Many of the initiatives that were mentioned in the pre-committee-meeting May Chair Activities Update to members have come to fruition. We adopted the climate change policy statement, approved amendments to the Operating Procedures, adopted the State and Local Government Legislation guidelines, and are deep into revising the housing policy statement. You advised that we not open up regulations at this time, but instead issue guidance, which staff is currently developing. This report covers reviewing, updating, and implementing policies; enhancing our external and public presence; and expanding our capacity. If the below triggers additional ideas about how we can achieve these goals, please be in touch with Chair Bronin.

Reviewing/Updating/Implementing Policies:  

  • While we have completed our initial round of straightforward ACHP Operating Procedures amendments, staff leadership and I are reviewing whether there will be a need for additional potential refinements. Stay tuned for recommendations, if any. 
  • Now that we have adopted the state and local government advising protocols, this month I hope to start (lightly) publicizing their adoption to relevant organizations and the public. If you know of draft legislation warranting ACHP consideration, please let us know. Note the op-ed co-authored with Former ACHP Expert Member Rick Gonzalez about Florida’s ill-conceived recent legislation.
  • The Experts Advisory Committee met in May and July and will meet again in September. They have promoted the idea that the ACHP develop a research agenda, including research that evaluates its own and other federal policies. They note that England has developed a preservation research agenda, and the European Union has made efforts as well (see here). I have assigned the question of research agenda development (do we, and if so, how?) to the CEO Committee.
  • In Section 106 news:  
    • Reid Nelson, Chris Koeppel, and I attended a tour of Fort McNair and discussion with officials from the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior about historic housing redevelopment. It was a productive meeting, and staff is following up to identify the best strategies to deploy at this site.
    • In August, while visiting Wyoming, I had a nice visit with Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins and his preservation leadership team. The tour highlighted the need to continue to facilitate NPS rehabs of park infrastructure through our Section 106 process.

Enhancing External and Public Presence: 

  • The following events I listed in May as upcoming have happened: California THPO-SHPO Summit (with Reid Nelson and Ira Matt), 50th for the Johnson Museum, History Above Water, Docomomo, International Municipal Lawyers Association (with Kelly Fanizzo).
    • The launch of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley’s public history program remains TBD. 
  • In addition, note these events:  
    • Accompanied by Blythe Semmer and Jaime Loichinger, I spoke at the American Cultural Resources Association Conference in Indianapolis. Attendees were interested in the draft housing policy, the burial grounds policy, and the climate policy.  
    • In June, I spoke at the Historic Tax Credit Coalition conference about the ACHP’s longstanding interest in promoting the historic tax credit and about related issues we have been discussing. Attendees were interested in contributing to feedback about the Standards (and later did).
    • The Campaign for Historic Trades conference in Providence was a nice chance to meet with the leadership of that organization, preservation partners, and former ACHP members.
  • Future upcoming events include the following: Preservation Society of Charleston (February), Palm Springs Modernism Week (February); Historic Annapolis Annual Meeting (October); National Trust/ACHP Law Conference (October); and National Building Museum Affordable Housing Summit (September).
  • As a minor matter, I met with the Deputy Chief of Mission from Japan to discuss climate heritage issues and invite the embassy to collaborate with the ACHP as appropriate.

Expanding Our Capacity:  

  • Just reupping: If you know of an organization that might be interested in paying their staff to be detailed to the ACHP through the Intergovernmental Personnel Act, please send them my way.
  • We have engaged two pro bono attorneys, Ashley Cullinan and Stephanie Paré Sullivan, who were interested in assisting. Ms. Cullinan is assisting me with drafting and is researching legislative history; Ms. Sullivan is collecting managed retreat legal strategies. Javier Marques has drafted a pro bono agreement to accommodate this type of involvement.
  • This fall, we will host nine interns from a variety of institutions, backgrounds, and degree programs (undergrad, preservation grad, JD). Five are generously being paid hourly by the ACHP Foundation, three are receiving externship credit (and cannot be paid), and one has a stipend from his program.
    • Note that Michael Lopez will work through his University of Texas (stipend-funded) program for up to 40 hours per week, so you may be hearing from him.
    • Their projects include the following: a memo on intellectual property laws and preservation for the Office of General Counsel; picking up on two research projects from the summer; researching state/local burial grounds laws, to support further implementation of our recent policy; enhancing climate content of our website; supporting OCEO’s development of videos; and possibly graphic design related to our latest policies.
    • For fun, I will be meeting with our two fall (grad student in architecture) and summer (undergrad student in sustainable development) interns from the University of Arizona in Tucson later this month.
  • The ACHP Foundation has been actively considering new ways to support ACHP work. They are poised to convene a (free) brown bag around the time of the National Trust PastForward conference to encourage attendees to learn more about the ACHP. ACHP Foundation Fellow Matt Kenyatta completed his work, which included a website on Black inventors that will launch later this year. It was a pleasure to get to know him.
  • Using the list developed by OCEO, I have communicated with directors of academic programs in historic preservation about full-class projects, externship placements, research partnerships, and other activities that may support the ACHP.
  • OCEO and I will reconvene student “Office Hours” twice this semester again.
  • On YouTube, thanks to Lynne Richmond, new "Preservation Shorts" cover the housing policy via Alazán-Apache Courts and Dogpatch Historic District, sea level rise via Portsmouth, and an interview with Sehila Mota Caspar.