The purpose of the U.S.

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) is to help fund the programs engendered by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Monies for the Fund were significantly expanded in 1976, when Congress approved deposits to the HPF from Outer Continental Shelf oil leases. The HPF aids the various State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO) by providing them matching grants, which are used towards historic preservation

Historic preservation

Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...

 across the U.S. The SHPO's, as well as Native American

Native Americans in the United States

Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...

Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO), have received nearly $37 million each year from the Fund since 1970. The total outlay from the HPF's inception has exceeded $1 billion.

Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO)

A designated officer of a Native American Indian Tribe with responsibility for the administration of certain National Historic Preservation Act,(NHPA), State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) responsibilities as amended in 1992 pursuant to Section 101 (d) (2), and listed in Section 101 (b) (3) of the act for which the tribe has assumed by request to the Secretary of the Interior. A tribe suubmits its request to the National Park Service for processing which has administrative oversight of other NHPA programs as well. The THPO application process is detailed in a proposed rule, currently under final rule processing, encoded at 36 CFR 61.8. For more information about the THPO program history, funding, a listing of tribes that have assumed SHPO responsibilities and an application, please visit the National Park Service's website at:http://www.cr.nps.gov/hps/hpg/tribal/index.htm