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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br />AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 1, 2008 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ,3 -- Q <br />SUBJECT: National Historic Preservation Month <br />DEPARTMENT: Environment and Resource <br />Conservation <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />1) Resolution Dave Stancil 245-2590 <br />2) Photo Contest Brochure & Entry Application Tina Moon 210-2595 <br /> Elizabeth Read 732-7741 <br /> Jennifer Koach 732-2201 <br />PURPOSE: To proclaim May as National Historic Preservation Month in Orange County. <br />BACKGROUND: For years, the National Trust for Historic Preservation proclaimed a single <br />week in May as National Historic Preservation Week. Three years ago, the Trust extended the <br />program to include the entire month. On May 1, 2008, Richard Moe, President of the National <br />Trust, will launch the third annual National Preservation Month with the theme, "This Place <br />Matters". National Preservation Month offers an opportunity for Orange County and local <br />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. In <br />March of 2007, the National Trust selected the Town of Hillsborough as one of America's Dozen <br />Distinctive Destinations. "This Place" also evokes reminders of the County's rural heritage - <br />active farming communities, country roads and their associated scenic vistas. Retaining a <br />sense of place is an important theme of the draft 2030 Comprehensive Plan. Advisory boards <br />have strived to accommodate new residential and economic growth in a way that preserves the <br />County's uniqueness and special 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 second 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 />