February 16, 2005

Senator Toni Harp, co-chairman

Representative Denise Merrill, co-chairman

Testimony to the Appropriations Committee regarding the Commission on Culture and Tourism

My name is Helen Higgins and I serve as Executive Director of the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation, founded 30 years ago by the Connecticut General Assembly.

Speaking for both the Connecticut Trust and as a member of the Heritage Coalition, I urge your committee to look closely at the budget Governor Rell has proposed for the Commission on Culture and Tourism. Please consider not only restoring funds but adding adequate funding so that this new and model commission can actually do the work it has been created to do.

As others here will tell you also, the merger of arts, history, tourism, and film is working nicely. The Trust is a statutory partner of the CCT and we have been fortunate to have participated in the strategic planning process – and seen the commitment and collegiality that all the divisions and partners are bringing to the merger.

However, the CCT needs a great deal more than the proposed budget to make it function at the level all envision.

I am particularly pleased that in the strategic plan recently submitted to the Commerce Committee, the commission committed to parity in funds for all involved. This is especially critical to those of us in the historic preservation and heritage field. Our sector has been under funded, it seems forever. The opportunity to rectify this imbalance, and all it means for economic impact on the state's heritage resources, including historic downtowns and neighborhoods, exists with the presence of the CCT and its history partners, the Connecticut Humanities Council and the Connecticut Trust.

The Trust collaborates with the Humanities Council and offers Historic Preservation Technical Assistance Grants to the history/preservation community. These grants, averaging $2,700 each, have had a huge impact on preservation planning in the 34 communities where, since 2003, $94,000 in funds have been matched four to one with private funds and volunteer service. As we approach a March 1 st deadline for grant applications, we have three times as many requests than we can possibly fund. And, we are discouraging organizations from applying.

It is essential that the Humanities Council's Cultural Heritage Development fund be fully funded at $1 million. But, even more is needed. For the Historic Preservation Technical Assistance grant pool alone a boost to $250,000 will begin to correct the imbalance in grants to history/preservation organizations. Because we have had so little to invest, we have only begun to demonstrate the tremendous impact preservation grants can have on Connecticut's historic places.

Thank you.

Helen Higgins

Executive Director