Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992 Page: 7
38 p. : ill. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Texas Historical Commission Looks to
1992 Challenges
By Curtis TunnellThe Texas Historical Commission, like
other state and federal agencies, is facing
unprecedented economic and management
challenges as it plunges headfirst into the
decade of the 1990s. The dollars are fewer
but the demands for services are greater, so
the agency finds itself at a delicate crossroads
how to continue to meet the
preservation needs of the people of Texas
with ever-dwindling resources and mounting
legislative pressures.
The THC, always a national leader in
preservation programs, has once again taken
a lead to meet the challenges. In the period
of just a few years, the agency has gained
vital technological momentum; many of
the tasks previously accomplished by hand,
for example, have now been computerized,
saving time and money. Discussions currently
are underway to streamline agency
programs by combining staff and responsibilities,
and physical rearranging within
the agency, to be completed by this spring,
will serve to promote greater efficiency in
meeting constituent demands. Let me give
you a few examples of some of the changes
the THC is implementing:
* Two departments have been combined
into one to speed up the processing of
historical markers and to be more responsive
to the THC's more than 10,000 volunteers
across the state. The new department,
called Local History Programs, also is
available to answer queries pertaining to
historical matters, or to provide proper
referrals. No staff members were laid off by
combining the two departments; on the
contrary, staff skills are now being utilized
to their maximum potential - a plus for
the agency and the people it serves.
* Discussions are underway with the
Texas Antiquities Committee, which is operationally
integrated into the THC but
maintains its own board, to work more closely
on projects affecting both programs. Also,
the THC is working with the Texas Transportation
Department and the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department to cooperate more
closely on preservation-related projects.Despite these efforts, however, there is
much still to be done, and the THC remains
committed to conducting long-range
planning for the future. Its greatest
strengths, I believe, are its board and staff.
The 18 governor-appointed members who
serve on the THC are genuinely committed
to preservation and are intimately involved
in the agency's programs. In a spirit
of fiscal responsibility, however, the Commission
is recommending that its number
be reduced from 18 to 12 by 1995 to curb
travel expenses for meetings. The majority
of the people who work at the THC have
been on staff for five years or more and have
worked on a great number of preservation
problems and projects. It is this stability
and commitment to excellence that allows
the agency to remain unusually productive
even during periods of economic stress and
governmental upheaval.
The 1990s will give us a new opportunity
to excel, to expand our horizons, and
to reach even more people. Some of the
issues I believe will need to be addressed
during this decade include the following:
* Private funding. An increasing percentage
of preservation costs will need to
come from the private sector.
* Volunteers. We all need to improve
our training, coordination, and utilization
of volunteers.
* Heritage tourism. Advertising of
historical attractions needs to be improved
and expanded; the tourism connection must
be vigorously pursued in the 90s.
* Managing donated or available properties and archaeological sites. Many significant
landmarks will become available,
and we need to develop strategies for preserving
them.
* Tax credits. There is a great need for
additional tax incentives for individuals to
maintain and preserve landmarks.
* Preservation in the schools. It is
imperative to introduce innovative historic
preservation programs in the schools at all
levels.
* Regional planning and zoning. This '
important trend will continue into the 90s
and is essential in protecting Texas' important
historic properties.
* Architectural barriers. The
Americans with Disabilities Act means
that historic landmarks will now be made
accessible to all visitors; however, standards
must be developed to protect the
architectural integrity of important
buildings.
* Minorities in preservation. There is
a real need to increase minority participation
at both the volunteer and professional
levels.
* Housing. Fine historic neighborhoods
continue to be abandoned. Strategies
for bringing people back into the inner
cities to rehabilitate older homes, as well as
social programs to rehabilitate old homes
for the homeless, must be developed and
implemented.
The 1990s certainly will be an exciting
time to be involved in historic preservation.
With continued hard work, longrange
planning, and a concerted effort to
think in new and innovative ways, the
"New Texas" will embrace and protect its
heritage for those generations that come
after us.
Curtis Tunnell, of Austin, is the executive
director of the Texas Historical Commission.HERITAGE * WINTER 1992 7
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Volume 10, Number 1, Winter 1992, periodical, Winter 1992; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45418/m1/7/: accessed May 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.