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Proposal would allow Division of Historical Resources to use Moose Plate funds for administration
Summary
House Bill 663 would amend the Moose (conservation) Plate statute to explicitly allow the Division of Historical Resources to expend its moose plate appropriation to administer and staff its grant program for preservation of publicly owned historic properties; DHR sought clarification for transparency and to cover program manager salary costs.
The Division of Historical Resources asked the Senate Transportation Committee to clarify Moose Plate statute language so the division can transparently use a portion of its annual appropriation for program administration and staff time. Ben Wilson, DHR director and State Historic Preservation Officer, said HB 663 would make explicit that Moose Plate funds may be used to administer grants for preservation of publicly owned historic properties.
Why it matters: DHR currently runs a Moose Plate grant program that awards municipal grants (commonly $10,000–$20,000) for restoration of publicly owned buildings and other historic resources. Wilson said the AG's office confirmed that the DHR legally may use a portion of its annual appropriation to recover administrative costs, and the requested statutory language would increase transparency about that use.
Scale and staffing: Wilson told the committee the DHR annually receives between $250,000 and $300,000 from the Moose Plate appropriation (the broader Moose Plate program aggregates roughly $1 million divided among five recipients), and a program manager position devotes approximately 80% of its time to managing the Moose Plate grant program. The bill would allow DHR to apply a portion of its appropriation for salary and benefits tied to grant administration.
Next steps: DHR presented an AG opinion with the testimony and asked the committee to approve the clarifying language. The committee recorded an “ought to pass” recommendation in executive session during the same hearing.
