Montana Historic Preservation Review Board

Montana Historic Preservation Review Board
Name	Montana Historic Preservation Review Board
Formation	1960s
Headquarters	Helena, Montana
Region served	Montana
Parent organization	State Historic Preservation Office

Montana Historic Preservation Review Board The Montana Historic Preservation Review Board advises preservation policy in Helena, Montana and reviews nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and the National Historic Landmark program, coordinating with the Montana State Historic Preservation Office and federal entities such as the National Park Service, the United States Department of the Interior, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The board’s work touches sites associated with Lewis and Clark Expedition, Fort Benton, Little Bighorn Battlefield, Homestead Acts, and tribal places tied to the Crow Nation, Blackfeet Nation, Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes, and other Indigenous nations, linking local efforts to programs managed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, and regional partners like the Montana Historical Society.

Overview and Mission

The board advances preservation of historic, architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources from eras including Lewis and Clark Expedition, Montana Gold Rush, Homestead Acts, and New Deal projects, working alongside institutions such as Montana State University, University of Montana, Smithsonian Institution, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the National Park Service to evaluate significance, integrity, and context. It promotes compliance with statutes including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and consults with agencies like the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, and tribal historic preservation offices from the Crow Nation, Blackfeet Nation, and Salish and Kootenai Tribes on projects affecting resources.

History and Establishment

The board traces roots to preservation movements connected to events such as the Montana Gold Rush, the protection of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument, and enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, with institutional links to the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the Montana Historical Society. Early statewide efforts intersected with projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administration, Civilian Conservation Corps, and federal documentation programs of the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record. Prominent preservation milestones involved collaboration with figures and entities like Margaret Mead, Lewis and Clark Bicentennial, National Register of Historic Places listings in Montana, and landmark nominations tied to sites such as Fort Missoula, Mullan Road, and Virginia City, Montana.

Organization and Membership

Membership comprises professionals nominated from fields linked to archaeology, architecture, history, and related specialties, reflecting affiliations with Montana State University, University of Montana, Montana Historical Society, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, American Institute of Architects, and the Society for American Archaeology. Representatives often include scholars connected to institutions like Butte-Silver Bow Archives, Montana Tech, Helena College, and curators with ties to the Museum of the Rockies, C.M. Russell Museum, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, and tribal cultural departments of the Blackfeet Nation and Crow Tribe of Indians. Appointments are made through state processes analogous to those used by the Montana Legislature, the Office of the Governor of Montana, and the Montana State Historic Preservation Office.

Responsibilities and Functions

The board evaluates National Register of Historic Places nominations, advises on National Historic Landmark nominations, and reviews compliance under sections of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and related federal regulations enforced by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the National Park Service. It issues determinations of eligibility affecting projects overseen by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Land Management, United States Forest Service, Federal Highway Administration, and state agencies including the Montana Department of Transportation and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. The board consults on archaeological investigations involving laws and programs like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, and collaborates with museums and repositories such as the Montana Historical Society Research Center and the Library of Congress.

Review and Nomination Processes

Nomination workflows align with National Register Bulletin guidance coordinated with the National Park Service and submitted through the Montana State Historic Preservation Office; reviews incorporate input from specialists with backgrounds connected to Society for Historical Archaeology, American Historical Association, American Institute for Conservation, Association for Preservation Technology International, and regional entities like the Montana Preservation Alliance. The board holds public meetings in venues across locations such as Helena, Butte, Billings, and Missoula and engages stakeholders including tribal governments like the Salish and Kootenai Tribes and federal partners such as the National Park Service and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation during reviews for transportation projects by the Federal Highway Administration or land management actions by the Bureau of Land Management.

Notable Actions and Designations

Noteworthy listings reviewed or recommended encompass diverse sites including Fort Benton, Virginia City, Montana, Mullan Road, Butte-Anaconda Historic District, Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site, Fort Missoula, Big Hole National Battlefield, and resources tied to the Lewis and Clark Expedition such as camps and trails documented by the National Park Service and the National Register of Historic Places listings in Montana. The board’s work has intersected with preservation campaigns involving organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Montana Preservation Alliance, and the Montana Historical Society, and with federal designations under the National Historic Landmark program and cooperative efforts with tribal cultural preservation offices.

Relationship with State and Federal Agencies

The board functions as an advisory body to the Montana State Historic Preservation Office and coordinates nominations and compliance with the National Park Service, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Land Management, the United States Forest Service, the Federal Highway Administration, and state entities such as the Montana Department of Transportation and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. Collaboration extends to academic institutions including University of Montana and Montana State University, museums like the Museum of the Rockies and the C.M. Russell Museum, and tribal governments including the Blackfeet Nation, Crow Tribe of Indians, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to ensure legal compliance and culturally informed stewardship.

Category:Historic preservation in Montana