I found this quote funny, though I can understand it was for dramatic effect. In congress theatre is part of the job.

Jon Stewart is a master at making serious people look like they can't possibly be serious.

yep that is how I read that quote to, but it did seem a little OTT.

And I do agree about Jon Stewart being a master, Colbert does it very well too, but in a different way, by agreeing with them and exaggerating the position. They make a very enjoyable way to keep up with US politics.

Properties for Future Consideration 11 (US Tentative List). I included each property in relation to national designation. All of these properties sought inclusion on the 2008 tentative list. There is some early stages of consideration developing, relating to additional properties to the US tentative list. The primary focus currently is the submission of Poverty Point, and the priority nominations of the Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings and San Antonio Missions. However it has surprisingly been over 5 years since the US submitted a new tentative list. Does anyone have an opinion of the "potential sites"?

***Cultural Properties

1) Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota (Designated as a National Monument in 1937)

2) Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 2012)

3) Colonial Newport, Rhode Island (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1968)

4) Eastern State Penitentiary (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1965)

5) Gamble House (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1977)

6) Moundville Site, Alabama (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1964)

7) Olana State Historic Site, New York (Designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1965)

8) Shaker Villages, Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, and New York (All 4 components have been designated as National Historic Landmarks)

9) Underground Railroad Sites, Ohio (Both components have been designated at National Historic Landmarks)

10) French Creole Properties in the Mid-Mississippi Valley, Illinois and Missouri (No designation at the National level)

***Natural Properties

11) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, Massachusetts (Designated as a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992)

It would appear that this site would be progressed as part of a Transnational site related to the Moravian Church.

One of the candidates for the latest UK T List was Gracehill Village in N Ireland. This failed to gain acceptance in it own right but with the provision that "the Government should consider adding Gracehill Conservation Area to the UK Tentative List if firm proposals for a transnational nomination should be developed, provided that it can be demonstrated that the site could make a substantial contribution to the OUV of the series as a whole."

This comment was made about sites which might be included in such a trans-national nomination. It wasn't however made clear which country would "take the lead"
"It has been put forward as one element of a possible transnational nomination with the sites of Christianfeld (Denmark), Zeist (Netherlands) Elim (South Africa), and Bethlehem (United States of America). So far, only the Danish site is on its national Tentative List. "

I had never heard of that before. Coincidentally I visited Christiansfeld in Denmark a few weeks ago ( http://www.worldheritagesite.org/sites/t182.html ), and came to the conclusion that it would only have a chance if the Hernhutter/Moravian theme was milked out.

Searching for articles about the nomination of Zeist (NL), I encountered only articles from 2008. There was even a study done about its WH values : http://www.jacques-derhoter.nl/BuenosAires/2008/Zeist.pdf . Interesting for sure. But I am afraid nothing much is happening now.

Reading the article about Zeist you provided the link for I noted the existence of the "Moravian Heritage Network". Looking it up I found further reference to the setting up as long ago as 2002 of this network of historical sites linked to the Moravian Heritage
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Christiansfeld, Denmark
Elim, Cape Province, South Africa
Gracehill, Northern Ireland
Hernnhut, Germany
Zeist, the Netherlands

The initiative seemed to come from Denmark (The Moravians seem to have operated significantly out of Denmark for their missionary activity - I remember being quite surprised to find out their importance in the bringing of Christianity to Greenland in the 18th C when i was there a few years ago)

This was said back in 2002
"During the course of a number of years it is the intention to get all the cities entered on UNESCO´s World Heritage List. This does not involve in itself, preservation or protection of the cities but it means that the understanding of their value is enhanced."
See http://www.kolding.dk/moravianheritagenetwork/0052440.asp

A good many more years to go I suspect, if ever - but, nevertheless, an interesting concept - Protestantism and its missions are not well represented on the List compared with Catholicism.

This is from the free book (provided by request from the NPS) on "World Heritage in the United States: The U.S. Tentative List 2008". In this book all tentative properties are described in detail, including criteria and photos. All potential nominations are also described.

