The City of Ontario was recently honored when First Lady Laura Bush, honorary chair of the Preserve America initiative, designated it as one of the nation’s newest Preserve America Communities.

A representative from Congressman Joe Baca’s office presented Ontario’s mayor and city council with a certificate of community designation signed by Mrs. Bush, announcing Ontario as the newest Preserve America Community.

The Preserve America initiative is a White House effort to encourage and support community efforts to preserve and enjoy America’s priceless cultural and natural heritage. The goals of the initiative include a greater shared knowledge about the nation’s past; strengthened regional identities and local pride; increased local participation in preserving the country’s cultural and natural heritage assets; and support for the economic vitality of our communities.

“Preserve America Communities demonstrate that they are committed to preserving America’s heritage while ensuring a future filled with opportunities for learning and enjoyment,” Mrs. Bush said. “This community designation program, combined with the Preserve America Grant Program, Preserve America Presidential Awards, and other federal support, provides strong incentives for continued preservation of our cultural and natural heritage resources. I applaud the City of Ontario for your commitment to preserving an important part of our nation’s historic past for visitors, neighbors, and, most importantly, for children.”

“It is an honor to receive recognition from the White House for Ontario’s preservation efforts.  As the mayor of Ontario, I take pride in our efforts to preserve our history for future generations to enjoy and at the same time creating special places for visitors to experience,” stated Mayor Paul S. Leon.

Communities designated through the program receive national recognition for their efforts. Benefits include the right to use the Preserve America logo on signs and promotional materials; eligibility for Preserve America Grants; notification to state tourism offices; and listing in a Web-based directory that showcases Ontario’s preservation efforts and heritage tourism destinations. Preserve America Communities are also featured in National Register Travel Itineraries and in “Teaching with Historic Places” curricular materials created by the National Park Service. The City of Ontario is now eligible to apply for grants under the Preserve America Grants Program administered by the Department of the Interior.   These matching grants of $20,000 to $150,000 go on a competitive basis to heritage tourism programs, promotion and marketing programs, and interpretive/educational programs involving historic resources.

“Sustainable historic preservation is a wise investment in the future, not a cost for maintaining the past. Communities and the nation receive significant economic, educational, and cultural benefits, including heritage tourism, in return for their preservation efforts,” said John L. Nau, III, chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, which administers Preserve America programs for the White House in cooperation with the Department of the Interior. For more information and updates on the initiative, please visit www.preserveamerica.gov.