Preservation & Climate Change

Historic communities, landmarks, and cultural resources across the state have a new set of challenges: those related to climate change and sea level rise. New adaptation and mitigation tools and models are needed to support communities as they learn to adapt to a new normal. Climate change and resilience represent key issues in modern preservation, ranging from incorporating historic places into adaptation and mitigation planning to understanding intangible heritage and loss of cultural attachment to place in the face of land loss. The impact of climate change on America’s historic resources and communities is vast and complex. Climate change is not merely a physical threat to our cultural heritage; it also challenges our understanding of what it means to “save” a place—indeed, it challenges our notions of permanence itself. The DAHP has begun to tackle these issues and will be holding a summit on the subject in the near future.

Learn more about Climate Change

• Sea Level Rise and Washington Archaeology
• Climate Heritage Network
• National Trust for Historic Preservation on climate change
• NPS Technical Preservation Services - Flood Adaptation
• SHPO Web Portal Leaves No Carbon Footprint Map
• EPA - Deconstruction Rapid Assesment Tool
• CARE Tool - Carbon Avoided: Retrofit Estimator