Summary
The Secretary of the Interior's
Historic Preservation Professional Qualification Standards

AGENCY: National Park Service, DOI.

ACTION: Proposed renaming of and revisions to "the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards."

SUMMARY: The National Park Service (NPS) proposes to rename and revise "the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualification Standards" which are part of the larger "Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation." The statutory authority for the Secretary's development of these can be found in sections 101(g), 101(h), 101(i), and 101(j)(2)(A) of the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). These Standards and Guidelines (including the Professional Qualification Standards) were published in the Federal Register in 1983 (48 FR 44716, September 29) as the Secretary's best guidance for historic preservation practice nationally. This remains their preeminent function.

The Standards are renamed "the Secretary of the Interior's Historic Preservation Professional Qualification Standards." This change reflects the fact that the Standards are designed to apply to each discipline as it is practiced in historic preservation; e.g., in the identification, evaluation, documentation, registration, and treatment of historic properties.

The proposed revisions update the standards for the five disciplines included in the 1983 publication and add standards for seven other disciplines mentioned in the National Historic Preservation Act as being important to historic preservation. The proposed revisions also provide (for the first time) published guidance on how to use and interpret the Standards.

These revisions are necessary because the old professional qualification standards had become out-of-date, did not include many disciplines important in the practice of historic preservation, and provided no guidance on their use and interpretation. This absence of national guidance led to confusion and inconsistency in the application of the Standards by Federal, State, Tribal, and local government agencies and other organizations and individuals. The Standards are designed to be a tool to help recognize the minimum expertise generally necessary for performing professionally credible historic preservation work.

The Standards are not designed to identify the best or ideal person for any position. The effective application of any of these national Standards will require the development of a detailed job description containing additional information to suit a particular situation and need. These Standards do not apply to "entry-level" applicants or to preeminent professionals in the field. Rather, they outline the minimum education and experience and products that together provide an assurance that the applicant, employee, consultant, or advisor will be able to perform competently on the job and be respected within the larger historic preservation community.

All responses to this notice will be summarized as part of the publication of the official issuance of the "Secretary's Historic Preservation Professional Qualification Standards." All comments will also become a matter of public record.