News
Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program to Support Projects that Preserve and Interpret Cultural Heritage
Grand Isle, VT – The Patrick Leahy Lake Champlain Basin Program (LCBP) seeks pre-proposals for projects and programs to protect, restore, interpret, and showcase the historical resources and cultural heritage of the Champlain Valley and the Lake Champlain Basin.
The projects supported through this process will advance the Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership’s (CVNHP) Making of Nations interpretive theme in 2026, emphasizing the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.
“The 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is a significant opportunity to reflect on the fight for independence from European rule,” said John Krueger, chair of the LCBP Heritage Area Program Advisory Committee. “An integral corridor connecting the St. Lawrence River and the Hudson River, the Champlain Valley was critical to gaining and maintaining independence from Great Britain during the military campaigns that took place in 1775, 1776, and 1777. Fort Saint-Jean, the Hubbardton Battlefield, and Fort Ticonderoga—among other sites—are places rich in historical significance that help us tell those stories. The upcoming CVNHP grants will support the sharing of many more of these important stories.”
The CVNHP will offer grants in two categories:
CVNHP Special Program: These large grants of $10,000-$40,000 will serve the Making of Nations Interpretive Theme to encourage multi-jurisdictional or regional projects that interpret, highlight, and support marking the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2025. Projects that focus on other concepts, innovations, or movements that have had lasting regional, national and global effects are also encouraged.
CVNHP Core Grant Program: Smaller grants up to $10,000 will also support the interpretive theme; or provide internships, museum collection improvements, and focus on local history in 2025.
Applicants are invited to submit multiple pre-proposals for each category.
After reviewing the submitted pre-proposals, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal in Fall 2024 for funding consideration for projects to begin after October 1, 2025. The grant awards will be announced in June 2025.
“The many grants awarded by the CVNHP to date have bolstered our region’s cultural resources, including history education programs, new interpretive displays, internships, and the inventorying, preserving, and interpreting of museum collections,” said Eric Howe, Director of the CVNHP and LCBP. “Our partners have done an amazing job in researching, conserving, and celebrating the rich and diverse cultural and natural heritage of the Champlain Valley.”
The deadline for submission of pre-proposals is October 21, 2024.
The pre-proposal guidelines, list of eligible entities, submission requirements, and an electronic submission application link are available on the CVNHP website at https://champlainvalleynhp.org/resources/grants/.
It is anticipated that these projects will be supported with funds awarded to NEIWPCC on behalf of the CVNHP by the U.S. National Park Service and the Great Lakes Fishery Commission.
Projects that emphasize inclusion of underserved or minority communities in accordance with LCBP’s mission for diversity, equity, and inclusion (see the LCBP Mission webpage) will receive special consideration.
The CVNHP was established by the U.S. Congress in 2006 to recognize the importance of the historical, cultural, and recreational resources of the region and to assist efforts to preserve, protect, and interpret those resources. The National Heritage Area also works to enhance the quality of the tourism economy and to encourage working partnerships among state, provincial, and local governments and non-profit organizations in New York, Québec, and Vermont.
For more information about the CVNHP Request for Preproposals, please contact CVNHP Assistant Director Jim Brangan at jbrangan@lcbp.org.
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The Lake Champlain Basin Program coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin’s water quality, fisheries, wetlands, wildlife, recreation, and cultural resources. The program works in partnership with federal agencies, state and provincial agencies from New York, Vermont, and Québec, local communities, businesses, and citizen groups. NEIWPCC—a regional commission that helps the states of the Northeast preserve and advance water quality—serves as the primary program administrator of LCBP at the request of the Lake Champlain Steering Committee and administers the program’s personnel, finances, and contracts. NEIWPCC is a program partner of LCBP. For further information, contact the Lake Champlain Basin Program, 54 West Shore Road, Grand Isle, VT at (802) 372-3213 / (800) 468-5227 or visit https://www.lcbp.org/.
