The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO) is seeking a Historic Preservation Specialist for a term-limited position to assist the National Park Service’s American Battlefield Protection Program (NPS ABPP) by serving as a liaison to partners applying for and successfully completing grant applications for battlefield preservation and land acquisition projects.
The NPS ABPP promotes the preservation of historic battlefields associated with wars on American soil through technical and financial assistance to federal, state, tribal, and local governments, as well as academic and nonprofit partners. The Historic Preservation Specialist will work to assist applicants and recipients of grants awarded through Land and Water Conservation Funds for land acquisition, interpretation, and restoration of American sites of armed conflict beyond the borders of federally protected land. Battlefield Land Acquisition Grants (BLAG) will be a focus of this position. BLAGs provide state and local communities the ability to acquire and permanently protect threatened battlefield land through the acquisition of fee-simple or less-than-fee (preservation easement) interests in eligible Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War sites.
The Historic Preservation Specialist will assist with the development of tools and aids for applicants and potential applicants, many of whom are not preservation professionals, to complete successful grant applications and to develop sustainable preservation strategies for the acquired properties. The liaison will also assist applicants and program staff in developing easement templates and fulfilling NPS’s Section 106 compliance requirements, as outlined in the NPS ABPP’s Programmatic Agreement.
Specific tasks include:
- Continue coordinated outreach to NCSHPO members (state historic preservation offices) regarding BLAG easements; organize and analyze partner feedback on a suite of draft easement documents; consult NPS specialists to provide clarification and possible solutions; provide a summary of reports and/or presentations.
- Assist program staff in advising grant recipients and easement holders regarding the preparation, execution, and monitoring of easements.
- Assist NPS ABPP in making information regarding new and existing grant programs more accessible to preservation partners and potential applicants, including organizing and executing the collection of spatial data to support the Program’s GIS geo-database, facilitating outreach through virtual webinars, responding to inquiries and requests for clarification/assistance in the application process, and developing content for the NPS ABPP website and social media.
- Draft tools for program staff to clarify roles, responsibilities, and timelines outlined in the NPS ABPP Programmatic Agreement.
- Support program staff in drafting amendments and incorporating new grant programs into the NPS ABPP Programmatic Agreement based on Annual Meeting notes and consultations with signatories of the Programmatic Agreement.
Underwater Archaeology and Maritime History jobs 