NEEDED: New Funding for the
National Maritime Heritage Act NMHS led in securing the federal Maritime Heritage Fund of 1979. This provided $5 million and stimulated over $10 million in private funding, which proved vital in successful projects ranging from the Liberty ship Jeremiah O ' Brien (1943) in San Francisco, to the bark Elissa (1877) in Galveston and the ship Wavertree (1885) in New York. This program was not renewed, however, so in 1989 NMHS joined hands with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and others to found the National Maritime Alliance (NMA). The broad-based NMA secured adoption ofthe National Maritime Heritage Act of 1994, which provided limitedfunds from scrapping ships in the National Defense Reserve Fleet. This source dried up due to environmental problems after just $670, 000 had been securedfor maritime heritage gants in 1998. Of342 proposals, including more than 70for ship preservation projects, only 39 could be funded. Here, Alliance leaders report on progress toward new funding/or this vital Act. Over the past year rhe Narional Maritime Alliance idemified the Co nservation and Rein vestment Acr (CARA) as an ap-
propriare source of funding for rhe Narional Maririme H erirage grams program. CARA is fund ed by profirs from offshore drilling rights, a m aririme resource. The amendment to CARA we have proposed ass igns $ 10 milli o n to rhe Narional Maritime Herirage Acr grants program. T his amendment is included in the H o use version of CARA (HR701) introduced on 14 February 2001 by Rep. Don You ng (R-AK). CARA was assigned to the House Reso urces Commi nee. Rep. James Hansen (R-UT) is chairman , Rep. Young, vice-chairman , and Rep. Nick Rahall (DWV) , the ranking minority member. A companio n bill will be introduced in th e Senate where advocares of mari rime herirage came close to gaining inclusion of th e amendment at the end last year. This bi ll has the supporr of Senators Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Olympia Snowe (RME), a sponsor of rhe 1994 Act, Jesse Helms (R-NC), John Edwards (D-NC) , and John Warner (R-VA). Supporr is biparrisan in rhe Senate and rhe Ho use, as was supporr fo r passage of the National Maririme H erirage Act in 1994 . Senator Dodd pledged to work for fed-
era! supporr for America's maririme herirage in his speech ar Mys ric Seaporr to honor the whaling shi p Charles W Morgan. Many of rhe grants from the o nly distribution made through the NMH Act in 1998 wem to ship preservation projecrs including: the Virginia V; USS Hornet; USS Massachusetts; the cruiser Olympia, Balclutha, the tugboar Luna; USS Constellation; LaSalle' s ship Be!!e; Blackbeard' s Queen Anne's Revenge; vario us small crafr and others. Bur toral requesrs for funding for ship preservario n pro jeers exceeded $2.4 million and separate req uests for fund ing made for USS Intrepid, U-5 05, and USS Missouri toraled $32 milli on . We urge supponers of America's maririme herirage to w ri re asking their represemarives and senato rs to vore fo r funding for rhe National Maritime Heritage Acr as included in rhe CARA bill. A d rafr lerter is available ar this web site: ht tp://www.ecu .edu/maritime/nma.htm. TIMOTHY J. RUNYAN, Chairman, NMA East Carolina U niversity, G reenville NC D UNCAN SMITH , Counsel, NMA Dyer, Ellis and Joseph, Washington DC
Help our historic ships deliver their message! At 1h off the list price, buy a copy of this vital compendium for yourself or your local school or library. *
International Register of Historic Ships by Norman J. Brouwer The third edition of the World Ship Trust's authoritative Register, published with Sea History Press, is the most comprehensive listing of surviving historic ships ever published, featuring nearly 2,000 historic ships from over 50 countries. The Register delivers the full story, providing updates on restoration projects, remains of historic ships preserved in museums, and contact information for all the vessels. Price: $50 fo r the hardcover edition; $30 softcover, plus $5 each shipping and handling in the USA . ($ 10 Foreign shipping, surface mail ) Pri ce for members of the National Maritime Historical Society (10 % member's discount): $45hc; $27sc + $5s/h . * Order 3 copies or more, and we' ll bring the discount to 50% off to get the word out: $37 .50 hardcover, $23 softcover. To order by credit card, call
800 221-NMHS (6647), or pay by check and mai l your order to:
National Maritime Historical Society, PO Box 68, Peekskill NY 10566.