First Lady Michelle Obama Designates Auburn a Preserve America Community
The City of Auburn was recently honored when Mrs. Obama, First Lady of the United States, designated it as one of the nation’s newest Preserve America Communities. “President Obama and I want to congratulate all of the Preserve America Communities and thank them for their commitment to protecting and strengthening America’s cultural and natural heritage,” Mrs. Obama said.
Mayor Michael D. Quill received a letter November 1, 2011 and will receive a certificate of designation signed by Mrs. Obama announcing that the City of Auburn, NY is now a Preserve America Community. Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their accomplishments in preserving our special places and telling the nation’s story.
Additional benefits include White House recognition; a certificate of recognition; a Preserve America Community road sign; authorization to use the Preserve America logo on signs, flags, banners, and promotional materials; listing in a web-based Preserve America Community directory; inclusion in national and regional press releases; eligibility to apply for Preserve America Grants, when funded by Congress; and enhanced community visibility and pride. Many Preserve America Communities are featured in “Discover Our Shared Heritage,” National Register Travel Itineraries, as well as in the “Teaching with Historic Places,” curricular materials created by the National Park Service.
Mayor Quill was pleased by the news of this designation. He shared, “Our thanks to President Obama and the First Lady for this honor. Auburn has been branded History’s Hometown for a good reason. It is with great pride that we live in such a historically famous City.” The Preserve America program became an authorized part of the national historic preservation program when President Barack Obama signed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 on March 30, 2009. To date, 872 Preserve America communities have been designated in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories, including 20 neighborhoods and five tribal communities.
The Preserve America program is a federal effort to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of our communities.
Preserve America Communities
This program recognizes and designates communities, including neighborhoods within large cities, which protect and celebrate their heritage, use their historic assets for economic development and community revitalization, and encourage people to experience and appreciate local historic resources through heritage tourism and education programs. For more information visit www.achp.gov and www.preserveamerica.gov.
