Task Force Convenes Spring Meeting
Representatives from the 34 federal agencies and national organizations that make up the Heritage Emergency National Task Force met on April 28, 2004, in Washington, DC. The Task Force will celebrate its 10th anniversary next year, and the April meeting gave members an opportunity to consider accomplishments and discuss priorities for future actions. A special briefing on Iraq cultural missions wrapped up the day.
John Ketchum, FEMA’s Historic Preservation Officer, brought Task Force members up to date on agency activities. FEMA is working to nationalize its historic preservation compliance responsibilities for all agency programs and activities by developing FEMA-specific procedures for compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Mr. Ketchum also cited Heritage Preservation's help in getting information to the public after Hurricane Isabel and said that FEMA wants to maintain the Heritage Emergency Roster, a database of preservation experts.
The original Task Force priorities provided a framework for discussion. Information gathered at this meeting should help members refine goals and structure a new agenda. The primary concerns have included cooperation with emergency professionals, response and recovery information for institutions, policy and funding issues, salvage information for the public, and training.
- Task Force Director Jane Long, along with Tom Clareson of OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc. and Steve Dalton of the Northeast Document Conservation Center, gave an update on the Alliance for Response initiative.
- Task Force-sponsored information tools have included “flood packets” and the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel, 100,000 of which have been donated or sold. Connie Ramirez, Director of the National Park Service's Federal Preservation Institute, talked about a new learning portal called historicpreservation.gov, which is now available to federal agencies to help them access Web pages pertinent to cultural resources. Task Force members were encouraged to remind their constituents to develop, update, and practice emergency plans.
- Angela Gladwell of FEMA announced that a FEMA guide outlining mitigation strategies for historic properties and cultural resources will be published by year’s end, entitled: “How-To #6: Integrating Historic Property and Cultural Resource Considerations into Mitigation Planning.” Mr. Ketchum noted that FEMA, Heritage Preservation, and other partners will update and expand the booklet Resources for Recovery.
- The major Task Force initiative in training was led by the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works. With a grant from NEH, a cadre of experts was trained, and these instructors continue to give workshops around the country. In a significant new initiative, FEMA will begin development next year of a cultural heritage component for training courses through its Emergency Management Institute.
Larry Reger, president of Heritage Preservation, summarized three basic themes from the meeting: cultural institutions need to build relationships with their local first responders; institutional and personal persistence are necessary on readiness issues; and the Task Force must continue to help the public prepare for and cope with disasters.
The last portion of the meeting was devoted to a panel on Iraqi cultural heritage, moderated by Helen Wechsler of the American Association of Museums. Ms.Wechsler is also Director of International and Ethics Partnerships at the International Association of Museums. This summer, AAM’s International Partnerships Among Museums (IPAM) will host a meeting of American and Iraqi museum professionals in Jordan to determine the most pressing needs of the museum community in Iraq.
Alan Haley, Senior Preservation Specialist at the Library of Congress, was part of a team that assessed the damage from fire and looting at the National Library and House of Manuscripts. He reported on the challenges the team confronted, including 1 million books damaged by soot and dust and tremendous structural damage to the National Library building.
Doris Hamburg, Director, Preservation Programs, National Archives and Records Administration, and a colleague made a preservation assessment of the Iraqi Jewish Archive, a group of books and documents that were underwater for weeks before being found in the headquarters of the Iraqi Secret Police. The collection was stabilized, but mold remediation, curatorial assessment, and conservation treatment will be necessary. It is temporarily housed at the National Archives.
Dave Gilson, Operations Manager at the National Gallery of Art, talked about security challenges and environmental needs at the Iraq National Museum. Although some basic mechanical systems have been repaired, an enormous amount of work remains to be done to bring the museum to contemporary standards.
The meeting also included a tribute to George Farr of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Mr. Farr, who will retire this year, was honored for his 17 years of work with the Division of Preservation and Access. During his tenure, the program has created the National Heritage Preservation Program and Preservation Assistance Grants and supported the national field service programs of the regional conservation centers. Larry Reger praised Mr. Farr particularly for his support of Task Force initiatives such as Cataclysm and Challenge and the production and distribution of the Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel.
The Task Force will meet again in December 2004. Check www.heritageemergency.org for more information on Alliance for Response and other programs.
