Secretary of the Interior historic preservation annual award program was created to recognize the outstanding contributions of the employees of Federal, State, and Tribal Preservation Offices and Certified Local Governments in the area of historic preservation. The award was established through a statutory mandate for a cabinet level of recognition in Section 110(h) of the National Historic Preservation Act.The Secretary’s award is distinguished from other historic preservation award programs in that it: focuses on the accomplishments of individual employees and not on programs or projects and it recognizes the contributions of employees at multiple levels of government.

One individual will be awarded from each of the four categories annually. The categories for eligibility are employees of: Federal Preservation Offices, State Historic Preservation Offices, Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and of Certified Local Governments. Employees of the National Park Service are not eligible for this award.

The award will recognize special achievements by employees of Federal, State, Tribal, and local preservation programs that have made outstanding contributions to the preservation of historic resources. The winners will be selected through a national competition administered by the National Park Service and the Office of the Interior Secretary.

The deadline for the inaugural 2008 award is October 20, 2008. Please click here for the nomination form.