Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs releases preservation plan

The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs has recently released Preserving Our Past for a Better Future: Delaware’s Historic Preservation Plan, 2013-2017. The plan provides all Delawareans who are passionate about historic preservation with a framework for effective decision-making, for coordinating statewide preservation activities and for communicating statewide preservation policy, goals and values to the preservation constituency, decision-makers and interested parties across the state. Go to http://history.delaware.gov/pdfs/Preservation%20Plan%202013-2017.pdf to read the full plan. Printed copies are available on request.

Preserving Our Past for a Better Future: Delaware’s Historic Preservation Plan, 2013–2017 includes the following guiding principles and goals:

Guiding Principle 1: Protect Delaware’s important historic properties

Goal I: Encourage all governments to serve as positive models for stewardship of historic properties which they own

Goal II: Encourage active participation in historic preservation by all local governments

Guiding Principle 2: Communicate widely the value to Delaware’s present and future of preserving historic properties

Goal III: Develop effective collaborations on historic preservation with nontraditional partners

Goal IV: Expand opportunities for public education to increase support for historic preservation

Goal V: Maintain and expand access to information about historic properties and preservation.

As a requirement for receiving Delaware's annual portion of the federal Historic Preservation Fund, administered by the National Park Service, the division is responsible for coordinating the preparation and development of a comprehensive statewide historic preservation plan and for updating it at regular intervals.

Information gathering for the new plan began in winter 2012 with an online survey that garnered 287 responses, and five public meetings held across the state that attracted 75 participants. The plan itself was written by members of the division’s State Historic Preservation Office with extensive input from a committee comprising government and private nonprofit preservation professionals, and state and local government planners. Additional review, comment and final approval of the plan were supplied by the Delaware State Review Board for Historic Preservation which has for many years provided expert guidance and perspective on Delaware’s historic preservation needs.