Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

State Historic Preservation Office
Minnesota's SHPO was created by state statute in 1969 to provide statewide leadership. The
director of the MHS serves as SHPO. The mission of the Minnesota SHPO is to:
Identify, evaluate, register, and protect Minnesota's historic and archaeological
properties;
Encourage development of local history organizations and activities; and,
Assist government agencies in carrying out their historic preservation responsibilities.
The agency's web address is www.mnhs.org/shpo/.
Inventory and evaluate (National Register) procedures:
The SHPO runs an ongoing statewide survey program that has recorded more than 50,000
historic structures and approximately 16,500 archaeological sites representing every county
in Minnesota. Nearly 7,000 National Register properties exist in Minnesota, including
individual properties and historic districts.
State preservation plan:
The Minnesota State preservation plan is entitled Gaining Ground: A Preservation Plan for
Minnesota’s Historic Properties 2006–2010, which assesses the progress made by all of
Minnesota’s preservation partners during the previous 5-year planning period and provides
direction for the future. The current plan (2006) is accessible at:
www.mnhs.org/shpo/planning/preservationplan_2006.pdf. The plan provides a framework
for the ongoing work of historic preservation—resource identification, evaluation,
registration, and protection—by all of Minnesota’s preservation partners. The plan discusses
Minnesota’s three-tiered historic context framework:
Broad statewide patterns encompassing three periods: Pre-Contact (9500 B.C.–A.D.
1650), Contact (1650–1837) and Post-Contact (1837–1945);
Specific themes, identified as needed, to evaluate properties best understood in a
framework smaller than statewide patterns; and
Contexts developed by a particular city or other local area for use in local planning, discussing
six primary goals and objectives.
The goals of the Minnesota Plan include:
1. To create statewide awareness of and appreciation for the value of Minnesota’s historic
and archaeological resources;
2. To make historic preservation an integral part of all levels of planning to enhance the
quality of life in Minnesota;
3. To strengthen the statewide network of organizations and individuals engaged in historic
preservation;
4. To promote historic preservation as an economic development tool and provide economic
incentives to encourage preservation;
Northern Border Activities H-200 July 2012