Maritime Heritage Funding Bills Introduced in US House and Senate-Action Needed We've been running regular updates in Sea History on the Maritime Heritage Grants program to keep you informed on how it can benefit your museum, organization, or project, and on what you need to do to make sure the promised funding actually makes its way to the maritime heritage community, as originally intended in the 1994 National Maritime Heritage Act. NMHS trustee and National Maritime Alliance chair Dr. Tim Runyan has been working tirelessly-some might say relentlessly-with legislators on Capitol Hill to make sure the full funding amount is available in upcoming grants cycles. We've had some real successes- $7 million provided for a grant program. The first cycle in 2014 produced more than $2. 6 million in grants awarded to thirty-five applicants. ft is something to cheer about, to be sure, but we can't rest easy, especially considering that the amount of money that was supposed to be made available for the Maritime Heritage Grants was more than $14 million, and that, while thirty-five grants were awarded, JOO other projects applied but were rejected. The grant program is administered by the National Park Service; the awards for the September 2014 deadline were not announced until April 2015. The 2015 round ofproposals was due 3 August. See the full list of2014 recipients below. On 24 June 2015 , Rep. Garret Graves (RLA) introduced the STORIS Act (H.R. 2876), the companion to the Senate bill (S. 1511, STORIS Act) introduced 4 June by Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) and co-sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). The Senate bill was referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee in the Senate. Co-sponsored by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX), the House bill was referred to the Energy and Commerce Committee and the House Armed Services Committee. Additional sponsors include Reps. Robert Brady (DPA), Gene Green (D-TX) , Charles Boustany (R-LA), and Don Young (R-AK). Supporters of the STORIS Act include: the National Maritime Historical Society, the US Merchant Marine Academy Alumni Association and Foundation, the Association of the United States Navy, the National Maritime Alliance, EMR Southern Recycling, International Shipbreaking Ltd., Marine Metals Inc., the Council of American Maritime Museums, the Historic Naval Ships Association, the North American Society for Oceanic History, the Naval Historical Foundation, the American Lighthouse Council, the Steamship Historical Society, Tall Ships America, Nauticus (Norfolk), the Mariners' Museum and Park, the Rhode Island Marine Archaeology Project, the Maritime Museum
Importantly, there is also a list of members of the three subcommittees assigned to act on the bills.
USS Olympia will get critical repairs with fundingfrom a Maritime Heritage Grant. of San Diego, Historic Ships in Baltimore, USCG STORIS veterans , and others. While calling for transparency in ship recycling, both versions of the STORIS Act include Section 4 (c) (C), which will restore the maritime heritage grant program at the level of funding set in the National Maritime Heritage Act (1994). This is a major step forward and requires action. The maritime heritage community must contact members of Congress to secure more sponsors of the bills, and supporters in both House and Senate. This will ensure the bills pass committees and become incorporated in a spending bill. A draft letter is available online on our website: www.seahistory.org, as well as a list of committee members of the Senate Commerce Science and Transportation Committee, the House Armed Services Committee, and the Energy and Commerce Committee.
•The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee referred the STORIS Act (S. 1511) to the subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine, Safety, & Security. •The House Energy and Commerce Comm ittee referred the STORIS Act (H.R. 2876) to the subcommittee on Environment and the Economy. •The House Armed Services Committee referred H.R. 2876 to the subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces. You are encouraged to contact members of these three subcommittees . It is particularly important to write to members in your district and state who are on those committees. If your senators or representatives are not on the three committees or subcommittees, write anyway. You can urge them to become sponsors of the bills, or vote positively for the STORIS Act if a bill is on the floor. Contact with members of Congress is critical. A copy of yo ur e-letter to the appropriate staff member(s) in the office will make a difference. Please make the effort. -TIM RUNYAN
Chair, National Maritime Alliance Trustee, National Maritime Historical Society
The 2014 Maritime Heritage Grant Award Recipents •Sealaska Heritage Institute (AK) for the "Traditional Tlingit and Haida Halibut Hook Project"; amount: $39,496. •California State Parks Fdn. to rehabilitate windows and doors on the Pigeon Point Lighthouse; amo unt: $73,436. •San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park for drydocking and repairs 26
to the WWII submarine USS Pampanito; amount: $192,754. •Maritime Museum Association of San Diego to replace the weather decks on the 1863 Star ofIndia; amount: $192,794. •Mystic Seaport Museum (CT) for the restoration of the 1908 steamboat Sabino; amount: $199,806.
SEA HISTORY 152,AUTUMN 2015