The Ute Tribe is among 7 tribes from 7 states to sign preservation agreements with the National Park Service in 2021. According to the NPS announcement, the Tribal Historic Preservation agreement assists Indian tribes in strengthening their historic preservation programs managed through Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO) on tribal lands. Once signed, the agreements transfer certain historic preservation responsibilities to Tribes that would be the responsibility of the state. “The National Park Service takes our responsibilities to Tribes seriously,” said NPS Deputy Director Shawn Benge. “I know that developing a tribal historic preservation plan takes a lot of work and coordination and I am pleased to welcome the new Tribal Historic Preservation Offices into the federal preservation community.” The NPS Tribal Historic Preservation Program works with each tribal applicant while they develop their program plan, which may take a year or more. The program also consults with the appropriate State Historic Preservation Office and other tribal and federal preservation partners during the process before accepting the final plan and developing the agreement. There are now nationwide 207 Tribes with signed agreements.
