Historic Preservation Advocacy Policy

SHASTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Historic Preservation Advocacy Policy POLICY NUMBER: HS.01

CERTIFICATION

We hereby certify that we are the duly elected and acting President and Secretary of the Shasta Historical Society, a 501(c)3 Corporation, and that the Historic Preservation Advocacy Policy is duly adopted by the Board of Directors by a two-thirds majority as of October 8, 2015.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, we have signed our name on October 8, 2015.

Gary A. Lewis

President of the Board

Jim Huber

Historic Structures Committee Chair

RETENTION

This policy will be in effect indefinitely, unless changed by a two-thirds majority vote of the Board of Directors.  In accordance with AASLH STePs Standards and good practices, all policies will be reviewed by the responsible Committee yearly and by the Board of Directors at least once every three years.

 

The Shasta Historical Society has a stated interest in the preservation of our local heritage in its many forms and may choose to advocate for the preservation of significant historic buildings and resources. With the aim of insuring that its advocacy is well founded and well-directed, the Society Board of Directors (Board) has authorized the Historic Structures and Facilities Committee (Committee) to address these matters.

The Committee will evaluate requests for Society historic preservation advocacy according to the following guidelines and provide recommendations to the Board for their action. The Society can help individuals learn more about their buildings, can aid the City of Redding or Shasta County staff by conducting paid historic research, assisting with listing properties on the local, state, and national Register of Historic Places, and providing information on tax credits, architectural reviews, grants, and historic rehabilitation.

In 1986, the City of Redding Department of Planning and Community Development conducted a Historic Resources Inventory that became the Local Register of Qualified Historic Buildings. This list is essential to the protection of the significant few historic buildings left in our town. Although not comprehensive, this Register is a tool for historic preservation.

The City of Redding determined what buildings or properties are on the Local Register of Qualified Historic Buildings, not the Shasta Historical Society. We are here to assist the City and share our resources with the community, however, more direct involvement in historic advocacy projects would require more expertise and time than we are currently able to offer.

 

Advocacy Procedures

  1. An advocacy request to the Board will only be considered for properties, artifacts and other heritage resources that have documented Shasta County historical significance and integrity. The request for advocacy must demonstrate that the resource is important at a local or regional level.
  1. A request for advocacy must include a description on the status of the affected resource, the nature of the action or condition that threatens its preservation, and the possible preservation options. Pertinent information to be considered includes the opinion of relevant historic preservation authority(ies), such as the State Historic Preservation Office, and experts in the area(s) in which the property’s significance lies. The Committee will evaluate the appropriateness of Society advocacy in each instance on the quality of the information provided above. The committee may choose to contact additional people, as appropriate.
  1. The Committee will submit an advisory to the Board for each request that it evaluates. The advisory, accompanied by the pertinent documentation, will recommend what action, if any, it deems appropriate for the Board’s consideration. The Board will make the final decisions on such actions.

Any person or organization requesting advocacy from the Society must:

  • Indicate their role and interest in making the request
  • Explain why they believe that the intervention of the Society would be beneficial.
  • Identify who they wish the Society to contact and why that person/organization has been identified. A contact address must be provided
  1. The committee realizes that some situations requiring advocacy can be emergencies that requires fast action. The process described here will take several months. In exceptional cases the committee will endeavor to respond to a crisis situation. The ability to do that will be based on the quality of information supplied and the ability of a volunteer committee to respond quickly. In emergencies the Board may be informed and polled via e-mail regarding decisions on advocacy.
  1. Active historic preservation is one tool the Society can use to help fight the problems caused by neglect and deterioration. The Society will assist local government in any way we can to prevent further loss of our cultural heritage and our historically significant buildings.

Send the Shasta Historical Society an Advocacy Request:

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