Oregon SHPO asks "How is Oregon's heritage special to you?"

This summer and fall Oregon State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) is asking Oregonians how Oregon’s heritage is special to them in a series of 90-minute virtual public meetings and an online survey to direct state-wide preservation goals for the 2024-2029 Oregon Preservation Plan. The SHPO is an office of Oregon Heritage.

The SHPO completes a state-wide preservation plan every five years that describes how the SHPO, government agencies, non-profit organizations, advocacy groups, and the public will work together to identify, designate, protect, and treat our state’s important historic places. The Plan is required by the National Park Service in Washington DC. The agency partially funds the SHPO through a biannual grant under the provisions of the 1966 Historic Preservation Act. See the current 2017-2023 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan.

Meetings will focus on a specific region or topic, but all are welcome to attend one or more of the meetings. Participants will identify what issues matter most, how to best preserve our history, and what government agencies, cultural institutions, and each Oregonian can do can do to protect and share our history. Topic-based meetings will discuss how the heritage community can better address diversity, equity, and inclusion in cultural resource programs, disaster preparedness and response, and planning for cultural resources in development and infrastructure projects. The meetings will be held Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00, June through September by Zoom video and teleconference. The information from the meetings will be used to create the 2024-2029 Oregon Historic Preservation Plan that will be published in early 2024.

Meeting dates are:
June 29th, Greater Portland Metro Area - Register here
July 6th, Greater Willamette Valley - Register here
July 20th, Central and Southeast Oregon - Register here
August 3rd, Rogue Valley and South Oregon Coast - Register here
August 17th, I-84 Corridor and Northeast Oregon - Register here
August 31st, Northwest and Central Oregon Coast - Register here
September 7th, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access in the Oregon Preservation Plan - Register here
September 14th, Disaster Preparation and Response for Cultural Resources - Register here
September 21st, Community Planning for Cultural Resources - Register here

They’re also inviting every Oregonian to participate in our online survey. The survey asks about your interests, what issues matter most, and what we can all do to preserve our history. Go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2024-2029HistPresPlanSurvey.

Watch their project webpage here, Facebook page, and blog for additional details and comment opportunities.

You can also watch this awesome video they created to let all of you know what the plan is all about and how to participate.