Recently updated:

NPS Advisory Board Meeting - December 9-10th 2024

F.W. Woolworth Co. Building, Greensboro, NC

Greensboro will gets its new National Historic Landmark following the NPS meeting (likely a few days after) when the Secretary of the Interior officially approves the recommendations by the board.

Notice of Public Meeting for the National Park System Advisory Board (Federal Register)

Very nice! They were hoping for this when I visited last year. Thanks for the update!

Which leaves the Lorraine Motel - earlier you said "I am less certain about The Lorraine Motel, since there is no indication of a National Historic Landmark nomination. I remain curious what additional properties ICOMOS may have recommended, I hope I can find out!"
Any further info?

So the Lorraine Motel is part of the South Main Street Historic District (which is on the national register of historic places). Yet for consideration in the Civil Rights Movement nomination the National Park Service will require National Historic Landmark status. I do not think there is any discussion about the President designating the Lorraine Motel as a National Monument, so a nomination must be drafted.

In August I sent an email to the GSU and got this back about the Lorraine Motel.

"The Lorraine Motel, recently received a response to its Letter of Inquiry for NHL designation in which it was recommended that they prepare a nomination."

I just sent out an email today asking if there are any updates about the Lorraine Motel and (if possible) sharing the additional sites that are being carefully considered after the upstream process. What we can surely conclude, the Lorraine Motel will not become a National Historic Landmark in 2024.

Verbatim from subscriber email:

UPDATE ON THE U.S. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT SITES SERIAL NOMINATION
IN RESPONSE TO THE ELECTION WITH PROJECTED CALENDAR FOR INSCRIPTION

The Georgia State University World Heritage Initiative congratulates President Donald J. Trump on his re-election.

It is true that during the first Trump Administration, the United States again withdrew from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), which oversees the World Heritage program, and it might do so again in a second term. Yet because the United States is a signatory to the World Heritage Convention, as a state party within an international treaty, it can continue to participate in the process of nominating sites for inscription on the World Heritage List. The GSU World Heritage Initiative encourages the Trump Administration to continue participation in the World Heritage program and to pay its voluntary assessments into the World Heritage Fund.

In a recent call with Acting Chief Jonathan Putnam of the National Park Service Office of International Affairs (pictured left), which oversees the United States' participation in the World Heritage program, Putnam confirmed the projected trajectory the GSU World Heritage Initiative had set for going forward with the U.S. Civil Rights Movement Sites Serial Nomination being submitted for consideration for inscription on the World Heritage List over the next three years.

As it stands, the completed draft dossier will be submitted for technical reviews in August 2025 at both the national level with the NPS-OIA legal office and with the World Heritage Centre in Paris. The review process takes six weeks or so which allows time for any necessary revisions. At the end of January 2026, the finished dossier will be submitted to the World Heritage Centre to begin the process of international review by its advisory body, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). The GSU World Heritage Initiative expects to get the final assessment from ICOMOS by early fall 2026 so that any final revisions necessary to the dossier might be made prior to it being submitted to the World Heritage Committee for its assessment and decision during its 49th Session in 2027.

Following the re-election of President Trump, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (pictured right) sent an email to National Park Service employees. Some people will recall that Secretary Haaland has been a good friend, nominating last summer the U.S. Civil Rights Movement Sites Serial Nomination for consideration of inscription on the World Heritage List. Shortly after taking the position with the Department of the Interior, she visited the NPS facilities in Alabama, stopping in Selma to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The GSU World Heritage Initiative wishes her the best as she prepares to leave office.

Secretary Haaland began her message sent November 8, 2024, noting that "for many, this week has been disruptive. The shift of any Administration causes a significant transition of personnel and policy, but I want you to know that the Department's leadership—and I—are dedicated to making sure you have the support you need for a peaceful transition on January 20, 2025." She emphasized that her staff "has been preparing for the upcoming presidential transition since May to help ensure a seamless process that prioritizes stability and continuity." The Secretary recognized "this transition period is crucial for ensuring a smooth handover of responsibilities and priorities and I encourage everyone to remain engaged and supportive as we work together to facilitate this process."

And with good advice all should follow, she concluded, "please take care of yourselves, remember to get outside and drink plenty of water . . ."! So now let everyone support a "smooth transition" and "Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on!"

https://home.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/recent-nhl-designations.htm

F.W. Woolworth Company Building was designated a national historic landmark earlier this week and will now be eligible for inclusion in the Civil Rights Movement Sites nomination.

Listened/watched the World Heritage USA - Annual Meeting December 2024 (recently posted). The bad news is the planned re-payment of US dues was never approved by the State Department and specifically an unwilling Congress. From the Annual Meeting there is a vibe of defeat and challenges ahead amongst World Heritage USA staff. Firstly, there had been some hope the UNESCO dues would be re-instated, including paying old dues, however despite efforts (including presenting detailed information to Congress and people at the State department), there was little interest to approve this funding and 'International Programs' in general.

