SHPO Seeks Public Input for FY 2009 Program
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will hold a public meeting at 10:30 am, on Friday, September 5, 2008, in the Oklahoma History Center Classroom, 2401 N. Laird Avenue (just northeast of the State Capitol), Oklahoma City, to provide information about the statewide preservation program and to receive public input for development of the Fiscal Year 2009 Historic Preservation Fund application. The SHPO expects to receive approximately $675,000 from the U.S. Department of the Interior's FY 2009 Historic Preservation Fund to carry out its programs and operations. Ten percent of the award is reserved for pass-through grants to Certified Local Governments (CLGs).
Under the National Historic Preservation Act, the SHPO has responsibility for administration of the federal historic preservation program in Oklahoma. In brief, the purpose of the program is to encourage preservation of the state's archeological and historic resources for everyone's benefit. Specific activities directed toward this goal include identification of properties important in history, architecture, culture, and archeology; evaluation and registration of significant properties; formal review of federal and federally assisted projects that could affect archeological and historic resources; development and implementation of the statewide historic preservation plan; administration of the CLG program; administration of the federal and state investment tax credits program for certified historic structures; and public outreach activities.
Tomorrow's Legacy: Oklahoma's Statewide Preservation Plan (2005) [available under Survey/Planning in the menu to the left] sets forth the goals and objectives for historic preservation efforts in the state, including the SHPO's programs listed above. The SHPO's priorities for addressing the State Plan's goals are continuation of the archeological and historic/architectural resources survey program to document property types under-represented in the state's inventory and to extend survey coverage to previously unstudied areas, preparation of nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, and provision of public outreach and technical assistance programs. Your comments will help the SHPO determine its specific projects and activities for FY 2009 to address these priorities.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, your written comments and suggestions are welcome. You may provide them by completing the "Project Suggestion Form" (located under Administrative, Forms in the menu to the left) and returning it to the SHPO by 5:00 pm, Friday, September 5, 2008.
UPDATING OKLAHOMA'S STATEWIDE
PRESERVATION PLAN
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Oklahoma Historical Society, is responsible for the development of the statewide preservation plan and for encouraging other agencies, organizations, and individuals to participate in its implementation. Tomorrow’s Legacy: Oklahoma’s Statewide Preservation Plan is developed in consultation with the State’s preservation community and was last published in January 2005. Copies of the State Plan are available from the SHPO (405/521-6249 or mheisch@okhistory.org) or under Survey/Planning in the menu to the left.
In accordance with the cycle set forth in the State Plan, the next edition will be published in January 2010. Your input is needed to help the SHPO insure the relevance of this edition of the State Plan's goals and objectives for all of its users, and there are two ways for you to provide your comments.
First, we invite you to complete Needs Assessment for Updating Tomorrow's Legacy: Oklahoma's Statewide Preservation Plan. To request that a copy of the assessment be mailed or e-mailed to you, contact the SHPO at 405/521-6249 or mheisch@okhistory.org. Or, you may complete the assessment online at http//www.okhistory.org/shpo/needs.php. The deadline for completing the assessment is August 15, 2008.
Second, the SHPO will hold a public discussion about the State Plan and its update at 1:30pm on Friday, September 5, 2008, in the Oklahoma History Center Classroom, 2401 North Laird Avenue, Oklahoma City. The SHPO staff will discuss how the State Plan is developed, how it is used in the SHPO's programs, and how others participate in its implementation. The public is invited to attend and share their views about the State Plan's goals and objectives.
All comments received through the needs assessment and the public discussion will be considered as the updated State Plan is developed. A draft document will be available for public review and comment in early 2009. If you may have questions, contact Melvena Heisch, Deputy SHPO at 405/522-4484 or mheisch@okhistory.org.
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The National Preservation Conference is the premier preservation conference in the United States for professionals in preservation and allied fields, dedicated volunteers, and serious supporters. It is the single best source for information, ideas, inspiration, and contacts, and this year it will be in Tulsa. For more information, visit www.PreservationNation.org/conference or e-mail conference@nthp.org.
National Preservation Conference Scholarships Available
