If you're reading this, chances are you appreciate the impact of preservation in your community, admire the beauty of historic architecture, or believe that protecting historic places helps us better understand both our present and our future.

Some of preservation's most important representatives in that work are the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs) and the Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPOs), who serve the American people in a unique and essential way—they review the impact on historic properties that are eligible for the National Register, and are key partners connecting the work of the federal government to that of the state or Tribal Nation.

Today, SHPOs and THPOs are under threat. After years of underfunding, they are being further challenged by the Trump Administration's policy priorities, which includes the largest proposed cut in SHPO and THPO funding in generations.

To understand the magnitude of these challenges, and to more clearly recognize the role of SHPOs and THPOs, we interviewed Valerie Grussing, executive director of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO) and Erik Hein, executive director of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO). These two organizations have a bird’s eye view of the impact and the challenges facing SHPOs and THPOs today.

Here are six things they want you to know about SHPOs and THPOs:

SHPOs and THPOs are Protectors of the Past

Grussing: THPOs and SHPOs play a vital role in the preservation of our shared history as Americans, ensuring that Tribal and local perspectives are included in decisions about land use, infrastructure, and heritage protection. They protect not only archaeological sites but living cultures, oral traditions, sacred landscapes, and places and species relied on for subsistence. THPOs also carry deep knowledge of Treaty rights and federal Indian law, often serving as cultural interpreters across government systems.

When allowed to do their jobs as the law prescribes, SHPOs and THPOs make sure history has a seat at the table and give a voice to the ancestors whose stories we must remember and retell.

SHPOs and THPOs are about preventing irreversible damage to cultural heritage (or rather, "no" doesn’t mean what you think it means)

Hein: [The misconception is] that SHPOs approve or deny things all day, and that's not really what they do. For example, Section 106 is a consultation process, it’s not about yes or no, rather it's meant to identify impacts to historic properties and to try to find other options to try to mitigate effects. When it comes down to things like historic tax credits, SHPOs are required to look at whether a rehabilitation project meets or does not meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards—but the National Park Service has the last word. SHPOs are trying to get to yes.

Grussing: The biggest misconception about THPOs is the assumption they want to say “no” to all development projects. In reality, THPOs are not anti-development, they’re pro-protection. Their role is to ensure that projects comply with federal law and that Tribal cultural sites, sacred places, and ancestral remains are not harmed in the process. When THPOs raise objections, it’s not about halting progress, it’s about preventing irreversible damage to places that matter deeply to their communities and to our shared national history.

Tribal Nations—in many, if not most, cases—want energy, infrastructure, and broadband projects to move forward because they see the economic and quality of life benefits those projects can bring to their communities. In fact, most THPOs work proactively with agencies and developers to find solutions that allow projects to move forward while respecting Tribal sovereignty and cultural heritage.

SHPOs and THPOs Balance between Local and National Needs

Grussing: It starts with respect. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach because each Tribe has its own culture, history, and priorities. Balancing national interests with Tribal sovereignty and self-determination takes time, trust, and a commitment to equity. It also means resisting short-term pressures in favor of long-term stewardship. National priorities should not come at the cost of erasing Indigenous heritage.

That said, when interests do compete, this means tailoring solutions, advocating for flexibility in policy, and ensuring THPOs and SHPOs have the resources they need to engage. When properly equipped to do their jobs, and properly consulted, THPOs and SHPOs can help ensure that preservation of history, culture, and language does not get lost in the shuffle.

Hein: You have to think about what the national priorities are as a framework, and then you have to take a look at your needs as a state and see where their connections are. It's really hard. NCSHPO represents 59 states and territories, reflecting very different schools of thought. But at the core, the preservation of historic places is one of those unifying things where there is usually no controversy. We like to think that we're one of those few areas that shouldn't cause any friction.

However, if your state is particularly interested in climate, you're going to look at things through that lens, but you're still going to be focused on preserving place. And if you're looking at things in terms of energy production, you're still going to look at how you could preserve historic places. I mean, the common goal is you're always looking at how can we save the places that matter and balance that with our need to achieve whatever policy goal is outlined by both federal and state priorities.

SHPOs and THPOs are Inclusive and Community-Centered

Over the last several years, it has been a particular goal to increase representation on the National Register which gets to the heart of inclusivity. And then there are times when the SHPO is the voice for a community [that is] no longer present. For example, if there's a Federal Highway project that is about to construct an overpass across a lost or unmarked African American burial ground, SHPO Section 106 consultation can lead to the identification and protection of that resource.

More with Less: SHPOs and THPOs are at the Frontline

Grussing: There is no single project that can possibly encompass the depth and breadth of work THPOs perform, in part because they are so inundated with projects to review. One single THPO of the 228 around the country— Logan York of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma—recently said his office reviewed more than 4,000 projects across 10 states in one year. And this does not even cover the additional work THPOs are often involved in performing beyond the scope of the National Historic Preservation Act, which can include language revitalization, repatriation of ancestors and their belongings under the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), and other cultural preservation work.

Meanwhile, [the Trump] Administration’s Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency cuts THPO and SHPO review times of new projects from a 30-day consultation to a 7-day notification, so not only are they drowning in projects to review, they’re having to review many of those projects in less than a quarter of the time.

Fundamentally for THPOs, a common refrain is that this is not just a job for them. At the end of the day, they can’t just turn off their concern and passion for protecting Native places, and the issues of culture, identity, and health, that are tied to them. The U.S. legal framework has numerous gaps and loopholes that make it difficult for Tribal Nations to protect their interests in places and reforge connections to landscapes that were systematically dismantled beginning with colonization. It is critical that funding for THPOs is reliable and keeps pace with their growing number (as more Tribes establish a THPO each year), so that Tribes can speak for their own interests and ensure that their cultures and communities thrive into the future.

SHPOs and THPOs are Made Up of Passionate Preservationists Just Like You

Hein: The individuals in the [SHPO and THPO] are people that are really passionate about what they do. In a recent workforce study it is made evident that they're not doing this work to get rich. They're doing this work because they care and they really want to make a difference in their states.

These individuals are really excited when they can get a National Register nomination moved or when they can help get a tax credit project done, because unlike other careers, you can [tangibly] experience and physically see the places they have impacted. I think to do this work, you really have to love that and feel that. That's what moves them, they're dedicated. Right now as we’re looking at these funding challenges, states are grappling with the question: How could we continue to do all this? [Instead of giving up,] they want to figure it out. The thinking isn't, how can we shut down, rather it is how can we continue to do what we do with as few resources as possible, which is already something they've had to do for years due to chronic underfunding. These are a dedicated group of people, who are doing the best that they can.

What Can You Do to Support SHPOs and THPOs?

Grussing: Our top priorities include securing stable funding for the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer program, strengthening legal protections for sacred sites, and expanding the recognition of Tribal authority in federal decision-making. We’re also focused on improving how agencies consult with Tribes—not just checking a box, but truly listening. Ultimately, we want a preservation system that honors Treaty and trust responsibilities, supports Tribal leadership, and protects Indigenous heritage for future generations. We’re advocating for federal action that treats preservation not just as a technical process, but as a justice issue. That means aligning policy with Indigenous worldviews and ensuring that Tribes are equal partners in decision-making. The preservation of culture is the preservation of sovereignty.