historic preservation sara l. collins One small State agency—the State Historic Preservation Division—is at the nexus of historic preservation and development, both large and small. By stat- ute, SHPD is responsible for providing “leadership in preserving, restoring, and maintaining historic and cultural property,” standards that are squarely in the public interest. The SHPD fulills two mandates in historic preserva- tion—State and federal—and though many of their requirements are parallel and even overlap, State law contains additional responsibilities. The division’s mandates, however, bring it into direct conlict with de- velopment forces—both public and private—that view historic preservation as a hindrance, and the ofice as nothing but an obstacle to getting permits. These interests have essentially prevailed. Today, SHPD has ineffectual lead- ers and a greatly diminished professional staff. It is a crippled program. How did this ofice, once a major force for historic preservation in Hawai‘i, turn into a constantly undermined, unstable, and weakened government agency? Over a century and a half of government leadership in historic preservation seems to have withered away. What can be done to restore this important regulatory and advisory ofice, and the public’s conidence in the state’s his- toric preservation program? what does shpd do? Among the most visible and contentious of SHPD’s duties under both State and federal law is the review of actions that may harm historic sites—every- thing from building a hotel, to repairing a sewer main, to replacing window frames on a historic house. When done well, the review and compliance pro- gram can identify historic sites before ground-disturbing work damages or destroys them, or can recommend ways to avoid or minimize harm. At its best, the review process also promotes the preservation of signiicant historic sites or landscapes, and ensures that the sites, and/or the scientiic and cul- tural information from them, are accessible to the public. From: The Value of Hawai'i: Knowing the Past, Shaping the Future Edited by Craig Howes & Jonathan Kay Kamakawiwo'ole Osorio Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press