Heritage Preservation Commission
Become an advocate for your community's unique historic character. Encourage your local government to establish a heritage preservation commission (HPC) that will identify, protect and preserve the community's irreplaceable historic and archaeological resources.
HPC Responsibilities
Citizen members of HPCs can:
- Conduct historic resource surveys.
- Recommend local designation of historic properties.
- Develop and enforce design guidelines for locally designated historic properties.
- Undertake preservation education in the community.
Getting Started
- Contact the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) staff for interpretation of Minnesota's HPC enabling legislation and guidance on HPC powers and responsibilities.
- Once your HPC is set up, send your members to the SHPO's annual statewide historic preservation conference. Each fall the conference, hosted by a different Minnesota city, addresses topics central to the work of preservationists, provides practical working sessions for HPCs and sponsors field trips to local historical venues.
- Use your HPC as a stepping stone to becoming a Certified Local Government (CLG). Through the CLG Program your local government can take part in other national historic preservation programs including federal matching grants.
More Information
For more information, contact Michael Koop at michael.koop@mnhs.org
More information can also be found at www.mnhs.org/shpo/local/hpc.php
