A New Season: Preservation Plan for Minnesota’s Historic Properties, 2012-2017

From introduction: "In recent years Minnesota’s citizens and lawmakers took steps to ensure that preservation of the state’s historic and cultural resources would be long-lasting. The result: A new season has dawned for historic preservation in Minnesota. In November 2008, voters gave voice to what the people of Minnesota value when they passed a constitutional amendment creating a new sales tax of 3/8 of a cent to support outdoor heritage, parks and trails, clean waters, and arts and cultural heritage. For the first time, the words “Minnesota history” appear in the state’s constitution. And in 2010, after years of concerted effort, the state’s preservation community celebrated passage of legislation establishing a new historic rehabilitation tax credit for Minnesota. Now we must leverage these new tools to build on our strong, four-decades-long foundation of historic preservation activity. To maximize their potential, the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has developed this new six year statewide historic preservation plan to serve as a blueprint for all those committed to preserving Minnesota’s irreplaceable historic and archaeological resources. The plan is designed to assess Minnesota’s progress toward preservation goals set during the previous planning period and provide direction for the state’s preservation community in the years ahead. Intended for preservationists across the state, the plan will be adapted and implemented in communities large and small, urban and rural. Working together, with clear priorities and common goals, the Minnesota preservation community stands ready to set a new standard for historic preservation. How might historic preservation look in Minnesota at the end of this 2012–2017 planning period? With the preservation community united in its stewardship of Minnesota’s rich resources, it is sure to be thriving in all its dimensions: Preservation will be seen as a broad, inclusive movement that identifies, protects, preserves and interprets important places and events associated with all people who have contributed to Minnesota’s past. Historic resources in their many forms — the built environment, landscapes, archaeological sites — will be recognized and celebrated by all citizens as a record of our rich cultural heritage. Community leaders and property owners alike will see preservation as an essential tool for revitalizing Minnesota’s cities, towns and neighborhoods and for saving a disappearing countryside. The preservation community will be a strong network of people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and disciplines, working together to leverage the human and financial resources necessary to make preservation happen across the state." Funding was provided in part by a 2012 Historic Preservation Fund grant administered by the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office (project number MN-12-035, grant number 27-12-41930) and the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

A New Season: Preservation Plan for Minnesota’s Historic Properties, 2012-2017

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