LAS VEGAS RESIDENTS ASKED TO HELP GUIDE HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN

The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office will hold a public meeting at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas in Lorenzi Park on West Washington Avenue near Rancho Drive on Wednesday January 12, 2011 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The state agency wants to know what kinds of archaeological sites, historic buildings and other cultural resources the public would like to see preserved for the future. Information received in public meetings across the state and through on-line surveys will guide the agency in setting priorities for funding projects that identify and record these resources, recognize them through listing on the National Register of Historic Places and provide funding for rehabilitation and interpretation. The priorities identified by the public, historic preservation organizations and agencies will serve as the basis for the new comprehensive historic preservation plan for the state of Nevada.

The State of Nevada is in the depths of a recession, and federal and state funding will remain limited for some time into the future. What should be historic preservation priorities for the next eight years, the life of the new plan? “The recent incident of tagging a rock art site at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area illustrates a need for public education to a broader spectrum of people on the importance of these ancient sites. Rock art reflects the rituals, beliefs and practices of their makers, unlike individual acts of graffiti,” says Ronald James, State Historic Preservation Officer. “What kinds of education, and what other actions should be taken to deter people from damaging and destroying ancient archaeological sites? How do we actively engage people in preserving important historic and prehistoric sites?” This is only one of the issues facing Nevadans as they are asked where limited funding should be spent to preserve historic buildings and identify and protect archaeological sites.

If you would like more information on the meeting, please call Sali Underwood at 702-486-5011. If you can’t attend the meeting but want to provide your views on-line visit the State Historic Preservation Office web site at www.nevadaculture.org .

The State Historic Preservation Office is an agency of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs. The Department serves Nevada’s citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, presentation, and promotion of cultural resources, and education. The Department also includes the Division of Museums and History, Nevada State Library and Archives, Nevada Arts Council, Comstock Historic District Commission, Literacy Coalition, Advisory Committee on Participatory Democracy, and Commission for Cultural Affairs.