News from the OHP
Public Listening Sessions for the Next State Historic Preservation Plan
As part of their efforts to develop the next Statewide Historic Preservation Plan for California, the Office of Historic Preservation will be conducting public listening sessions during February and March. There will be six in-person sessions held throughout the state, and two online sessions. Two additional sessions will be reserved specifically for tribal input (though tribal representatives are welcome to attend any of the public sessions). Public input is vital to creating a workable State Plan that articulates the goals, issues, and directions in historic preservation most important to Californians. Please visit our Statewide Historic Preservation Plan webpage for more details about this initiative, and to register for one of the listening sessions. Make your voice heard!
California Awarded Underrepresented Communities Grant
We are pleased to announce that California was among the recent recipients of Underrepresented Community Grants funded through the Historic Preservation Fund. The $50,000 grant awarded to California will be administered by our office to develop a statewide Multiple Property Documentation Form through which to identify and nominate to the National Register of Historic Places properties associated with Asian American and Pacific Islanders in California. Read the press release from the Secretary of the Interior.
Earthquake Retrofit Grants Available
The Earthquake Brace+Bolt Program provides homeowners up to $3,000 to strengthen their home's foundation and lessen the potential for earthquake damage. Retrofit grants are awarded through a registration and lottery system. Registration is open from January 27 through February 27, 2017. Visit the Earthquake Brace+Bolt website for program and registration information. Additional resources regarding disaster preparedness, response, and recovery can be found on the OHP Disasters and Historic Resources webpage.
Now Accepting Nominations for the 2017 Governor's Awards
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2017 Governor's Historic Preservation Awards. Do you know of a project, individual, group, or agency whose work exemplifies the best in historic preservation in California? Submit a nomination! Please visit our Governor's Historic Preservation Awards webpage to learn more about this state-sponsored awards program and to download the 2017 nomination forms. The nomination deadline is May 15, 2017. Good work deserves to be recognized!
Three California Properties Included in Recent NHLs
Three California properties were included in the 24 newly designated National Historic Landmarks announced on January 11, 2017 by the Secretary of the Interior. Chicano Park, San Diego, and McDonnell Hall, San Jose, are both recognized for their place in the twentieth century struggles for Latino civil rights. The VDL Research House is recognized for its association with its designer and renowned modern architect Richard Nuetra.
Sacramento to Host the First SHRC Meeting of 2017
The State Historical Resources Commission (SHRC) will hold their first meeting of 2017 on February 3, at the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse in Sacramento. The Commission will hear eleven nominations for the National Register of Historic Places. For information about the meeting and the eleven nominations, please visit our Pending Nominations page.
Disasters - Planning, Response, and Recovery
The unpredictability of weather due to climate change and other factors, yearly challenges of fire, and ever-present threats from earthquakes and other natural disasters, make it imperative to have plans and preparations in place before disaster strikes. We invite you to visit our Disasters and Historic Resources webpage for a variety of resources to help with the planning, responding, and recovery processes. Staff of the OHP are available to provide assistance and updated information to those responsible for historic properties in times of disaster.
New Federal Rules Regarding Tribal Plant Gathering
On July 12, 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) announced new federal rules for tribal plant gathering. The rule authorizes agreements between the National Park Service and federally recognized tribes that will facilitate the continuation of tribal cultural practices on lands within areas of the National Park System where those practices traditionally occurred, without causing significant adverse impact to park resources or values.
Click here to view and download the text of the new rules.
California Projects Receive National Maritime Heritage Grants
We are pleased to announce that the following four projects in California recently were awarded grants from the National Park Service's National Maritime Heritage Program: the Island of the Blue Dolphins and its Maritime History Context; the Steam Ferryboat Eureka Structural Survey; a Distance Learning History Project: Linking Cabrillo's Ship San Salvador; and the Spirit of Dana Tall Ship Overnight Education Program. For details about these projects and other grant awardees, visit the Maritime Grants webpage. The Maritime Heritage Program is part of the National Park Service's Park History Program. Maritime grants are administered through the SHPO offices.
Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Signs Important Agreement with the Department of the Interior
On April 21, 2016, the Department of the Interior announced that an agreement had been signed with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in California, along with the Nez Perce Tribe in Idaho, and the Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota, to reduce fractionation in Indian Country through implementation of the Land Buy-Back Program for Tribal Nations. Read the full announcement here.
Guide to Section 106 Review Now in Spanish
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is pleased to announce the release of the Spanish language version of the ACHP’s “Citizen’s Guide to Section 106 Review.” This new version contains the same text as the English edition, with updated images. Download a copy from the link below:
Citizen's Guide to Section 106 Review - Spanish
Preserve Latino History!
After a two-year collaborative process with representatives of California's Latino communities, the Office of Historic Preservation is pleased to announce the creation of Latinos in Twentieth Century California, a historic context that recognizes the contributions of Latinos to the more recent history of California. The Latinos in Twentieth Century California project seeks to identify properties throughout California associated with Latino history and nominate many of those properties to the National Register of Historic Places. Please visit our Preserve Latino History webpage to find out how you can participate in identifying and nominating significant properties.