The Historic Preservation Planning Program of the National Park Service develops national policy related to historic preservation planning. Preservation planning is the rational, systematic process by which a community develops a vision, goals, and priorities for the preservation of its historic and cultural resources. The community seeks to achieve its vision through its own actions and through influencing the actions of others. Goals and priorities are based on analyses of resource data and community values. The Historic Preservation Planning Program helps communities of all kinds make sense of the planning process and ensure it is useful and effective. Overall guiding principles for historic preservation planning are found in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Preservation Planning.
The goals of the Historic Preservation Planning Program are to:
- strengthen the integration of historic preservation into the broader public policy and land-use planning and decision-making arenas at the federal, state, tribal, and local levels;
- increase the opportunities for broad-based and diverse public participation in planning for historic and cultural resources;
- expand knowledge and skills in historic preservation planning; and
- assist states, tribes, local governments, and federal agencies in carrying out inclusive preservation planning programs that are responsive to their own needs and concerns.
The primary tool the National Park Service has to implement the Historic Preservation Planning Program goals is through statewide historic preservation planning.
Last updated: September 28, 2021