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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 5, 2009 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~- - ~ <br />SUBJECT: National Historic Preservation Month <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) <br />Conservation <br />No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1) Photo Contest Brochure & Entry Application Dave Staricil 245-2590 <br />2) Proclamation Tina Moon 210-2595 <br /> Elizabeth Read 732-7741 <br /> Darcee Beecroft 732-2201 <br />PURPOSE: To proclaim May as National Historic Preservation Month. <br />BACKGROUND: For years the National Trust for Historic Preservation proclaimed a single <br />week in May as National Historic Preservation Week. Four years ago the Trust extended the <br />program to include the entire month. On May 1, 2009 Richard Moe, President of the National <br />Trust, will launch the fourth annual National Historic Preservation Month with the theme, "This <br />Place Matters." National Historic Preservation Month offers an opportunity for Orange County <br />and local partners to reflect on efforts to preserve the built environment and associated heritage. <br />The theme, "This Place Matters," speaks to Orange County residents on several levels. "This <br />Place" evokes. reminders of the County's rural heritage-active farming communities, country <br />roads and their associated scenic vistas. Retaining a sense of place is an important theme of <br />the 2030 Comprehensive Plan and advisory boards have strived to accommodate new <br />residential and economic growth in a way that preserves the County's uniqueness and special <br />places. <br />The theme "This Place Matters" also speaks to coalition building. Agriculture and preservation <br />work hand in hand to preserve and conserve cultural landscapes. Partnership opportunities <br />abound with the green building movement. The County may wish to join forces with builders <br />and environmentalists to encourage informed choices when pursuing efficiency in new buildings <br />and to retain important character defining architectural elements when retrofitting existing <br />buildings. These kinds of cooperative ventures will only add to the long-term quality of life in <br />Orange County. <br />For the third year in a row the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has <br />partnered with the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County (formerly the <br />Orange County Museum) to sponsor a photo contest. This year's contest focuses on old barns, <br />