Title:  Investing in South Carolina's Future by Preserving Our Past

South Carolina Preservation Plan

Number of Pages:  24
Approval Date:  June 28, 2001
Planning Cycle:  5 years

Contact Information:
     Mary Edmonds, Deputy SHPO
     Historic Preservation Division
     Department of Archives and History
     8301 Parklane Road
     Columbia, South Carolina 29223-4905
     (803) 896-6168; fax (803) 896-6167
     E-mail: edmonds@scdah.state.sc.us
     Web site: http://www.state.sc.us/scdah/hpstateplanintro.htm

Mission/Vision Statement:
Not provided in the plan.

Table of Contents:

     Executive Summary
     Introduction: Opportunities and Challenges
     Purpose of the Governor’s Task Force on Historic Preservation
           and Heritage Tourism
     Regional Forums
     Task Force Recommendations
     Selected Bibliography
     Appendix:  South Carolina’s Endangered Historic Properties

• Task Force on Historic Preservation and Heritage Tourism created by governor;
  
• Eleven regional forums held to solicit public comments.

• Task Force reviewed background information on historic preservation and heritage tourism programs and activities;
  
• List of recommendations was developed by Task Force based on feedback from regional forums.

ISSUES, THREATS, & OPPORTUNITIES

• Growth of heritage tourism expected to continue;
• Rapid, unplanned development;
• Demographic changes;
• Disappearing farmland and changing agricultural practices;
• Lack of public awareness and appreciation;
• Lack of state and local government support for preservation;
• Rapid loss of buildings, structures, landscapes, and archaeological sites continues;
• Need for increased grant funding and state income tax incentives;
• Need for enhanced heritage tourism products and marketing;
• Need to increase education about state’s heritage;
• Need for cooperation and unity in preservation efforts;
• Relatively few buildings, structures, and sites associated with African American history have been documented;
• Buildings from recent past are often not valued as historic;
• Archaeological and military sites are particularly at risk from development.

The Task Force's recommendations fall into four major areas.

1. Supporting private stewardship.
2. Educating South Carolinians about our heritage and its values.
3. Integrating historic preservation into public policy and planning.
4. Developing heritage tourism.

IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES
Strategies Implementing the Goals:
Recommendations were developed for each of the four areas. Within each area, recommendations were ranked in three priority "tiers." Tier One: Implementation is critical to success in preservation and heritage tourism; Tier Two: Implementation will make significant contributions toward addressing opportunities and challenges; Tier Three: Also worhty, but may need more study or take longer to implement.

1. Private Stewardship.
        Tier One:
   • Adopt state income tax credit for building rehabilitation;
   • Provide state matching grants;
   • Build statewide revolving fund.
        Tier Three:
   • Modify and increase use of state law allowing communities to offer a property tax incentive for preservation;
   • Explore feasibility of loan program for building rehabilitation.
2. Public Education.
        Tier One:
   • Enhance teaching of South Carolina history in public schools and increase awareness of historic places in general;
   • Create African American heritage committee and staff support.
        Tier Two:
   • Develop economic impact study on benefits of preservation and heritage tourism.
        Tier Three:
   • Educate building officials, architects, owners, and contractors about alternative building code requirements;
   • Provide training for architects and craftsment;
   • Provide property owners with names of qualified preservation professionals;
   • Raise profile of statewide historic preservation awards.
3. Preservation, Public Policy, and Planning
        Tier One:
   • Complete and maintain a GIS-based inventory of historic resources;
   • Develop and maintain a GIS-based predictive model for archaeological site locations;
   • Exapnd mission and composition of the Interagency Council on Natural Resources Policy.
        Tier Two:
   • Develop preservation training for local government officials;
   • Develop systems to expand information sharing on historic properties and archaeological sites among state and local governments;
   • Encourage use or reuse of historic school buildings and seek state funding to rehabilitate existing schools.
        Tier Three:
   • Adopt legislation for reviewing and mitigating the impact of state projects on historic properties;
   • Provide incentives for local governments to adopt comprehensive plans and preservation ordinances.
4. Heritage Tourism
        Tier One:
   • Develop statewide system of heritage areas.
        Tier Two:
   • Increase in-state heritage tourism promotion;
   • Develop plan for ongoing maintenance of historical markers.

Cooperating/Partnering Organizations:
Palmetto Trust for Historic Preservation; South Carolina Downtown Development Association; South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism; South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology; South Carolina Department of Commerce; South Carolina Department of Natural Resources; South Carolina Department of Education; South Carolina Department of Transportation; Historic Columbia Foundation; Historic Rock Hill; Historic Charleston Foundation; the Preservation Society of Charleston; the School of the Building Arts; Historic Beaufort Foundation; City of Denmark; Denmark-Olar School District 2; Denmark Technical College; National Council of Negro Women; Dennis Community Development Corporation; Historic Aiken Foundation; local communities with preservation programs.

FEATURES OF NOTE
For each of the Tier One recommendations, an "Outline" of an implementation program, and "Implementation Requirements" for funding, staffing, and other needs are provided.