Current through Register Vol. 63, No. 9, September 1, 2024
As federal historic preservation monies subject to state
discretion become available for allocation, office staff will review grant
requests on file and, using the following standards and criteria, select
projects for offers of grant. The criteria will be used to prioritize projects
for funding. It is important to understand that projects do not compete with
the criteria, but instead compete with each other for available funds. The
criteria are used to prioritize project applications for funding. Selected
projects may be offered all or part of the federal funds requested.
(1) Acquisition Projects. Because the expense
of appraisals and other procurement requirements tends to make projects that
result in the acquisition of properties less cost effective than development
projects, acquisition projects will only be considered as a means to save
properties from loss or destruction. Acquisition projects that result in public
or private nonprofit ownership of properties will receive priority
consideration over projects that result in private ownership. Staff will also
take into account those criteria for development projects which reasonably
apply to acquisition projects when selecting acquisition projects.
(2) Development Projects. Staff will take
into account the following criteria when selecting projects for the development
of historic properties:
(a) Project Readiness
-- some proposed projects have more highly developed plans, more matching funds
available, and are in other ways more ready to proceed than other projects.
Staff will review information supplied by project proponents and categorize
each project according to readiness as follows:
(A) Primary -- includes projects which are
well along in the planning stages, have readily available matching funds, and
will be able to proceed immediately upon an offer of grant.
(B) Secondary -- includes projects which have
some planning completed and/or some but not all matching funds available.
Projects in this category must be able to proceed in a reasonable amount of
time if a grant offer is made.
(C)
Possible -- includes projects that don't fit into the above two categories.
These are projects where a starting date is unsure, matching funds are unsure,
etc.
(b) Relative
Significance of the Property -- though all properties must be listed in the
National Register to be eligible for grant funding, some properties are of
comparatively greater significance than others. Proposed projects will be
compared to each other for level of local, statewide or national significance;
rarity of type; and similar criteria of significance when funding selections
are made. In historic districts, properties are rated by their significance to
the district as primary, secondary, contributing, and noncontributing.
Noncontributing properties are not eligible for grant assistance.
(c) Visibility and Educational or
Interpretive Potential -- the degree to which projects inform, educate, and
otherwise lend themselves to public benefit and enjoyment will be considered
when funding selections are made. In addition, the following criteria will be
applied with regard to archeological development projects:
(A) Project has a clear research
design.
(B) Project benefits
statewide inventory efforts and site survey files.
(C) Project promotes the preservation of
archeological sites.
(D) Project
increases data for understanding prehistory, settlement patterns, land use,
population, land adaptation, etc,; or project data recovery is applicable to
restoration needs.
(E) Project
fosters public awareness of archeological values and reduces
vandalism.
(F) Project benefits
Native Americans by increasing the awareness of their history and
culture.
(G) Project perpetuates
cultural traditions of Native Americans.
(d) Significance of Work to be Performed --
The significance of development work to be performed will be considered in this
descending order of priority:
(A) The work is
essential to the saving of the property from loss or destruction.
(B) The work preserves or restores the
researched and documented historical authenticity and appearance of the
property.
(C) The work betters the
economic viability of the property.
(e) Impact on Other Properties ("Ripple
Effect") -- the degree to which projects may stimulate improvement to nearby or
similar kinds of properties of historical value will be considered. For
example, improvements to one property in a neighborhood frequently encourage
nearby owners to improve their properties as well. Or, a project that
demonstrates ways to retain, enhance, or use a kind of property may encourage
owners of similar kinds of properties elsewhere to take similar
action.
(f) Ratio of Match --
though minimum matching ratios are established for federal grant funds, some
project proponents are able to exceed the minimum requirement. Because federal
historic preservation funds are limited, and because higher ratios of match
enable these funds to accomplish more, the ratio of match available will be
considered.
(g) Quality of Previous
Work -- whether or not previous preservation work performed by or on behalf of
the proponent, if any, was performed in accordance with standards of
preservation practice such as the "Secretary of the Interior's Standards for
Historic Preservation Projects", and was adequately planned and documented,
will be considered. If previous work was grant-assisted, the proponent's
ability to administer grant funds will also be taken into account.
(h) Geographic Distribution -- federal
historic preservation monies will be distributed in general proportion to the
distribution of identified historical resources statewide and the number of
people who may potentially benefit from them. Because an important project in
one location may require substantial funding, this does not mean that monies
will necessarily be distributed equitably in any one fiscal year, though an
effort to do so will be made. If does mean, however, that monies will be
reasonably distributed throughout the state over a ten-year period.
(3) Survey and Planning Projects:
It is the long-range objective of the State Historic Preservation Office to
compile a comprehensive inventory of all properties in the state which may be
of historical significance, and also to complete enough inventory information
about prehistoric sites to predict probable location of these sites. Pending
availability, federal funds are allocated by the office for surveys to compile
these inventories, and also to plan development projects (though it is better
to include planning as part of development projects). When allocating these
funds, staff will take the following criteria into account:
(a) Survey Projects:
(A) Need -- the completeness of previous
surveys and the degree to which the proposed survey will expand inventory
information will be evaluated.
(B)
Probability -- the likelihood that the survey area contains prehistoric or
significant historic resources will be evaluated. Surveys of areas with
potentially greater numbers of higher concentrations of resources will receive
higher priority, other factors being equal, than surveys of areas of lesser
numbers or concentration of resources.
(C) Scope -- the comprehensiveness of the
proposed survey will be evaluated. Surveys that include the identification of
all historic as well as prehistoric resources in a given area and surveys to
identify all of one kind of resource (for example, all wooden barns before
1940) in a large area (such as a large metropolitan center or an entire county)
will receive priority over surveys to identify limited kinds of resources in
limited areas, if enough grant money is available to undertake the larger
project.
(D) Sponsorship --
generally, recognition of the proposed survey for land-use planning purposes by
the appropriate unit or units of local government will be regarded as a
precondition to the award of survey funds. In addition, provision to make the
survey results (except archeological site information) available to the public
at the local level will always be regarded as a precondition to
funding.
(E) Objective and
Procedure -- the proposed project's research design, methodology, procedure,
organization, and duration will be evaluated for clarity, completeness and
feasibility. It is important to note that the intent of survey funding is to
assist projects with beginning and ending dates and clearly defined statements
of purpose, rather than to fund ongoing programs.
(F) Matching Share and Administration -- the
nature and amount of matching share will be evaluated for accountability and
facility of administration. Also, the survey project proponent's ability to
keep administrative records will be evaluated. It is preferred that all survey
projects be sponsored by and administered through units of local
government.
(b) Planning
Projects -- the criteria which apply to Development Projects above will be
applied to the selection of planning projects. Generally, planning funds will
be awarded only when an especially important or complex project requires a
lengthy planning process before construction can begin, or the nature of the
project entails no construction or tangible development. Otherwise, the project
planning costs should be included in Acquisition and Development grant
costs.
Stat. Auth.: ORS 390
Stats. Implemented: ORS
358.612 & ORS
358.617
