Do US government employees have a duty to mitigate damage to property?

[cannonmn]

I've been watching the fine bronze cannons at the Washington Navy Yard deteriorate for about 30 years. This rare, fragile specimen, cast in 1686, is showing a lot of pitting, delamination, and general corrosion from the elements. I've asked the Navy if they couldn't move this one particularly fragile specimen indoors. They replied that they chose to leave all the guns outside, and have done nothing I can see to protect them in the ten months since I corresponded with them.

This made me wonder if there wasn't some law or regulation which requires government employees to at least attempt to mitigate damage to historical property when they are aware it is occurring. Does anyone know if there is such a law, regulation, or requirement "on the books" anywhere?

The slideshow linked below shows the extensive corrosion this piece has incurred from being kept outside in the elements.

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b62/cannonmn/miscforumsetc/forums36/?action=view&current=93ec8572.pbw

[Double D]

John,

Have you consider contacting the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  http://www.preservationnation.org/

They may not be directly involved, but I bet they can point you in the right direction.

[cannonmn]

NTHP, good thought.  They may come in useful if and when the Navy allows anyone to do anything, right now their attitude is that the cannons are theirs and if they want to let them crumble into dust, they can do so, and no one can stop them.

What I have to do is get the right people in the right positions either in the Navy or in its money chain interested in this.  When the Navy finds out is spending more manpower answering letters from Congress etc. than it would take to do something with the cannons, then they may do something, or let someone else do something.  Right now they won't even let their charitable arm, the Naval Historical Foundation, collect money for an effort to save the cannons.  I found that out last week when I asked the Foundation about helping.

[Bornsouthern34]

Perhaps this will help. It came from an article I found. Here is the website.  http://crm.cr.nps.gov/archive/24-01/24-01-10.pdf

"The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966,as amended, directs all federal agencies to manage their cultural resources emphasizing preservation, and shunning activities that might adversely affect the resource."

[Bornsouthern34]

Keep us posted on what you find out. I know when I was stationed in Guam ten years ago, the Piti Gun Site was in very poor shape. It was a Japanese fortification that overlooked Piti Bay where our troops landed to take the island. It was more of a teen make-out spot than anything else. We formed a group on base to do some volunteer restoration around the site but I doubt it is still being done today.

[cannonmn]

Born.. posted a link to an article which I read-here's an interesting excerpt which is probably what we are seeing:

Therefore, the Navy feels it is in the best
interests of the artifact to leave it in its stasis environment
unless properly trained professionals
oversee the removal and conservation of the artifact.

[Rickk]

Maybe they could hire a highly trained rocket scientist to wipe some BoShield over it a couple times a year.

[Bornsouthern34]

I find it ironic that the Navy can go to great lengths to try and save a plane that is 200' down on the ocean floor but won't invest in a piece of history that people can actually see and touch. Just another example of our military's poor management of assets.

Maybe a petition of locals given to the base proper might get them thinking outside the little box of a world they live in. Or if you really want to get on someones bad side, call the local news outlet and see if they will run a story.

[threepdr]

Cannonman,

The National Historic Preservation Act only covers properties that are eleibile for, or have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Generally "things" are not eleigible for the National Register.  The Navy does have a moral obligation to care for artifacts that are in their collections.  These would be considered as such.  Even if they cannot reverse the condition, the tubes should be cleaned of the atmospheric contaminate that are causing the degridation and then storing them in a climate controlled facility until final conservation or disposition is determined. They don't need to fix them now, just stablize and store them properly.

You might contact the Advisory Counsel on Historic Preservation who oversees the National Register, but they will have limited power over the Navy because these are not considered historic properties.

What was the response of the folks at the Navy Museum on the Navy yard.  Have you talked to them?  If they are not interested I'd call the Inpector General's office on the Navy Yard and have them check into it.  If they show no interest suggest that you may contact your congressman and have him check into it.  Buerocrats sic) hate dealing with Congressional inqueries.

[cannonmn]

What was the response of the folks at the Navy Museum on the Navy yard.

Thanks.  The Navy officials I wrote last year said they had decided to leave the guns where they are.  I just wrote them again with a little more encouragement, will see what they say this time.  A retired admiral has just been appointed as director of all that stuff so that's who I wrote to.

Leutze Park is actually on the National Register of Historic Places.  I may branch out if I need to do so after the Navy replies, but I'll wait at least until I get an anser.  Enough folks may be concerned by now so the Navy feels the need to do something at least for appearances.

[Cat Whisperer]

Is there not a clause in the Histeric Register laws that says SOMETHING about responsibility of keeping the property in good condition?