Previous New Mexico Preservation Plan

Number of Pages: 46
Approval Date: December 5, 2001
Planning Cycle: 5 years

Contact Information:
     Kenneth Earle
     Historic Preservation Division
     Office of Cultural Affairs
     228 East Palace Avenue
     Santa Fe, New Mexico 87503
     (505) 827-8494; fax (505)827-6338
     E-mail: kearle@oca.state.nm.us

Mission/Vision Statement:
Together we discover, celebrate, and safeguard New Mexico's cultural heritage to enhance the quality of life for the state's residents and visitors.

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Goals and Objectives
Challenges and Opportunities for Historic Preservation

Our Vision
What Do We Want to Save
Creating a New Plan

Statewide Preservation Accomplishments 1996-2001
The SHPO's Role in the State Plan 2002-2006
SHPO Goals
Bibliography
Appendix A. Survey Results and Questionnaire
Appendix B. Preservation Partners and Public Meetings
Appendix C. Historic and Cultural Resources
Appendix D. Accomplishments 1996-2001

PLAN DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Public Participation Strategies:

• Twelve "town meetings" advertised through mailings to SHPO newsletter address list, press release, broadcast e-mail, individual telephone contact;
• New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance annual conference luncheon;
• Public ranked the goals in priority order;
• Public opinion questionnaire mailed to almost 4000 individuals and organizations, distributed at public meetings, and posted on SHPO web site.

HISTORIC AND CULTURAL RESOURCES
Cultural past; rituals; sacred places; archaeological sites; Santa Fe Trail; Cimmarron's St. James Hotel; traditional practices, such as cowboy roping, adobe construction, storytelling, building and maintaining historic acequias, ranching and agricultural life; traditional dance, fiestas, and festivals; cultural heritage; National Historic Landmarks; prehistoric and historic resources; architecture, structures and sites; heritage and historical contexts associated with our cultural and natural environment; cemeteries and unmarked burials; cultural landscapes; cultural lifeways and traditions; water rights and land use; night sky; oral traditions; records and artifacts pertaining to New Mexico's diverse history; traditional building materials and skills; traditional cultural properties; transportation corridors; streetscapes; viewsheds.

ISSUES, THREATS, & OPPORTUNITIES Nine issues identified as the most challenging, listed from highest to lowest priority, based on public response:

