Gaining Ground: A Preservation Plan for Minnesota's Historic Properties 2006-2010

From the Introduction: "As the office in the state with primary responsibility for historic preservation, Minnesota's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), located at the Minnesota Historical Society, advocates the preservation of the state's historic and archaeological resources and provides statewide leadership in carrying out its mission to identify, evaluate, register, and protect historic properties. Among the SHPO's many charges is development of the statewide historic preservation plan. This plan for 2006-2010 assesses the progress made by all of Minnesota's preservation partners during the last five-year planning period and provides direction for our preservation community in the years ahead. When the previous statewide preservation plan was released in the fall of 2000, expectations were high, fueled by a dramatic increase in the federal appropriation for historic preservation. Within two years, however, federal funding for preservation had dropped precipitously, reducing Minnesota's share by 31 percent. One year later, a state budget crisis forced SHPO staff layoffs, program cuts and a 75 percent reduction in state grant funds. Yet, despite the setbacks during the period of unprecedented volatility in historic preservation funding, Minnesota's preservation community remains vigorous. Progress has been made on many fronts and public awareness of historic preservation is gaining ground. This statewide plan contains our shared agenda for the future of historic preservation in Minnesota. Our vision is a bold one. We see preservation thriving in all its dimensions: a broad, inclusive movement that identifies and interprets important places and events associated with all people who have contributed to Minnesota's past; an essential tool for revitalizing Minnesota's past; an essential tool for revitalizing Minnesota's cities, towns and neighborhoods and conserving the historic and scenic values of a disappearing countryside; an important way to understand Minnesota's cultural heritage and appreciate the diverse people and traditions that have come together to shape the society we know today, and; a source of identity and continuity as we move into the future. What will preservation look like in the year 2020 if this vision is realized? Minnesota will have secured its reputation for valuing and protecting its historic and cultural resources. Communities across the state will be integrating historic preservation into their planning, with vibrant historic neighborhoods and downtowns the evidence of their success. And the preservation community will have become a strong network of people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and disciplines, leveraging the human and financial resources necessary to make preservation happen across the state. The success of this new plan depends on the partnership of all of Minnesota's many preservation players - citizens, organizations, government agencies, elected officials and preservation professionals. With your cooperation, the preservation picture in Minnesota will be strong indeed." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Minnesota State Historic Preservation Office, Department of Administration, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Gaining Ground: A Preservation Plan for Minnesota's Historic Properties 2006-2010

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