While American national monuments and parks remain closed for the eighth day of the government shutdown, the World Monuments Fund (WMF) released their list today of the sites across the globe most in danger from natural and social forces. The 2014 World Monuments Watch includes 67 different sites spanning 41 countries.
"These sites—and countless others like them—recount our human history and highlight our achievements," said WMF president Bonnie Burnham in a press release. "It takes vigilance to keep them active in the world; yet it is often the case that the very places that provide rich character and texture to our lives need more assistance and attention than they are given."
WMF has released the list every two years since 1996 (see 2012's here). This year's list was derived from 248 nominations from governments to NGOs to individuals. Europe is the region with the most at-risk sites, per this list, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean. Singapore is on this year's list for the first time.
Six of the 67 sites are located in the United States: Chinati Foundation (Marfa, Texas), George Nakashima House, Studio, and Workshop (Bucks County, Pennsylvania), Henry Klumb House (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Jefferson National Expansion Memorial (St. Louis, Missouri), The Cloisters (New York, New York), and Taliesin (Spring Green, Wisconsin), the only U.S. site on this year's list which has appeared on the list before.
The WMF also funds projects on these sites, to the tune of more than $90 million through 2012, in addition to $200 million from other sources. The list "provides a vital tool that local entities can use to leverage funding," according to a WMF fact sheet.
