Much of the United States' national preservation law is based on international precedents. Historically, when we wished to initially develop and later strengthen our national laws, we turned to Europe to find our inspiration and examples. Since the enactment of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act, we have continued to adapt and refine both our legislation and accompanying regulations. We now find the United States increasingly being called upon to be an exporter, rather than an importer, of historic preservation knowledge and experience.

Our national government's professional know-how for this international assistance role is found primarily in the Interior Department and Advisory Council. We now have well developed, and increasingly recognized, international expertise in such areas as:

- national historic preservation law and regulations;

the definition, organization, conduct, evaluation and maintenance of archeological, architectural and historical surveys;

the establishment, maintenance and use of a National Register of Historic Places;

the creation of a diverse body of technical knowledge and experience associated with the preservation, rehabilitation, restoration and reconstruction of sites, buildings, structures, districts and objects; the interpretation of historic properties to the public;

- the regulations of a broad array of government activities which might adversely affect cultural property; and

the provision of private sector economic incentives to encourage private investment in the preservation of historic buildings.

For all of these activities, we have continually expanded our body of published literature. Each of these national activities has in turn motivated and inspired a significant amount of activity at the state and local level. Taken together, all of these achievements represent an important international resource which deserves to be made more readily accessible throughout the world.

In the past three years, US/ICOMOS has substantially increased and broadened its working international relationship with both the Interior Department, especially the National Park Service, and the Advisory Council. Through

cooperative agreements we are currently working with these agencies in such activities as:

recruitment, evaluation and recommended placement of American students

in the training courses of the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and the Restoration of Cultural Properties in Rome;

the recruitment and selection of British, Canadian, Irish and German architectural students to gain working experience with the recording programs of the Historic American Buildings Survey;

- the exchange of professional preservation technicians for international projects and seminars;

the conduct of bilateral historical and architectural research projects; and

the research and documentation of American National Historic Landmarks for nomination to the World Heritage List.

Thus we enthusiastically support the six authorities described in Section 3 of the bill. While some activity has, and is, taking place in each of these areas with respect to cultural resources, we believe this bill clarifies and strengthens each of these authorities.

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We support the concept of requiring federal agencies to afford the Advisory Council the opportunity to comment on undertakings that affect cultural property listed on the World Heritage List. We trust that the Advisory Council, in cooperation with the Interior Department, will undertake educational program for those public officials in the government's international aid and loan granting agencies to train them in their new responsibilities. In our view the Advisory Council has a well developed and administered existing procedure which can be readily applied to this new responsibility.

As the national committee of ICOMOS, we stand ready to continue, and expand as appropriate, our existing cooperative relationships with the Interior Department and Advisory Council as called for in Section 6(b) of the Act.

In October 1987, US/ICOMOS will host the eighth general assembly and international symposium of ICOMOS. It will be the first assembly ever held outside of Europe. The United States will play host to the leading

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preservation officials, professionals and technicians from 68 countries. would be most appropriate and fitting, if the United States could continue and significantly expand the relationships to be established at this assembly, through the intent and purposes of this proposed legislation.

Mr. Chairman, and other distinguished members of this committee, my name
is Paul C. Pritchard, and I serve as president of the National Parks and
Conservation Association (NPCA). NPCA was founded in 1919 to function as
a private, non-profit, advocate for the purposes and values of the
National Park System, and for the special mission of the National Park
Service. One component of this special mission is that of assistance to
the international community in the establishment and operation of
national parks and equivalent reserves, and in the dissemination of
information on sustainable resource management worldwide. NPCA
appreciates this opportunity to comment on the bill H.R. 4568. We
support the measure.

At the outset, we would like to thank and commend the Chairman for
introducing this important piece of legislation. We believe the United
States, as a world leader and as a free and democratic society, has a
special responsibility for reaching out and sharing our wealth of
resources, knowledge and creativity with the rest of the world. The
measure before you today, recognizes this responsibility by clarifying
and strengthening the authorities of the Secretary of Interior and the
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in this area.

Mr. Chairman, the National Park Service (NPS), through its International
Affairs Office, works closely with counterpart agencies abroad to provide
information, training, and advisory services on resource protection and
protected area management. NPS activities are worldwide in scope,
although treaties, conventions and bilateral agreements tend to
concentrate activities in specific countries or regions, especially the
western hemisphere. H.R. 4568, with its provisions for enhanced
operational coordination will augment the effectiveness of these NPS
activities, and other critical programs administered by the Secretary of
Interior and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.

National Parks and Conservation Association, 1701 Eighteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009 telephone (202) 265-2717

The direction provided by H.R. 4568, may be particularly important with regard to fulfillment of our previous commitments to other nations. For example, the U.S.-China Cultural Accord, renewed by President Reagan in March of 1984, specifically requires NPS to assist China with national parks and historic areas. This program is to include policy level exchanges on park creation and management, specialized training for the Chinese in the USA on park administration and operation, training in the protection of wildlife resources and their habitat, and more.

Beyond existing agreements, there are many as yet unexplored opportunities for international cooperation and mutual benefit. For example, the United States and the USSR have cooperated successfully in attempts to protect the great polar bear. Yet there has been no similar cooperation on archaeological research of the Bering Land Bridge region, even though both countries have ongoing research in this area. An agreement between the two nations to share knowledge would go far toward unraveling the mystery of North American settlement.

Similarly, an agreement with Mexico on cooperation in resource management and environmental protection is long overdue. Like our successful and continuing cooperation with Canada on these issues, we must open channels of communication with Mexico which will provide some opportunity for exchange of ideas, technical assistance, and hopefully some creative solutions to cross boundary resource problems. H.R. 4568, with its requirements related to the availability of adequately trained personnel for work at home and abroad, information dissemination, technical assistance, and interagency coordination and cooperation, will prove invaluable to Interior in this regard.

Mr. Chairman, it should be noted that the National Park Service's International Office barely receives enough funding to maintain its present mission. The FY 1987 budget request will not even cover requirements for salaries and benefits without regard to equipment needs, travel costs, and any project costs. In the past, the office has only been able to respond to a small percentage of requests for direct assistance from the world community. In fact, at the present time, there are 163 such project requests outstanding.

The ability of NPS to respond to these requests seems to be largely a function of how creative they can be in finding money, via the Agency for International Development or other sources even by reimbursement from the Peace Corps. It is our opinion that the NPS International program should have a reliable base of funding to cover project costs above and beyond office and staff expenses. This reliable base of funding could then be augmented with funding from A.I.D. or elsewhere as it becomes available.

Adequate and reliable program funding would allow the NPS to establish regional training centers in conjunction with host and participating countries. These training centers would ultimately be staffed by persons native to the region after a period of technical assistance from the United States. The provisions in H.R. 4568 in Section 3 (2), which call for stationing of experienced professionals at appropriate governmental agencies and international organizations or institutions without regard to any numerical limitation on personnel otherwise applicable, would be