Background on Historical Resources Preservation There are a
number of ways in which local communities and the State
encourage or require the preservation of California's historical
resources. Before delving into how the CEQA requirements augment
this preservation activity, a short overview of State and local
preservation mechanisms is in order. Keep in mind that while the
immediately following discussion reviews historic preservation
programs, the focus of this advisory paper is on the CEQA-
mandated process of evaluating development projects for
potential significant effects on historical resources. The State
Historic Resources Commission and the Office of Historic
Preservation (SHPO) within the Department of Parks and
Recreation administer California's historic preservation
programs. The appointed Commission's pertinent duties include:
evaluating applications and recommending properties for listing
on the National Register of Historic Places; maintaining a
statewide inventory of historical resources, includi