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| State Historic Preservation Division (Hawaii) | |
|---|---|
| Name | State Historic Preservation Division (Hawaii) |
| Headquarters | Honolulu, Hawaii |
| Jurisdiction | State of Hawaii |
| Parent agency | Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii) |
State Historic Preservation Division (Hawaii) The State Historic Preservation Division (Hawaii) is the primary preservation office within the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii) responsible for identification, protection, and stewardship of cultural resources across the Hawaiian Islands, including Oʻahu, Maui, Hawaiʻi Island, Kauaʻi, Molokaʻi, and Lānaʻi. The Division operates within the legal framework of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Register of Historic Places, and relevant state statutes such as chapters of the Hawaii Revised Statutes. It collaborates with federal agencies like the National Park Service and local entities including the Hawaii State Legislature and Native Hawaiian organizations.
The Division traces its administrative roots to mid-20th century preservation movements influenced by the passage of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the establishment of the National Register of Historic Places. Early milestones involved coordination with the Bureau of Indian Affairs-adjacent Native Hawaiian policy developments, interactions with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and responses to large-scale projects by the Territorial Government of Hawaii and later the State of Hawaii. Over decades the Division engaged with landmark preservation cases involving sites such as Iolani Palace, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau, and Diamond Head State Monument, and adapted to evolving legal frameworks shaped by decisions of the Supreme Court of the United States and legislative action by the United States Congress and the Hawaii State Legislature.
The Division is administratively housed in the Department of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii) with oversight linked to the Board of Land and Natural Resources (Hawaii). Its governance structure integrates professional staff including architectural historians, archaeologists, and preservation planners who interact with advisory bodies such as the Historic Preservation Review Board (Hawaii), county planning commissions like the Honolulu City Council and Maui County Council, and state entities including the Hawaii State Historic Preservation Officer position. The Division coordinates compliance with federal programs administered by the National Park Service and consults with tribal and Native Hawaiian organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the Kamehameha Schools.
The Division's core responsibilities include maintaining the State Register of Historic Places (Hawaii), nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places, conducting archaeological review under state law, and overseeing the protection of ʻāina and wahi kapu through consultation with stakeholders like the Kūpuna communities and the Kingdom of Hawaii cultural institutions including Iolani Palace and Bishop Museum. It administers review processes under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 Section 106, advises on projects by agencies such as the United States Army Corps of Engineers, monitors impacts from transportation projects by the Hawaii Department of Transportation, and enforces state statutes in coordination with the Hawaii State Legislature.
Major initiatives include the statewide survey programs that document historic properties across islands in partnership with the National Register of Historic Places, thematic studies on plantation-era resources tied to entities like the Alexander & Baldwin archives, and cultural landscape projects linked to sites such as Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site. The Division runs educational outreach connected to institutions like the Bishop Museum and University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, manages compliance initiatives involving the Federal Highway Administration and Environmental Protection Agency-related reviews, and advances preservation planning that informs county General Plans and landmark designations coordinated with local preservation non-profits such as the Hawaiian Civic Club and Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation.
The Division partners with federal agencies including the National Park Service, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Highway Administration; state agencies such as the Department of Transportation (Hawaii) and Department of Hawaiian Home Lands; academic partners like the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Hawaiʻi Pacific University; and community organizations such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Kamehameha Schools, Bishop Museum, and grassroots groups including neighborhood boards across Honolulu, Hilo, and Lāhainā. It engages Native Hawaiian practitioners, cultural descendants, and kūpuna in consultation protocols modeled on practices recognized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and influenced by case law from courts including the Hawaii Supreme Court.
The Division maintains surveys and inventories that document sites ranging from royal properties like Iolani Palace to military landscapes such as Pearl Harbor National Memorial, plantation complexes tied to Hawaiian Commercial & Sugar Company, traditional fishpond systems like Heʻeia Fishpond, and religious sites including Kawaiahaʻo Church. It supports nominations for the National Register of Historic Places and designations such as National Historic Landmark status, coordinating with federal listings like those for Puʻukoholā Heiau and Hāpuna Beach State Recreational Area-adjacent cultural resources.
Funding streams include state appropriations from the Hawaii State Legislature, federal grants administered by the National Park Service such as Historic Preservation Fund grants, project-specific funding tied to agencies like the Federal Highway Administration and National Endowment for the Humanities, and private foundation support from organizations such as the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation and philanthropic donors including trusts associated with Kamehameha Schools and the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation. The Division administers matching grants, mitigation funds for development impacts, and technical assistance funding that support local preservation projects and survey work across the Hawaiian Islands.
Category:State historic preservation offices of the United States Category:Historic preservation in Hawaii