Press Release
August 10, 2017
Contact: Melvena Heisch
State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-4484
mheisch@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/shpo
SHPO Seeks Input for FY 2018 Program
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) will hold a public meeting at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, September 15, 2017, in the Oklahoma History Center Classroom located at 800 Nazih Zuhdi Drive, just northeast of the State Capitol in Oklahoma City. SHPO staff will provide information about the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and how it supports the statewide preservation program. Also, during the meeting, the SHPO will receive public input for development of the Fiscal Year 2018 Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) application to the U.S. Department of the Interior. Participation in the meeting is one important way to help the SHPO advance Oklahoma’s preservation goals.
Under the NHPA, the SHPO administers the federal historic preservation program in Oklahoma. The purpose of the program is to encourage preservation of the state's archaeological and historic resources for everyone's benefit. The SHPO conducts surveys to identify archaeological and historic resources; nominates eligible properties to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP); comments on the effects of federal undertakings on archaeological and historic resources; develops the statewide preservation plan; administers the Certified Local Governments (CLG) Program; provides comments to the National Park Service about rehabilitation projects proposed for federal tax credits; and provides public outreach programs and technical assistance to preservation professionals, government agencies, and interested citizens. The SHPO expects to receive approximately $830,000 from the HPF for these programs and its operations. Ten percent of the HPF award is reserved for pass-through grants to CLGs.
“Tomorrow's Legacy: Oklahoma's Statewide Preservation Plan (January 2015-December 2019)” (available from the SHPO or at www.okhistory.org/shpo/stateplan.htm) sets forth the statewide preservation community’s goals and objectives. The SHPO's priorities for addressing the State Plan's goals are continuation of the archaeological and historic/architectural resources survey program, with special emphasis on resources associated with underrepresented peoples and extension of survey coverage to previously unstudied areas; preparation of NRHP nominations; and continuation of public outreach and technical assistance programs. Your project ideas and recommended priorities for the SHPO's FY 2018 activities will help strengthen preservation efforts in Oklahoma.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, your written comments and suggestions are welcome. You may complete the SHPO's "Project Suggestion Form" and return it by 5 p.m. on Friday, September 15, 2017. Call the SHPO at 405-521-6249 or email Jesse Matthews at jmatthews@okhistory.org to request the form or obtain it at www.okhistory.org/shpo/spevents.htm.
The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society. The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
###
