakeholders.

Closing “just one lock” on the Champlain Canal or “one guard gate” on the Erie Canal sounds simple enough. But such a closure would severely impede and most likely eliminate all recreational and commercial boat traffic between Canada and the U.S. via New York waterways. These measures threaten to erase decades of waterfront investments made by communities all along New York’s canals and the Hudson River. And they threaten to significantly alter a legendary waterway about to celebrate its bicentennial.

Worse, closing a lock on the Champlain Canal, or a guard gate on the Erie Canal, would not eliminate the possibility of the Round goby reaching Lake Champlain. People spread the Round goby through the improper use and disposal of live bait. It spreads when watercraft, including boats, swim rafts, and other equipment are moved from one body of water to another, often by trailer. It spreads by ballast water discharged by transatlantic ships using the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System, which connects to Lake Champlain via the Richelieu River and Chambly Canal at the northern end of the lake.

The NYS Canal System adds to the vitality and economies of cities, towns, and villages along its length, as well as communities along the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers, Lake Champlain, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie. Boaters using the Canal System to travel throughout eastern North America also contribute to communities along the Atlantic Seaboard from Maine to Florida to the Great Lakes. Businesses that languished through the pandemic, including restaurants and marinas, depend on through-boaters to survive. Closing “just one lock” and one guard gate would eliminate all long distance through-traffic and could deal a fatal blow to those local proprietors.

The NYS Canal System continues to play a critical role in New York’s transportation network. While commercial traffic is no longer the canals’ chief use, bulk cargoes (e.g., crushed stone) and high value specialty cargoes (e.g., Genesee Brewery tanks, General Electric steam turbine rotors, U.S. Navy sonar components) continue to be shipped via canal. In some cases, the canal provides the only viable method of transporting these shipments. Do we really want to give up a low carbon means to move these components and other bulk cargoes via vessels that may be too large or costly to move by land?

The State of New York, local communities and businesses, the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor, and many others have been reimagining New York’s canals for more than 20 years – and making great strides. An effort to close the NYS Canal System without having a more robust public dialogue is much too extreme.

We share valid concerns regarding the spread of invasive species. But we need smarter solutions that carefully consider the environmental, economic, and community impacts of both threats and proposed mitigation measures.

We believe a win-win scenario where the NYS Canal System can remain an integral economic component of the Empire State’s future while also mitigating the spread of invasive species is possible. Let’s employ and test invasive species mitigation techniques, such as bubble screens and bio-acoustic fencing, before taking more dramatic measures such as lock closure.

Commercial and recreational navigation and invasive species mitigation can co-exist if all the stakeholders are willing to engage in open dialogue and seek long-term solutions.

Contacts:
Bob Radliff, Executive Director, bob_radliff@partner.nps.gov
Jean Mackay, Director of Communications, jean_mackay@partner.nps.gov

The Preservation League was pleased to join our colleagues from the New York State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and the New York Landmarks Conservancy to make up the New York delegation for Federal Preservation Advocacy Week, March 7-11. Our group held 14 meetings with Congressional and Senate staff, and we hope to convene additional meetings in coming weeks.

Like our peers from over 40 other states, plus Guam and the Federated States of Micronesia, we conveyed three main requests in our meetings. We asked legislators to:

1. Sign a letter in support of a $200 million appropriation for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) appropriation for Fiscal Year 2023. The HPF, which provides funding for SHPOs, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), and numerous grant programs, has been authorized at $150 million since it was established in 1976. From 2009 to 2021, the annual appropriation for the HPF ranged from $54 million to $153 million. The FY 2022 appropriation, announced during Advocacy Week when the appropriations bill for the current fiscal year was finally passed, is the highest ever at $173 million, including about $74 million to support the work of SHPOs and THPOs, with the rest dedicated to specific grants and preservation projects.

2. Co-sponsor H.R. 6589, the Historic Preservation Enhancement Act, recently introduced by Representatives Teresa Leger Fernandez and Earl Blumenauer. This bill permanently authorizes the Historic Preservation Fund, increases its authorization from $150 million to $300 million, and ensures $300 million is appropriated for the HPF each year. This represents a significant, much-needed improvement to the HPF. This new legislation has a handful of co-sponsors so far, including Congressman Joseph Morelle from New York’s 25th district. Preservation advocates have long asked for an increase in the HPF to reflect the growing workload of SHPOs and THPOs. The increase reflected in the FY2022 appropriation is welcome news, and signals the importance of raising the authorization so that this year’s bump won’t be an anomaly. The recently passed infrastructure bill creates an urgent need to increase SHPO and THPO funding, as staff face an imminent influx of billions of dollars’ worth of new construction projects that will require review.

