Funding America’s Maritime Heritage—a New Proposal
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n the past four years, nearly $10 million has been awarded to more than 100 maritime heritage organizations for critical projects in education and preservation through a competitive federal grant program. The funds come from a portion of the profits from the sale of ships for recycling by the US Maritime Administration (MARAD) and is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). It is on hold for 2018–19 because few ships have been scrapped, and with a decline in scrap metal prices, they generate fewer dollars. So, where are we? What is being done? First, some history: Working together under the leadership of the National Maritime Alliance, the maritime heritage community advocated for the National Maritime Heritage Act in 1994, which mandates that 25% of the profits from ships recycled by MARAD fund a national grant program, while the remaining 50% is directed to MARAD for its own use, and the final 25% is designated to support public maritime academies. Following an initial round of grants totaling $650,000 in 1998, there were no profits generated from ship recycling until 2005–06—due to a regulation change requiring domestic scrapping, and low prices for scrap metals. A seven-year drought. Once profits returned, however, the funds did not move from MARAD to NPS. Then the law was changed; the 2010 Defense bill redirected 100% of the recycling profits to MARAD, which could use (our) 25% to fund a public grant program, or instead keep the money for its internal maritime heritage needs, still sending 25% to the maritime academies. The maritime heritage community determined to change the law. Pressure from our supporters in Congress prompted MARAD to initiate a grant program in 2014. We won support in Congress for legislation that restored the National Maritime Heritage grant program in December 2016. But in the sausage-making of legislation, the 25% of ship scrapping profits designated for the grant program was reduced to 18.75%. The bottom line: $10 million for maritime heritage grants was awarded in four rounds between 2015–18.
And now? We are looking at ways to we are not wholly reliant on the Maritime better represent the maritime heritage com- Heritage Grant Program. munity at the federal level, including a We ask that umbrella organizations proposal that the community jointly sup- like the Council of American Maritime port a part-time lobbyist in Washington, Museums, Historic Naval Ships Association, DC, a proposal discussed at a session on Tall Ships America, and the US Lighthouse advocacy and the Maritime Heritage Grant Society request funding from their members Program hosted by NMHS during the 11th to support this effort. These organizations, Maritime Heritage Conference/45th Sail representing more than 700 member instiTraining and Tall Ships Conference in New tutions, should take this proposal to their Orleans last February. Presenters were myself; Denise Krepp, a former government official and lobbyist; Ray Ashley, CEO and president of the Maritime Museum of San Diego; and Kelly Spradley-Kurowski of the National Park Service, who administers the grant program. The session drew one of the largest audiences at the conference. It also generated a spirited discussion. Leaders of maritime Advocating for Maritime Heritage on Capitol Hill: (l-r) Jay heritage organizations (includ- Haigler, Tim Runyan, RADM Mark Buzby, Joe Youcha. ing the NMHS leadership and trustees) and museums raised a number of membership, and work out the amount and questions, and asked for a revised proposal. means of providing the financial support. Advocacy efforts in the nation’s capital Organizations not included in the continued, with meetings with key staff memberships of the umbrella organizamembers of the Senate Commerce, Science tions—such as the National Maritime Hisand Transportation Committee; the Senate torical Society, North American Society for Appropriations Committee; Department Oceanic History, Association for Great of Transportation; and a first-time meeting Lakes Maritime History, Steamship Hiswith the new MARAD administrator, torical Society of America, National AsRADM Mark Buzby (USN, Ret.). For sociation of Black Scuba Divers, Diving meetings with congressional staff members, With a Purpose—will be asked to contribI was joined by Denise Krepp and Jay ute by separate request. Some of these groups Haigler of the National Association of Black have suggested that they would provide Scuba Divers and Diving With a Purpose. larger amounts than might be asked by the For the MARAD meeting Joe Youcha, di- umbrella group of which they are a member. rector of Building to Teach (small boats), This is encouraging. The National Maritime joined us. The meetings went well. At Alliance would then hire an advocate, MARAD, Admiral Buzby expressed his funded by those contributions from the support of maritime heritage, and commit- maritime heritage community. The advocate ted to work with us. We, in turn, agreed to would report to the NMA board. advance some of MARAD’s objectives, In summary, we “agreed to agree” that mainly in workforce development and com- we should move forward to find a means to munication. support an advocate for America’s maritime heritage community. This is new ground, Proposed Plan for Funding Advocacy and will take some effort to establish. But, This is our proposal: funding a part-time as one museum director pointed out, we advocate to work on behalf of the maritime do have a recent successful track record of heritage community to explore supplemen- $10 million in federal support, and “we tary and alternative funding sources for know that if we do nothing, we will receive maritime heritage grant programs, so that nothing.”
SEA HISTORY 164, AUTUMN 2018 49
courtesy timothy j. runyan
by Dr. Timothy J. Runyan, Chair, National Maritime Alliance