Welcome to the official website of the 2022-2032 Illinois Statewide Historic Preservation Plan. This site serves as the central location for all information regarding the preparation of the new plan, including draft plan documents, community engagement meeting dates and locations, as well as other pertinent information. We encourage all Illinois residents to participate in the planning process, which will occur between September 2022 and December 2023.

In 2022, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office contracted with the planning team to prepare an updated Statewide Historic Preservation Plan. The purpose of the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan is to examine current statewide preservation efforts and identify strategies to advance preservation efforts at the local, regional, and statewide levels. The plan will provide goals and objectives to guide planning for Illinois’ historic and cultural resources over the next ten years. By preparing the Plan, the Illinois State Historic Preservation Office is fulfilling its duties to provide a comprehensive planning process that incorporates input from Illinois stakeholders. Learn more about statewide preservation planning on the National Park Service website.

The IL-SHPO’s planning team will facilitate a series of in-person regional workshops and virtual listening sessions from November 2022 through March 2023. These meetings will provide opportunities for Illinois’ preservation community to discuss current and future preservation needs throughout the state. The planning team will analyze all public feedback and prepare a State of the State report outlining key historic preservation issues and successes. The report will provide an overview of key preservation trends as well as state and local preservation planning efforts. The State of the State report will serve as the foundation for the Draft Statewide Historic Preservation Plan for review by the public in 2023.

Stay tuned to take part in upcoming engagement opportunities and meetings to provide your feedback on the Illinois Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.

 

The planning team will conduct 11 virtual stakeholder listening sessions using the Zoom digital platform. The purpose of the virtual stakeholder listening sessions is to receive critical feedback on key preservation needs and issues throughout Illinois. Each listening session shall be 90 minutes in duration. Check back for meeting dates and times.

 

The planning team will conduct seven in-person regional workshops throughout Illinois. These workshops will allow the IL-SHPO and the planning team the opportunity to meet with stakeholders face-to-face and have meaningful discussions regarding current preservation needs and issues. The regional workshops will consist of brief presentations, discussion forums, and interactive exhibits. Check back for meeting times and locations.

 

The following Survey Questionnaire is an important element of the stakeholder engagement process in preparing the Illinois Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.  Completing this survey will help us understand key statewide preservation planning issues and the priorities of Illinois stakeholders.

The National Historic Preservation Act requires each State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) to develop and adopt a comprehensive preservation plan for the state.  The Illinois State Historic Preservation Office (IL-SHPO) will make survey results available on the project’s website in April and in the Statewide Historic Preservation Plan.

The survey was available online between March 21-April 21 (COMPLETED)    Click Here to download survey summary

Meet the Team

The Illinois State Historic Preservation Office

Illinois State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) operates within the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and manages federal and statewide historic preservation programs, including the National Register of Historic Places, the Certified Local Government Program, federal and state tax incentive programs, and reviews the impact of federal and state undertakings on historic and cultural resources. SHPO staff will lead the process to prepare a new Statewide Historic Preservation Plan. Learn more>