Oregon Releases Historic Preservation Plan for Next Decade

A newly released plan from the Oregon State Historic Preservation Office outlines the state’s plan for preserving “special traditions, collections and places” categorized under four key areas: building the heritage community; preservation planning; identifying, evaluating, designating, and treating cultural resources; federal , state, and local government; and information technology tools.

As a KTVZ article explains, “The plan includes goals and objectives to address each issue, and work to include more people and broaden the scope of the history preserved it threaded through the response to each issue.” The plan calls for proactively identifying cultural resources and planning for their future, increasing government transparency and efficiency in preservation efforts, and digitizing resources and collections from various institutions.

The document encourages collaboration between various stakeholders including federal, local, and tribal governments, local museums and historical societies, community groups, and others. “The plan emphasizes how these actors can take action and work together to enhance livability, community connection, and economic development through preservation of and access to cultural resources.”