On September 15, First Lady Laura Bush announced two new key components of the Administration's Preserve America initiative: the Preserve America Community designation and Presidential Awards.

Preserve America is a White House initiative developed in cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. It focuses attention on President and Mrs. Bush's efforts to preserve our national 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 irreplaceable cultural and natural heritage assets, and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

More information on Preserve America, including criteria, nomination, and application forms for the designation and award, is available on the Internet.

The Department strongly encourages its grant recipients to consider applying for the Preserve America Community designation and Presidential Award.