IMPLEMENTATION OF PREVIOUS REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS
Challenges and opportunities identified by federal agency reporting and the recommendations in the 2018 Section 3 report generated several preservation initiatives carried out by the ACHP over the last three years. Efforts to increase the efficiency of infrastructure project delivery were highlighted in the 2018 report with a finding recognizing the importance of accessible digital information to federal agency decision makers, real property managers, and project planners. Historic property inventories function best as planning tools when they are complete and accurate and can inform siting decisions early in project development. In recognition of the significance of digital information, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data, to increasing the efficiency of Section 106 reviews and offering greater opportunities for historic property avoidance, the ACHP formed a Digital Information Task Force in the fall of 2018. The Task Force considered how to improve the availability of digital and geospatial information about historic properties to inform federal project planning and reported its recommendations in March 2020. As of this writing, the ACHP is implementing the Digital Information Task Force’s recommendations, including actions in support of raising awareness among federal decision makers and the public about the utility of digital cultural resources data, identifying opportunities for funding and resource enhancement, finding ways to enable cultural resources GIS data exchanges among participants in the federal preservation program, and encouraging the proper management and security of sensitive cultural and geospatial resources. These recommendations are relevant to how federal agencies identify and protect the historic properties in their ownership, and the need for further progress on the use of digital tools to track and appropriately share cultural resources information is reflected in the findings of this report.
USIBWC Cultural Resource Manager Mark Howe at U.S.- Mexico International Boundary Marker Monument 32 in New Mexico (USIBWC/Mark Howe)
12 | IN A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP: A REPORT ON FEDERAL HISTORIC PROPERTY MANAGEMENT 2021
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