As the air becomes a little brisker over the last few days, the chill enhances visual clues that autumn has officially arrived. Leaves slowly change from their summer greens to vivid Fall oranges, browns, and reds.
Category Archives: Environmental Review
From SPA to PHMC and Back Again – One Archaeologist’s Journey
I grew up in Western Pennsylvania – mostly Somerset County. Everywhere around me there was evidence that we were not the first people to inhabit this land.
Preservation Planning through Mitigation in Western PA
In spring of 2015, the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE), the Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Office (PA SHPO), Shell Chemical Appalachia, LLC (applicant) and the Seneca Nation of Indians (SNI) concluded consultation after 18 months of discussions under … Continue reading
No More Penn Pilot for Historical Aerial Photos!
PA SHPO recently learned that the Penn Pilot website for historical aerial photographs will be taken offline in the near future. Two new online websites offer free access to these photographs, so update your bookmarks!
FYI: PA SHPO’s Updated Project Review Form!
The PA SHPO has recently updated its project review form. Please updated any downloaded or bookmarked forms. You can find the new form on PHMC’s website here: https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Preservation/About/Documents/SHPO%20Project%20Review%20Form_Digital%20Submission.pdf Updates include: The PA SHPO address was removed as we are longer … Continue reading
PA SHPO Environmental Review: Continuity of Operations during COVID-19 State Office Closures
UPDATE: Due to public health measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, effective March 30, 2020, we are no longer accepting mailed submissions. Any previously mailed submissions should be resubmitted through PA-SHARE. Please use the process outlined for sending submissions … Continue reading
PA SHPO COVID-19 Update
Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission (PHMC) offices throughout the commonwealth are closed. PA SHPO and PHMC staff continue to work remotely and will respond to inquiries received via voicemail and email.
Section 106 Success @ Reading’s Penn Street Bridge
I recently had an opportunity to talk about PennDOT’s Penn Street Bridge Project in Reading at the American Planning Association’s Pennsylvania Chapter conference this past October.
Ironing Out the Wrinkles: Finding a New Life for the Inwood Iron Bridge
When travelling between Schuylkill and Lebanon County, some may prefer to skip Interstate 81 and take the more scenic route past Swatara State Park. The park is relatively recent in its formation, created in 1987, and DCNR continues to make … Continue reading
Laurel Hill State Park and HistoriCorps: Partnership for Preservation
The HistoriCorps Laurel Hill State Park Mess Hall project relied on a crucial partnership between Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation’s Friends of Laurel Hill, the 501(c)3 preservation organization HistoriCorps, and HistoriCorps’ workforce of volunteers who arrived on the jobsite from homes all over the country. Continue reading