Preserve America Summmit Issue Area Reports
In cooperation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and other federal and non-federal partners, First Lady Laura Bush led a national Preserve America Summit to mark the 40th anniversary of the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The national Preserve America Summit explored opportunities to build on the past achievements of the national historic preservation program and suggested ways to modernize the program for the future.
On October 18-20, 2006, Summit participants gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, to review the major components of the national historic preservation program and propose a series of ideas to advance historic preservation programs and policy. We expect many of these ideas will help local communities throughout the United States take full advantage of existing preservation tools, as well as identify innovative concepts for future success.
Planning groups comprised of various federal agencies and public and private partners began meeting in April 2006 and identified 11 critical issue areas. Each area was assigned to one or more federal and non-federal co-chairs, who recommended and organized an expert panel of 10 to 15 experts who met during the summer of 2006.
These panels conferred and met prior to the Summit to determine the best way for their panel to proceed in developing concepts for their issue. Each of the 11 issue areas was tasked with identifying up to five ideas for consideration.
The 11 issue areas, with listings of their co-chairs and panelists, and the work of these expert panels is contained in the attached reports. These reports were discussed at the Summit breakout sessions, and the results of the sessions were presented in summary form on the last day of the Summit. Following the Summit, the reports were modified and finalized.
Public comments were accepted on these reports until January 16, 2007, and the public comment period is now closed. The reports and comments submitted will be considered by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation at its regular quarterly meeting, February 22-23, 2007, in Washington, D.C. Please visit www.preserveamerica.gov or www.achp.gov for further progress reports.
Please click a link below to download each report in PDF format:
- Building a Preservation Ethic and Public Appreciation for History
- Coordinating the Stewardship and Use of Our Cultural Patrimony
- Determining What’s Important
- Protecting Places That Matter
- Improving the Preservation Program Infrastructure
- Dealing With the Unexpected
- Addressing Security
- Using Historic Properties as Economic Assets
- Involving All Cultures
- Fostering Innovation
- Participating in the Global Preservation Community
QUESTIONS? Contact Ron Anzalone, Director, Office of Preservation Initiatives, 202-606-8503.
Updated
January 2, 2008