So what does this mean for the United States? Clearly, the Okefenokee Swamp and the Civil Rights Nominations are moving forward, however I think anything after these 2 nominations are currently 'wait and see'. Moreover, UNESCO dues are a near impossibility for the next 4 years (hardly a certainty afterwards either). Its not confirmed if the incoming administration will leave UNESCO again or perhaps the U.S. will be restricted to a limited participation with outstanding dues since 2011? Lastly, World Heritage USA staff was (is) excited about making progress with Mexico on 4 binational nominations, this work sounds like it will continue, but it is 'long-term' and perhaps years from now might produce the nominations I've alluded to in the past (in California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas).

Perhaps the 3 listed Greenlandic sites will soon appear under US auspices. Bad joke.

Significant developments at two United States WHS

San Antonio Missions

World Heritage Center Grand Opening (February 7th, 2025)

Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks

As of January 1st, 2025 Octagon Earthworks are now FULLY OPEN to the public. The era of the golf course is officially over.

Approaching 10 years . . .

Current Tentative List (17)
- Civil Rights Movement Sites 2008
- Dayton Aviation Sites 2008
- Thomas Jefferson Buildings 2008
- Mount Vernon 2008
- Serpent Mound 2008
- Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge 2008
- Petrified Forest National Park 2008
- White Sands National Monument 2008
- Brooklyn Bridge 2017
- Ellis Island 2017
- Central Park 2017
- Early Chicago Skyscrapers 2017
- Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument 2017
- California Current Conservation Complex 2017
- Marianas Trench Marine National Monument 2017
- Marine Protected Areas of American Samoa 2017
- Big Bend National Park 2017

Queued Nominations:
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge will be evaluated for 2026
Civil Rights Movement Sites will be evaluated for 2027

Six inscriptions since the 2008 Tentative List update. Inscriptions in 2010, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2023, 2024.

Since both Tentative List updates, some sites have changed and updates are due.

Name Changes: 2
- Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument to Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument
- White Sands National Monument to White Sands National Park

Component Changes: 2
- Civil Rights Movement Sites (3) to (14?)
- California Current Conservation Complex (6) to (8?)

The designation of the Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, alongside the well established Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary / Channel Islands National Park could become the new Southern boundary of this TWHS.

If a new Tentative List is published on the same time frame as the January 2008 to April 2017 update, then June 2026 would be the equivalent projection. Public Comment periods were held in 2021, 2023 for priority nominations and potential additions to the tentative list. However, no official updated Tentative List timeline / process has been announced.

As previously reported there has been a long-term goal of nominating bi-national properties with Mexico, but the political climate for such an endeavor is challenging. It remains to be seen if an when any US / Mexico nominations emerge. In our aspiring forum, there was an article calling to nominate Hawaiian cultural heritage, but local advocacy for such an endeavor may or may not materialize. Indeed, local advocacy has been key to many of the cultural inscriptions in the past 15 years.

- El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro
- El Camino Real de las Californias
- El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve in Sonora, Mexico, with Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Ajo, Arizona
- Sierra del Carmen Mountains in Coahuila, Mexico, with Big Bend National Park in southwestern Texas

There are some early indicators that the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument will follow Okefenokee and the Civil Rights Movement Sites as the next priority nomination.

Seems like the US is preparing to leave UNESCO again... In the same Executive Action Trump signed that withdrew the US from UNHCR, he also mandates the American US Ambassador to analyse the US's participation in UNESCO (which he suspects of anti-Semitism or anti-Israel sentiment).

White House website

This may very well happen, yet there are two sides that will be trying to access Trump and sway his opinion.

This article summarizes the far right agenda supporting Trump in removing the US from all UN organizations - 5 Shocking Reasons Trump Should Exit The U.N. Now

However, there is also another contingent who will be trying to persuade the President to stay in UNESCO, specifically World Heritage USA, the National Park Service, and perhaps bipartisan members of Congress in states like Texas, Georgia, Ohio who have embraced the world heritage program.

I have no idea how this will all play out, but with this US President its all about the pitch sold to him and he simply makes a decision based on that. I hope World Heritage USA and some specific individuals in Congress have a plan (it may not matter).

It also doesn't mean that they would stop nominating; see our previous discussions and this statement

It seems the government layoffs have their effect on the services of the National Parks, some of which are WHS:

Fired employees fear beloved Yosemite National Park will lose its luster

National Park Service firings hit Mount Rainier, Olympic, North Cascades

Trump's firing of 1,000 national park workers raises concerns about maintenance and operating hours