3. Co-sponsor H.R. 2294, the Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2021 (“HTC-GO”), introduced last year by Representative Earl Blumenauer. This bill proposes several improvements to the federal historic tax credit program, including a temporary increase to a 30% credit for all projects, and a permanent increase to 30% for projects under $2.5 million, plus other changes that will make the credit more appealing to investors and easier for nonprofit organizations to use. H.R. 2294 has bipartisan support, including the support of seven Congresspeople from New York so far: Representatives Higgins, Katko, Delgado, Suozzi, Morelle, Stefanik, and Tenney. Senator Gillibrand is a co-sponsor of a similar bill in the Senate, S.2266. In our meetings we thanked those who are already co-sponsors, and asked others to join them.

Federal Advocacy Week is over, but advocacy for preservation at the federal level continues! Please contact your Congressperson and ask them to sign on to Representative Blumenauer’s letter in support of the annual HPF appropriation and co-sponsor H.R. 6589 (or in Congressman Morelle’s case, thank him for his co-sponsorship). If they are already a co-sponsor of H.R. 2294 thank them for their support; if not, please ask them to co-sponsor it. Your calls, which take just a few minutes, really do make a difference in demonstrating broad support for these important bills.

Over the weekend of March 12-13, the New York State Assembly and Senate released their FY 2023 budget bills. The Preservation League is pleased that the Assembly bill includes language to extend the NYS Historic Tax Credit programs for seven years beyond their current expiration date in 2024, and add reporting language that will help clarify the impacts and effectiveness of the credits.

Extending the Historic Tax Credit programs now, rather than waiting another year, will provide assurances to those wishing to rehabilitate commercial and owner-occupied residential properties that the credits will still exist when they are ready to proceed with their rehabilitation projects. This is particularly important given current supply-chain issues and construction delays.

Thank you to our lead sponsor, Assemblymember Carrie Woerner, as well as Assemblymembers Sillitti, McDonald, Thiele, and Griffin, who co-sponsored the bill introducing the extension of the Historic Tax Credits. We look forward to working with our friends in the NYS Senate, including Senator Timothy Kennedy, who introduced the bill in the Senate, and co-sponsor Senator José M. Serrano, to support the extension of the tax credits in the final negotiated NYS Budget.

We are also pleased that both the Senate and Assembly budget bills, like the Executive budget proposal, include an increase in the Environmental Protection Fund from $300 million to $400 million.

What can you do to ensure the Historic Tax Credit extension is included in the final budget?

If your legislator sponsored or co-sponsored the HTC extension bill (A.9043 / S.8238), please call them to thank them for supporting historic preservation! If not, please call or write to them to express your support for extending the Historic Tax Credit program for seven years, and emphasize the importance of the tax credits to sustainable economic revitalization in your community.

Memorandum of Support
A.9043 (Woerner) and S.8238 (Kennedy)

The Preservation League of New York State is New York’s statewide historic preservation nonprofit. We lead advocacy, economic development, and education programs across the state. We write in support of Bill A.9043 (Woerner) and S.8238 (Kennedy) relating to extending the NYS Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit until the end of 2031. We urge the Assembly and Senate to include this bill in their budget bills this March. Extending the tax credits for an additional seven years will ensure that reinvestment in our urban cores, downtowns, neighborhoods, and Main Streets fueled by the rehabilitation tax credits will continue without interruption.

The New York State Rehabilitation Tax Credit Programs are authorized until December 31, 2024. As that date draws closer, those who want to utilize the credits will wonder if they will be available when they are ready to proceed with their projects. This uncertainty will slow reinvestment in our communities until the credit programs have been reauthorized. Current supply-chain issues, which significantly affect construction costs and timeframes, reinforce the need to confirm the extension of the credits well in advance of their current expiration date at the end of 2024.

In addition to extending the tax credits for both commercial and owner-occupied residential rehabilitation projects for seven years, the bills add reporting requirements that will make it easier to understand and evaluate the impact of the credits as an economic development tool that sustains vibrant communities.

Historic tax credits have a proven record of revitalizing historic buildings and neighborhoods throughout New York State, ensuring that historic buildings and infrastructure remain in use, rather than being wastefully discarded. Their use has leveraged significant federal dollars in economically challenged neighborhoods suffering from disinvestment. The great majority of tax-credit projects occur in Upstate communities, including large and small cities. 

The Preservation League strongly supports the two bills and urges the NYS Legislature to include them in the FY 2023 NYS budget so that our state can continue to expand its economic development in our historic cities, villages, and rural communities.

Click here for a downloadable PDF of this memorandum of support.