Barely Making the Deadline
for an October Newsletter.
I tossed my original newsletter in the bin. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee gave us tricks instead of treats this spooky season. On October 29, they held a full committee hearing to “examine the Section 106* consultation process under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).” There was no agenda. The National Trust for Historic Preservation shared information about the meeting <24 hours before it happened; Preservation Action distributed a call to action last Friday; the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers provided resources last Thursday. Those in the loop were reliant on Allyson Brooks’ LinkedIn for updates prior to organizational organizing/information distribution.
All of that is to say, we had very short notice and very little knowledge of what the conversation would look like. In one Historic Preservation Professionals (HPP) Facebook group thread, a member said that preservation organizations were not ready to “meet the moment.” If you were not able to live stream the hearing, I encourage you to watch/listen to it and/or read the testimonies given. The words are not minced, Section 106 is perceived as a hindrance to progress. We could explore the technicalities of the hearing, but here is what I’m left feeling after the hearing:
We must remember to express appreciation for the individuals and organizations who are doing work we admire and who are contributing a voice to fight to further entrench cultural heritage work as a societal value. What individuals, organizations, and/or campaigns are exciting you? Giving you ideas? Inspiring you to advocate for cultural heritage? Send an email to them and express that!
We must remember that we do not have to wait for organizations to organize us. We have the power and ability to lead collective action. We do not have to wait for permission to advocate for cultural heritage. Let’s ring alarm bells on public forums like HPP; let’s organize gatherings in our local communities; let’s help each other break free from negative news paralysis.
I would love to hear your hearing takeaways and what you think our next steps to protect Section 106 should be.
*if you are not familiar with Section 106, it is fundamentally a tool that enables communities to speak up and advocate for culturally significant sites that may be impacted by federally funded projects/ projects on federal land.
Please send thank you notes to Chris Merrit and Steven Concho
for providing testimony at the hearing.
Their physical office addresses are:
Chris Merritt
c/o UT SHPOffice
3760 Highland Drive
Millcreek, Utah 84106
Steven Concho
c/o Acoma Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 489
Acoma, NM 87034
If you do not have any postage, their emails are:
cmerritt@utah.gov and SConcho@poamail.org
RESOURCE ROUNDUP:
What I’ve been reading, listening to, and watching.
Open Letter: Wakasa Memorial Stone and Site
Report: Museums Moving Forward 2025 Report on Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in US Art Museums
Community Project: Justice InDeed
Interactive Digital Interpretation: A Culture Trip Down Route 66