1. Too few people are aware of the value of historic resources and the benefits of historic preservation.
   Challenges
   • Integrating preservation curriculum into schools.
   • More preservation training needed statewide.
   • Public awareness of cultural heritage and preservation is low.
   Opportunities
   • Variety of media available to distribute information.
   • Funding can be directed toward education and training programs.
2. Historic resources play a major role in encouraging New Mexico tourism, one of the state's largest industries.
   Challenges
   • Tourism adds to the deterioration of historic resources statewide.
   • Inadequate funding levels for preservation efforts.
   Opportunities
   • Entrance fees and tourism business can contribute to preservation.
   • Heritage tourism offers high quality educational experience.
   • Tourism dollars can be leveraged for preservation.
3. Governments, organizations and individuals often fail to include historic preservation in planning.
   Challenges
   • Lack of centralized state-level planning.
   • Lack of local preservation comprehensive plans hampers enforcement of local ordinances.
   • Undocumented and under-represented resources need to be recorded and nominated.
   Opportunities
   • CLG program provides funding and guidance for local planning.
   • Improved technology available to distribute sensitive information to planners.
4. We are losing our cultural resources and landscapes at an alarming rate.
   Challenges
   • Too many historic buildings are demolished.
   • Ongoing loss of archaeological sites, especially from urban development and looters.
   • Cultural landscapes are disappearing or changing significantly.
   Opportunities
   • Nominations to State and National Registers encourage preservation.
   • Potential for partnerships between preservation groups and agencies that purchase and maintain sites and landscapes.
   • Increased number of Tribal Historic Preservation Offices creates opportunities for preservation of traditional cultural properties.
   • New statewide archaeological site stewardship program.
5. Preservation is costly and beyond the means of many New Mexicans.
   Challenges
   • Income of New Mexicans is below national average.
   Opportunities
   • Incentives are available.
   • Growing number of private foundations and donors support preservation initiatives.
6. Because the state's cultural fabric continues to change rapidly, historic preservation must be grounded in sensitivity to our multicultural heritage.
   Challenges
   • Awareness and appreciation of the state's diverse cultural heritage needs to be increased.
   • People of various ages, abilities, and cultural and ethnic groups are under-represented in preservation decision-making positions.
   Opportunities
   • Citizens benefit from learning about diverse cultural heritage.
   • All New Mexicans can be reached through various media.
   • People of diverse backgrounds can be encouraged to serve their communities in preservation activities.
7. Business activities that are integral to New Mexico's economy affect our cultural resources.
   Challenges
   • Activities affecting the land impact cultural resources and landscapes.
   • Properties not subject to federal or state review are vulnerable to damage or loss.
   • Identification or protection of non-registered properties are not required by state law.
   Opportunities
   • Business activities offer opportunity for preservation under federal and state laws.
   • Businesses often want to help protect cultural heritage.
8. Redistribution of population alters our cultural patterns and affects our architectural, archaeological and cultural heritage.
   Challenges
   • Rapid and large population increase.
   • Growth and redistribution of population results in loss of community, culture, and attachment to place - an overall loss of cultural heritage.
   • Land use changes as regions are depopulated or urbanized.
   • Gentrification increases property taxes and housing prices, leading some residents to leave, altering the traditional fabric of the area.
   Opportunities
   • Increased us of local legal protections to address growth and land-use issues.
   • Many agencies and organizations are committed to protecting historic buildings and archaeological sites.
   • Population growth can raise occupancy rate of historic structures.
9. Communication and collaborate efforts among preservation organizations regionally and statewide are inadequate.
   Challenges
   • Physical distances in state create barriers for public outreach, education, and partnering.
   • Preservation coalitions have had limited success in reaching out to rural areas and groups.
   Opportunities
   • Collaboration can increase awareness of preservation.
   • New communication techniques provide information quickly and effectively.
   • Partnering allows for more effective organizational operation.

1. Expand and strengthen public knowledge about the protection and preservation of our cultural resources.
2. Strive for greater cost effectiveness, fuller funding and knowledge about funding for historic preservation.
3. Incorporate historic and cultural preservation into community planning.
4. Strengthen advocacy and legal protections that further protect the cultural resources New Mexicans want to preserve.
5. Expand and strengthen the network of preservation organizations and individuals through the state, including those representing various ages, abilities, and cultural and ethnic groups.

1. Raise awareness.
   • Publicize SHPO programs;
   • Inform legislators, foundations, businesses about benefits of preservation;
   • Integrate preservation curriculum at all education levels;
   • Foster study and dissemination of information about state's cultural heritage;
   • Increase effectiveness of maintaining and distributing information about designated properties.
2. Expand funding opportunities.
   • Expand incentives;
   • Establish adequate legislative funding to achieve mandates of state statutes;
   • Increase funding levels by promoting preservation benefits;
   • Explore creative funding sources;
   • Quantify impacts of cultural resources on state's economy.
3. Encourage community planning.
   • Strengthen consideration of preservation in local planning;
   • Foster exchange of information among planners, commissions, landowners, and preservationists;
   • Balance growth with preservation in community revitalization;
   • Encourage local designation of resources;
   • Survey and nominate under-represented properties to state and National Registers.
4. Strengthen legal protections.
   • Advocate for local ordinances, including plans and ordinances;
   • Investigate avenues to keep confidential culturally sensitive information;
   • Advocate for state and federal preservation initiatives;
   • Improve compliance with and enforcement of laws.
5. Increase participation.
   • Increase public-private partnerships among diverse groups;
   • Provide training and opportunities for wider range of people to participate;
   • Develop far-reaching statewide preservation network;
   • Strengthen inter-governmental cooperation.