Could This New Legislation Protect Historic Sites From Trump's Wrath?
US Democrats and preservation advocates are promoting the PRESERVE Act as a response to efforts by President Donald Trump and his appointees that critics say would weaken protections for historic sites and publicly commissioned art. On July 24, the Trump-appointed Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) voted 16–5 to advance proposed revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which requires federal agencies to consider harm to historic sites before undertaking construction projects. The article frames the proposed changes as potentially diminishing legal safeguards for historic places and the artworks they contain. The legislation is presented as a countermeasure intended to strengthen preservation oversight amid the policy shift.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Van Gogh Returns, and the City’s Art Wars