Note on Moravian Bethlehem:

"There is an ongoing international effort to prepare a multinational World Heritage nomination of the Moravian sites in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Except for Christiansfeld in Denmark, none of the other sites are on the most recent Tentative Lists of their respective countries. There is a potential for Moravian Bethlehem to form a part of such a multinational nomination. It also appears that the Bethlehem community would be better illustrated by a larger group of buildings; it might be useful to determine whether all or part of the National Register of Historic Places district surrounding these two buildings may qualify as a National Historic Landmark, a prerequisite for World Heritage Nomination" - 2008

It is interesting that the listing of Moravian Bethlehem as a National Historic Landmark recently occurred in 2012 under the name Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

It could perhaps be assumed this designation is partly fueled by inclusion on the current US Tentative List, no?

Yes definitely - and probably more than just "partly fueled by"!
See the Oct 17 2012 press release announcing its designation as a NHL which included these phrases (with more in the body of the Release)
"The next step in preserving this wonderful history and sharing it with the community at large is UNESCO World Heritage recognition." and "Receiving this NHL District designation will make a stronger case for the trans-national nomination to the World Heritage List."
http://www.historicbethlehem.org/data/org/127/media/doc/11168_national_historic_landm ark_district_-_bethlehem.pdf

"As a result, HBP took on the responsibility of preparing a nomination to the U.S. World Heritage Sites Tentative List, and Historic Moravian Bethlehem's status is now pending."

Ok, we can then assume in all likelihood Moravian Bethlehem will be added to the US tentative list in the near future. It seems from the document you posted, the US was invited to join this multinational nomination. I wonder who is taking the lead on this proposed nomination? Will tentative nominations be included for the below mentioned state parties in the near future? This may be in the very early stages, who knows 5-10 years before the group nomination is brought before the WHC. It will be interesting to how this nomination develops.

18th Century Moravian Communities

Northern Ireland
Netherlands
Denmark
Germany
South Africa
United States

The UK's t-list expert panel reported in 2011 (p49-50). Having recommended that the Government should consider adding Gracehill to the UK Tentative List if firm proposals for a transnational nomination develop, one would assume it would be fairly straightforward logistically but they made a clear recommendation it shouldn't be added now.

Another missed opportunity? Or soon to be proposed?

Canada may be in the early stages of prepping the Klondike nomination. US once again is seemingly behind or not interested in a joint nomination?

"The American components of this proposal, including the historic district of Skagway, Alaska, are not yet on the American Tentative List." - The Klondike - tentative description (Canada)

I did not know the United States was largely responsible for the "secret ballot"! A result of digging through the operational guidelines in 2007 to help solve a endless debate on the Causses and Cévennes nomination. Incredible insight into the US world heritage program, many things I thought turned upside down.

http://www.georgewright.org/301stott.pdf

Thanks winterkjm - a very useful artiicle and particularly interesting in iits "behind the scenes" history of various WHCs and of contentious issues across the years. Given its title it is hardly surprising that it provides a very (and perhaps "over") "US-centric" view of what happened at various WHCs. Also some relevant issues are surprising by their absence - it describes the successful nomination of Papahânaumokuâkea in 2010 but, as far as I can see, makes absolutely no mention of the failure of Mt Vernon that same year and what he thought of that nomination!!

I list below links to the 2 other articles in the series (the one above being the 3rd and final)

Article 1. The World Heritage Convention and the National Park Service, 1962–1972 http://www.georgewright.org/283stott.pdf

Article 2 The World Heritage Convention and the National Park Service: The First Two Decades, 1972–1992. http://www.georgewright.org/291stott.pdf

Article 3 The World Heritage Convention and the National Park Service, 1993–2009. Link as above from winterkjm

Activity on US "paying UNESCO dues" front. There is fear that US postponement of dues will adversely affect its current line-up of nominations.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Mission-critical-pay-U-S-dues- 4599219.php

Perhaps last ditch effort to re-instate UNESCO funds.

http://www.usicomos.org/news/usicomos-joins-preservation-action-help-reinstate-unesco -funding