The Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation

The ACHP is pleased to announce its popular Section 106 training schedule for 2010. We are offering both the 106 Essentials and the Advanced Seminar in 6 locations. All courses are taught by highly knowledgeable ACHP staff who are engaged both on a daily basis and have practical hands-on experience with Section 106 issues. Attendees taking our courses receive an added benefit from the expertise that our instructors bring to the course.

See the attached flyer which details course objectives and logistics or visit www.achp.gov/106 for registration and pricing. Special registration rates are offered for individuals and groups who register for the Essentials Course and pay prior to December 15, 2009. We invite you to pass this flyer on to colleagues and associates who would benefit from attending the course. You may contact me at cbienvenue@achp.gov for more information.

Exploring the Boundaries of Historic Landscape Preservation:
Proceedings of the Twenty-ninth Annual Meeting of the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation 2007

Edited by Cari Goetcheus, Assistant Professor, Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina, and Eric MacDonald, Assistant Professor, College of Environment and Design, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

During the past thirty years, the sensitive management of historic landscapes has emerged as a prominent concern among those who appreciate how preserving a rich and vital past is integral to successful community and environmental stewardship. Accompanied by a critical introduction and concluding essay, the papers in this volume convey the diversity of contemporary historic landscape preservation projects located in North America, England, Germany, India, and Australia. Exploring the Boundaries of Historic Landscape Preservation offers an excellent summation of the current state of discussion and practice in this exciting field and casts light on some of the active frontiers of its future growth.

In order to access an on-line PDF copy, simply link to:
http://www.clemson.edu/caah/cedp/cudp/pubs/alliance/index.html

Publication of Exploring the Boundaries of Historic Landscape Preservation was aided by financial support from the Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation and the Clemson University/College of Charleston Master of Science in Historic Preservation program (http://www.clemson.edu/caah/pla/mhp/)

Creating a Broader HALS Network
The establishment of the Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS) in 2000 was like Kris Kringle receiving mountains of mail in Miracle on 34th Street. The U.S. Government finally recognized historic landscapes as legitimate siblings of historic buildings and structures in the NPS family of Heritage Documentation Programs. Suddenly, all of those buildings and structures floating in large format black and white photos with no visible means of support were poised to leap from the page in vibrant Technicolor with an entourage of plants and ponds, a network of roads and paths, and vistas stretching to the horizon. In our dreams, maybe.

Using HALS
Now that we have HALS, what is it that we do have? Another compliance tool for documenting historic properties before the road goes through? Only if we let it be. HALS has the potential to raise awareness of historic landscapes, provide baseline information for their management, and leverage significant funding for their preservation.

As part of the MOU establishing HALS, the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) created a network of HALS Liaisons from each state. Their work is overseen by a HALS Liaisons Coordinator selected by the chair of the Historic Preservation-Professional Practice Network (HP-PPN). The state Liaisons are appointed by their respective ASLA chapter presidents, and charged with the following duties and responsibilities:

Lobby federal legislators for initial and ongoing Congressional funding of HALS.

Compile, prioritize, and update a list of local examples of historic landscapes that are threatened, highly significant, and/or highly valued.

Assist the Chief of HALS to compile a comprehensive national inventory of possible HALS study sites.

Identify one or more historic landscapes that merit complete documentation pursuant to the guidelines and coordinate such documentation as resources allow.

Coordinate HALS activities with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).

Advise on the review and revision of state and local historic preservation laws and standards to include documentation of historic landscapes.

Educate government agencies and consultants about the use of HALS for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the Transportation Department Act of 1966, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Promote public awareness of the importance of historic landscapes and the use of HALS.

Encourage donations from local philanthropists to the HABS/HAER/HALS Foundation for supplemental private funding of HALS.

A Broader Network

Many members of the AHLP are actively promoting HALS, but we need to work with the Liaisons to create a broader network of advocates. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has lent credence to landscape preservation recently, emphasizing site and context. We need to enlist the Trust and other preservation partners like NCSHPO, and local preservation organizations and individuals in the campaign to implement and fund HALS.

Call for Papers

AHLP in Albuquerque, New Mexico:
Enchanted Landscapes: Exploring Cultural Traditions and Values
The Program Committee of the Alliance once again invites proposals for presentations that will encourage lively discussions about cultural landscapes. Proposals for presentations that address the ideas of 'enchantment' and/or 'exploration' as applied to landscapes are especially welcome. Click here for details.

April 21 – 24, 2010
The Alliance for Historic Landscape Preservation 32^nd Annual Conference:
Enchanted Landscapes: Exploring Cultural Traditions and Values Albuquerque, New Mexico