Office of Historic Preservation

Office of Historic Preservation
Name	Office of Historic Preservation
Jurisdiction	Statewide
Headquarters	Sacramento, California
Formed	1976

Office of Historic Preservation is a state-level agency responsible for identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic resources across California, coordinating with the National Park Service, California State Parks, National Register of Historic Places, State Historic Preservation Officer frameworks, and local preservation bodies. The office works with federal entities such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Department of the Interior (United States), National Park Service regional offices, and state institutions including the California State Assembly, California State Senate, California Natural Resources Agency to implement laws like the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and state statutes. It advises on projects involving landmarks such as the Alcatraz Island, Mission San Juan Capistrano, Hearst Castle, and collaborates with academic centers like the University of California, Berkeley, California State University, Sacramento, and heritage organizations such as the California Historical Society, Society for California Archaeology, and Association for Preservation Technology International.

Overview

The office serves as the State Historic Preservation Office for California, maintaining inventories like the California Register of Historical Resources and coordinating nominations to the National Register of Historic Places, consulting under the Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act process, and advising agencies involved in projects under the California Environmental Quality Act. It liaises with municipal commissions including the Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument program, San Francisco Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, Sacramento Old City Association, and regional entities such as the San Diego Historical Society and Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. The office engages stakeholders including the Native American Heritage Commission, California Office of Planning and Research, California Department of Transportation, and cultural institutions like the Getty Conservation Institute.

History

Established in the wake of landmark preservation legislation, the office’s formation traces to advocacy by groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and figures including C. W. Andrews and Charles Fletcher Lummis antecedents, building on earlier efforts by the California Historical Society and the Society for California Pioneers. Its work has intersected major preservation milestones like the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the designation of Yosemite National Park and Missions of California as protected sites, and responses to crises affecting Angel Island and Point Reyes National Seashore. The office has evolved through administrations of governors including Jerry Brown, Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Gavin Newsom, adapting to shifts in federal policy under presidents like Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama.

Organization and Governance

Structured with divisions for surveys, nominations, compliance, and community outreach, the office coordinates with the State Historic Preservation Officer and partners such as the National Park Service, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, California Native American Heritage Commission, and regional planning bodies like the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (San Francisco Bay Area). Boards and advisory panels include representatives from institutions like the California Historical Resources Commission and academic partners at the University of Southern California, Stanford University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Claremont Graduate University. The office’s governance involves interactions with the California Attorney General, California State Controller, and committees of the California State Legislature including the Assembly Committee on Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media.

Programs and Initiatives

Key programs encompass the California Register listings, certified local government program connected to the National Park Service CLG program, tax incentive facilitation similar to the Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program, and technical assistance modeled on guidance from the Getty Conservation Institute and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Initiatives address resiliency planning in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, seismic retrofit coordination with the California Seismic Safety Commission, accessibility work aligning with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and community archaeology partnerships with the Society for American Archaeology. The office supports heritage tourism linked to sites like the California Gold Rush locations, the Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, and the Paso Robles Historic District.

Legal Authority and Regulations

The office operates under state law including the California Public Resources Code and federal statutes such as the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and regulations promulgated by the Department of the Interior (United States). It implements compliance mechanisms like the Section 106 review process, provides determinations for the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and issues guidance referencing the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. Enforcement and advisory roles intersect with California Coastal Commission decisions, National Register of Historic Places nominations, and state court rulings from the California Supreme Court.

Funding and Grants

Funding sources include state appropriations through the California State Budget, federal grants from the National Park Service Historic Preservation Fund, and partnerships with entities such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, State Historical Records Advisory Boards, and philanthropic organizations like the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Grant programs support preservation projects, survey and inventory efforts, and Certified Local Government grants coordinating with counties like Los Angeles County, San Diego County, and Alameda County. Financial incentives mirror programs such as the federal historic tax credit and are coordinated with the Internal Revenue Service rules and state tax provisions.

Notable Projects and Impact

The office has played roles in protecting landmarks including Mission San Juan Capistrano, Old Sacramento State Historic Park, Union Station (Los Angeles), Angel Island Immigration Station, and support for rehabilitation projects at Presidio of San Francisco and Hearst Castle. It has influenced adaptive reuse projects like the preservation of The Bradbury Building, the restoration of Griffith Observatory, and conservation of archaeological resources at sites connected to Chumash and Miwok histories. Collaborative outcomes include listings on the National Register of Historic Places, local landmark designations in cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Sacramento, and partnerships with museums like the Autry Museum of the American West.

Criticism and Controversies

Critiques have arisen over issues including perceived bureaucratic delays, conflicts with development interests in projects involving Los Angeles International Airport expansion, debates over treatment of Indigenous sites involving the Native American Heritage Commission and tribes such as the Yurok, Miwok, and Chumash, and disputes over CEQA determinations during large infrastructure projects like the California High-Speed Rail and Bay Bridge retrofit. Controversies have also involved funding priorities compared to local preservation needs in communities like Fresno, Stockton, and Redding, and tensions between preservation outcomes advocated by groups such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation and municipal redevelopment agencies.

Category:Historic preservation in California