We help save the
places that matter

Whether it is guiding citizens through the process of listing important historic resources or neighborhoods on the National Register of Historic Places, or considering the impact of large renewable energy projects on historic landscapes or archeological sites, your State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) is your partner in preservation.

group of people sitting beside rectangular wooden table with laptops

Know your SHPO

Your State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) is the appointed official in each of the 50 U.S. states, 5 U.S. territories, 3 freely associated states, and the District of Columbia.

Whether it is guiding citizens through the process of listing important historic resources in the National Register of Historic Places, or considering the impact of large renewable energy projects on historic landscapes or archeological sites, your SHPO is your partner in preservation.

Federal Preservation Project Review – Section 106

After the widespread destruction of historic neighborhoods and places in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 guaranteed that the federal government would consider the impact of federally funded or permitted projects on our nation’s historic resources. Section 106 of the Act established a consultation process to assure adequate public involvement.

MD SHPO & NPS staff visit the rehabilitation of the Conococheague Aqueduct on the C&O Canal National Historical Park during project construction. Photo Credit: Maryland Historical Trust (2018)
Oklahoma Historical Society (SHPO) at Main Street Day inside the Oklahoma State Capitol

The Historic Preservation Fund

In order provide the resources to SHPOs to implement the federal requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act, Congress established the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). Since its creation, it has come to also fund Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs), as well as competitive grant programs for preservation.

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