South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office
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| South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office | |
|---|---|
| Name | South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office |
| Type | State agency |
| Headquarters | Pierre, South Dakota |
| Region served | South Dakota |
| Parent organization | National Park Service |
| Established | 1970s |
South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office is the state-level agency charged with identifying, evaluating, and protecting historic sites and Cultural heritage resources in South Dakota. It serves as the State Historic Preservation Office under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and acts as the primary liaison between federal programs such as the National Register of Historic Places, state authorities, tribal governments, and local communities including Pierre and Sioux Falls. The office administers surveys, nominations, grants, and review processes that intersect with federal programs like the National Park Service and laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act.
History
The office was established following enactment of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and subsequent state-level implementation during the 1970s, aligning with other state counterparts such as the Texas Historical Commission and the California Office of Historic Preservation. Early work included coordination with tribal nations including the Oglala Sioux Tribe and the Yankton Sioux Tribe on courthouse and mission site documentation similar to nationwide projects like the Historic American Buildings Survey and the Historic American Engineering Record. Over decades the office contributed to National Register listings such as territorial courthouse complexes, Fort Pierre Chouteau, and sites associated with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, while responding to infrastructure programs like Interstate Highway System construction and energy projects tied to the Oil industry in the United States.
Mission and Functions
The office’s mission reflects requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the National Register of Historic Places program: to survey cultural resources, evaluate eligibility, nominate properties, and ensure compliance with federal undertakings under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. It provides technical guidance on preservation treatments consistent with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties, administers grant programs authorized by the Historic Preservation Fund, and supports stewardship of properties such as tribal cultural sites, homestead-era structures, and railroad heritage. The office also advises state agencies including the South Dakota Department of Transportation and local municipalities such as Rapid City.
Programs and Services
Programs include statewide surveys, National Register nominations, tax-credit consultation for rehabilitation projects pursuant to the Tax Reform Act frameworks, and management of historic easements akin to practices at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Services extend to archaeological permitting and consultation aligned with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and coordination with federal entities including the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Educational services emulate outreach by institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and include technical workshops for stewards of properties like county courthouses, commercial blocks, and historic schools.
Statewide Survey and Historic Registers
The office conducts systematic surveys analogous to projects by the Library of Congress and compiles inventories of historic resources across counties such as Pennington County and Minnehaha County. It prepares nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and maintains state-level lists that parallel inventories like the Historic American Landscapes Survey. Notable listings in state programs cover sites tied to the Black Hills Gold Rush, military posts such as Fort Randall, and cultural landscapes associated with the Lakota people. Survey activities coordinate with municipal preservation ordinances in towns like Deadwood.
Grants and Financial Assistance
The office administers competitive and formula grants funded through the Historic Preservation Fund and distributes federal assistance used for projects similar to rehabilitation tax credits administered in other states under policies influenced by the Tax Reform Act of 1976 and subsequent amendments. Eligible projects include preservation of courthouses, mission churches, and bridges tied to the Historic Bridge Inventory. The office also distributes funds for survey work, National Register nominations, planning, and emergency stabilization in the wake of disasters akin to responses undertaken by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for cultural resources.
Preservation Planning and Compliance
As the Section 106 review authority for state coordination, the office evaluates effects of federal undertakings, collaborates with agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration and the Bureau of Land Management, and issues determinations of adverse effect or no adverse effect. It integrates planning with state initiatives like those of the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office counterpart agencies (state preservation commissions and local historic preservation commissions) and supports cultural resource management in contexts from wind energy development related to the Wind power in South Dakota to municipal redevelopment in Brookings. The office also advises on mitigation strategies including documentation consistent with the Historic American Buildings Survey.
Partnerships and Outreach
The office partners with tribal governments such as the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, federal agencies like the National Park Service, nonprofit organizations including the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the South Dakota State Historical Society, academic institutions such as South Dakota State University and the University of South Dakota, and local preservation groups in communities like Huron. Outreach includes workshops, school programs, and collaborations on heritage tourism initiatives tied to the Trail of Tears interpretive networks and regional cultural corridors. Through partnerships the office advances stewardship for battlefield sites, historic districts, and vernacular architecture reflective of state settlement patterns and indigenous heritage.