Obsolete Document included for historical purposes

PROPOSED REVISION SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS
THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION STANDARDS

DISCIPLINES

CURRENT

Archeology (Prehistoric & Historic)

Architectural History

Architecture

Historic Architecture

History

PROPOSED

Archaeology is split in two:

Prehistoric Archaeology

Historical Archaeology

Architectural History

Architecture

Historic Architecture is dropped*

History

Disciplines added:

Conservation

Cultural Anthropology

Curation

Folklore

Historic Preservation

Land Use/Community Planning

Landscape Architecture

Traditional Cultural Property Expertise

Historic Architecture has been dropped because the need in the current standards for a discipline that combines the expertise of architecture and historic preservation is met in the proposed Standards by requiring historic preservation in the experience category.

EDUCATION:

CURRENT

In general:

• a graduate degree in the discipline

PROPOSED

In general:

• a graduate degree in the discipline
• PLUS additional experience.

EXPERIENCE:

CURRENT

• NONE with a graduate degree (except archeology).
• Where an undergraduate degree is an option, one to two years additional experience in research, scholarship, or similar pursuits at a university, museum, or history-related organization.

PROPOSED

In general:

• one year of demonstrable experience in historic preservation by:
  1. Scholarly research and publications; or
  2. Teaching; or
  3. Administration, project review, or supervision in an historic preservation program or office; or
  4. Field work.

Experience must have focused on the historic/prehistoric places or material culture of the United States and its Territories.

PROPOSED REVISIONS SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS USES OF THE SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR'S "PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATION STANDARDS"

THERE IS NO CHANGE:

The Secretary's "Professional Qualification Standards" are still intended to provide advice about minimum education and experience needed to produce professionally credible and competent work in historic preservation. The Standards are neither "entry-level" nor do they describe qualifications for pre-eminent master professionals in the field. Users of these Standards are free to enhance them with additional educational and experience qualifications that may be needed in certain situations.

These Standards are broadly used throughout the national historic preservation program by federal agencies, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Offices, Certified Local Governments, and others. For example:

Agreements made under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act routinely call for the Standards to be used in designing contracts, scopes of work, employee position descriptions, and components of federal agency preservation plans.

The Standards are used by local governments in establishing professional qualifications for preservation employees and contractors in determining the adequacy of project proposals by preservation groups, architect and engineering firms, and others.

The use of the Standards is required in State Historic Preservation Office programs through federal regulation (36 CFR 61; see reverse of this page).

The Standards are routinely used by federal agencies, programs, and installations in developing and carrying out historic preservation programs.

The Standards DO NOT dictate who can prepare National Register nominations.

The Standards DO NOT dictate who can be hired (with the few exceptions noted above).

The Standards DO NOT represent minimum qualifications for entry-level positions.

The Standards DO NOT dictate Federal agency hiring practices UNLESS other Federal regulations and/or agency policies and procedures require the use of these Standards.

PROPOSED REVISIONS TO FEDERAL REGULATIONS (36 CFR 61) FOR STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE PROGRAMS IN RESPONSE TO PROPOSED REVISION OF THE STANDARDS

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE STAFF

THERE IS NO CHANGE. SHPO Offices are still required to have a minimum of three full- time professional disciplines on staff: one Historian, one Architectural Historian, and one Archaeologist (either Historical or Prehistoric).

STATE REVIEW BOARD MEMBERSHIP

PROPOSED CHANGES:

• FOUR (instead of five) professional disciplines are required to be represented on the Board: (1) Archaeologist, (2) Architectural Historian, (3) Architect, and (4) Historian.
• The Archaeologist may be EITHER an Historical Archaeologist OR a Prehistoric Archaeologist.
• The current requirement that the majority of Board members be "professionals" as defined by the Standards can now be met from among the 13 proposed disciplines.

CERTIFIED LOCAL GOVERNMENT REVIEW COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP

THERE IS NO CHANGE. Professional disciplines are required on Commissions only to the degree that they are available in the community. States and local governments continue to have the flexibility to impose stricter requirements, if they choose.

"GRANDFATHER" PROVISIONS

State Historic Preservation Office staff and members of State Review Boards and Certified Local Government Review Commissions who meet the current standards will continue to meet the revised Standards as long as they hold their current positions.

WORK FUNDED BY THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FUND

THERE IS NO CHANGE. It is still required that work funded by the Historic Preservation Fund or matching share must meet the relevant Secretary of the Interior's "Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation." It is still required that this work must be carried out, supervised, or reviewed by professionals meeting the Secretary's "Professional Qualification Standards."

NOTE: We have also prepared draft language for revising the text of 36 CFR 61. If having a copy of this would help you review the enclosed materials, you can get a copy by contacting the Preservation Planning Branch at the address provided earlier in these materials.