The South Dakota Preservation Plan, 2021-2025

From Foreword: "As we look to the future in implementing a new five-year Historic Preservation Plan for South Dakota, it is important for the citizens of our great state to recognize that we truly live and work in a very special place. In addition to its natural beauty and diverse wildlife, our state's history is a source of fascination and envy around the nation and world. The prehistoric Indian villages, mammoth sites, rich archaeology, old fur trading posts, wagon trail ruts that stretch across the state, homesteader cabins, abandoned gold mines, ghost towns, unique Americana businesses, and richly detailed historic neighborhoods are a wonderful testament to the rich history and culture of South Dakota. ...[I]t is critical to focus resources on previously disadvantaged and under-represented communities when developing preservation program going forward; to ensure a more diverse and inclusive historical perspectives. We must never forget that when we touch the past, we gain a greater understanding of who we are, where we are, and where we are going.... The landscape of South Dakota continues to evolve and change, but only with a conscious program to identify, inventory, evaluate, and preserve the remaining physical artifacts of our history can South Dakota's heritage survive. If not protected, these historic resources will soon disappear; and when they are gone, they are gone forever. While South Dakota has not directly experienced the recent nationwide protests removing monuments and statutes, our state does experience other threats to our cultural resources: neglect, natural forces, lack of awareness, political indifference, and economic development pressures. What becomes critically necessary is education and guidance about which resources are important and which are not. We then must develop creative solutions to recognize the significant historic resources as the tremendous assets they are and to treat them appropriately. What is necessary is to help community leaders understand what historic preservation is and how it can help their own efforts. We need to ensure the cooperation of state government, tribal governments, federal agencies, private industry, local leaders, and the entire preservation community to find ways to identify, document, and protect our valuable historic resources. This is where the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan becomes especially important. This plan guides the actions and sets the priorities for historic preservation activities in South Dakota for the next several years. ...As we began working on this plan, we heard many suggestions for how SHPO can work to ensure the greatest, diverse, inclusive, and most effective historic preservation effort. The result of all these inputs is a preservation plan that identifies fundamental challenges and defines specific goals. As with any such document, its represents a careful effort to balance precious resources and set critical priorities. This plan is a road map for how to proceed in the coming years. It's also important to recognize that SHPO cannot move down this road of historic preservation alone. We all must travel this road. SHPO will provide the organizational framework and some of the resources, but it ultimately requires all the 'partners in preservation', at all levels of government and in the private sector, to work together for the betterment of South Dakota. As always, we welcome your ongoing participation, comments, and passion for historic preservation." Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

The South Dakota Preservation Plan, 2021-2025

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