Lawmakers are considering policies to improve the historic preservation review process.
The State Historic Preservation Division reviews construction projects to ensure that there is no destruction of historic and sacred sites or ancestral bones.
However, the historic preservation review process can take extended periods of time and put a significant burden on the division's staff, counties and builders.
Out of the 1,300 projects submitted for review last year, the State Historic Preservation Division completed reviews on a little over half.
House Rep. Tyson Miyake led the permitted interaction group to evaluate ways to improve the process. He told lawmakers and other stakeholders about a bill that would standardize a timeline for the review process.
“ It is important to state that the bill does not weaken cultural protections,” he said.
“All existing requirements for inadvertent discovery still remains fully in place. So the burial council processes are unchanged and if something is discovered, then the appropriate protections will still apply. The bill will also allow phased review for larger and staged projects, recognizing how infrastructure and housing projects are actually built.”
For projects with no historic impact, the division would have 30 days from when the application is submitted to concur or not. For projects with historic impact, the division would have 90 days to complete its review. If the deadline passes without a response, the project can proceed.
Miyake also suggested that the state invest in more staffing and resources for State Historic Preservation Division.
The legislative session starts on January 21st.
