On May 9, Planning Magazine published Chair Sara C. Bronin’s overview of ACHP’s recent work to support more modern approaches to housing, climate change, burial grounds and human remains, and Indigenous Knowledge. The Advisory Council’s four new policy statements are intended to guide decision-makers at all levels of government and professionals in private practice.
The four policy statements address the following important and timely topics:
- The policy statement on climate change urges more systemic assessments of and planning for climate risks to historic properties.
- The policy statement on housing and historic preservation encourages housing in areas where it is not currently permitted, including the conversion of vacant office and commercial buildings to housing.
- The policy statement on burial sites, human remains and funerary objects recognizes past inequitable treatment of gravesites associated with disadvantaged communities and Tribal nations, and emphasizes the importance of respecting the final resting places of all people.
- The policy statement on Indigenous Knowledge recognizes Indigenous Knowledge as valid and self-supporting, and that holders of Indigenous Knowledge need not prove any particular academic or professional qualifications.
Bronin writes, “In adopting all of these new policies, the ACHP is fulfilling its statutory role under the National Historic Preservation Act to improve preservation policy and to advise people working at all levels of government and in the private sector. ACHP encourages dialogue and debate about these issues, as we all work to ensure that we honor historic and cultural sites, while advancing other important societal values.”