Executive Summary
The Florida State Historic Preservation Plan for 2017-2021 serves as a blueprint for charting the direction of historic preservation policy and action during the five-year planning cycle. Fulfilling requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the Florida Division of Historical Resources, serving as the State Historic Preservation Office, is responsible for developing the Plan. However, implementation of the plan is a shared initiative that includes the Division but also encompasses the efforts of a wide range of shareholders including individuals, organizations, businesses, and government entities.
The previous State Historic Preservation Plan, More than Orange Marmalade, was successful in providing a strong framework for establishing historic preservation as a community development tool and as a key component of state and local economic development strategies. This document seeks to build upon that success through refining the goals and objectives presented in the 2012-2016 document, and to take a future-focused approach on the relationship between historic preservation, economic development, and the diverse and cultural rich constituency of Florida’s citizens. In an effort to address the needs of a dynamic state and to solicit broad input, the Division engaged preservation professionals and the public to receive feedback and direction for this plan. Three recurring themes were noted during the outreach process: sea level rise impacts and planning efforts, the need to involve millennials and other young people in historic preservation, and the need to enhance the Certified Local Government (CLG) program. To address these specific concerns and the needs of the preservation world more broadly, this plan outlines for broad goals for the consideration of Florida’s historic preservation stakeholders:
- Identify, Document, and Preserve Florida’s Historic Places
- Expand and Encourage Public Participation in Historic Preservation
- Foster Pride in Florida’s History and Build a Preservation Ethic
- Promote Historic Preservation at the Local and Regional Levels
