A Message from Baty

Longue Vue’s mission is to preserve and share a legacy of design, community, and lifelong learning. Each day, we share the inspiring stories of Edith and Edgar Stern, Ellen Shipman, and the many communities they connected with while creating Longue Vue. These stories come alive within the preserved spaces of the historic estate. Preserving Longue Vue, in turn, is possible thanks to love and support from our community—and to legal protections for historic properties such as Longue Vue.

This summer, the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) advanced a proposal that could wipe away protections granted in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Section 106 mandates a multistep review process for federal agencies to evaluate how historic properties may be affected by construction projects that are on federal land, receive federal funding, or require federal approval. Projects can include military bases, power lines, cell towers, and new highways, to name a few.

Section 106 ensures that projects like these are strategic and done in collaboration with preservationists, tribal communities, local and state governments, and the public. Yet the proposal significantly rewrites this collaborative framework that has saved hundreds of historic sites in our city, state, and region. Proposed changes would:

– Remove the requirement that federal agencies try to avoid or minimize damage to historic architecture, neighborhoods, and landscape
– Remove the requirement to notify state and local governments and to allow for comment when a federal agency proposes damaging or destroying a historic place in their jurisdiction
– Make optional the public comment period and consultation with tribal communities
– Narrow what is considered a historic property and how effects on historic properties are evaluated
– Favor unilateral federal agency control over nearly every step of the process

In Louisiana, these proposed changes are especially frightening: Our state is a respected leader in historic preservation, with historic sites that enrich the lives of locals and inspire millions of tourists to visit each year.

We are calling on our community to write to your members of Congress and to Governor Jeff Landry, who serves on the ACHP. Urge them to oppose regulatory changes that strip the protections under Section 106 and to support a transparent review process whenever historic projects are involved in development. Contact information and additional resources are provided below.

Historic preservation opens the literal doorways to our shared heritage and stories—stories that educate, challenge, and inspire; stories that are woven into New Orleans culture and legacy; stories worth sharing for generations to come. Preservation has purpose, at Longue Vue and beyond; join us in making the case for it.

Yours,

Stella Baty Landis
Executive Director of Longue Vue

Additional Resources