About Us

Pima County Cultural Resources and Historic Preservation Office
PIMA COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS CENTER
201 N. STONE AVENUE, 6TH FL.
TUCSON, ARIZONA 85701-1207

Pima County Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Office
Program Summary

Mission Statement:

Pima County is rich in history, cultural diversity, living traditions, and regional character, all of which define our collective cultural heritage and community identity, where our Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and American traditions intersect with the natural environment to create a unique, multi-storied cultural landscape. The Pima County Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Office honors this heritage by working to preserve our cultural and historical properties, including ancestral sites, traditional cultural places, historic buildings, districts, objects, living traditions, and working landscapes.

Since the 1970s, Pima County has taken an active position in protecting our cultural and historic sites through preservation policies, regional conservation, land-use planning, ordinances, and recently with historic preservation bonds. All of these efforts have received considerable public support. The scope of this program has been significantly expanded to consider the very broadest definition of cultural and historical resources, including archaeological sites, historic sites and buildings, traditional cultural places, living traditions, and working landscapes. To address the full breadth of these heritage sites and issues, the Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Office has developed an award-winning comprehensive set of program areas that demonstrate Pima County’s vision and commitment to historic preservation.

Program Areas:

Review & Compliance: County Capital Improvement Projects –
Ensure County compliance with national, state and local historic preservation laws and policies for all County sponsored capital improvement and construction projects, such as River Road, Brandi Fenton Park at Binghampton, Colossal Cave/ Vail Rd., Justice Courts complex, Tucson Diversion Channel, CDBG projects, etc. Work with all appropriate County departments, outside land management and permitting agencies, consultation with SHPO through IGA or directly, and tribes, as appropriate.

Review & Compliance: Development Services –
Ensure private sector compliance with County cultural resource policies/ ordinances for land use and development, such as Swan Southlands, Fairfield Canoa Ranch, Rancho del Lago, etc. Review Comprehensive Land Use Plan amendments, rezoning petitions, development and subdivision plans. Coordinate with appropriate County departments, outside land management and regulatory agencies, and consultation with SHPO through our IGA or directly when necessary, and with tribes and other descendant groups as appropriate.

Open Space Preserves Cultural Resources Management –
Management and protection of cultural resources protections on existing County natural area preserves and areas proposed for acquisition, such as Tucson Mountain Park, Colossal Cave, Ranch Seco, Canoa Ranch, etc. Records review, sample inventory, preparation of management plans, preparation of conservation easements, employment of Arizona Site Stewards on County lands, etc.

Grant Development & Administration –
Identify and procure supplemental grant funds for inventory, planning, National Register nominations, historic property acquisition, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse of historic properties, such as Anza Trail, Colossal Cave, Agua Caliente Ranch, Robles Ranch, Joesler Buildings, Tucson Presidio Exhibit, Ajo Historic District, Courthouse Fountain, etc.

Public Information/Education/Outreach –
Exhibits, signage, tours, brochures, heritage booklets, awards nominations, tax incentives program, public presentations, etc. Also, provide information to tribes and descendant groups, attendance at national, state, and local professional conferences, training, publications, staff advisory positions to Smithsonian Institute, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Society for American Archaeology, Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission, etc.

Historic Preservation Bond Program –
Implementation of ca. $28 million historic preservation bond funds and grants program for acquisition, rehabilitation, and interpretation of historical and archaeological sites throughout Pima County. These properties are considered “Priority Cultural Resources,” which were selected as the “last of the best” and for their potential to provide the greatest public benefit.

Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan –
Development of cultural resources element and database and numerous technical reports, as well as a predictive model of cultural resource sensitivity. Prepare ranching element by amassing data on ranching, preparing technical reports to define ranching as a land-use, facilitate ranch conservation through easements and acquisition throughout Pima County. preparation of analyses and EIS documents, revisions to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, participation with Steering Committee, technical advisory teams, Science Commission.

Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area -
Since 2003, develop a feasibility study for a Congressional designation of the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area defined by the Santa Cruz River watershed in Pima and Santa Cruz counties, in partnership with all jurisdictions, tribes, land management agencies, local business organizations, and other local community groups. To date, the feasibility study is complete and a draft bill has been submitted to Congressional members for introduction.