Disaster management programs for historic sites.

Includes bibliographical references and index

Proceedings of a symposium organized by the U.S. National Park Service, Western Regional Office, San Francisco, in collaboration with the Western Chapter of the Association for Preservation Technology, and held June 27-29, 1997 in San Francisco

The United Nations designated the 1990s as the Decade for Natural Hazard Reduction. It is ironic then that natural disasters are an increasingly common occurrence in the 1990s as a result of both random chance and climatic changes. In many of the recent events, vast sections of our cultural heritage have been impaired, not only by the direct impact of the disasters, but also, and by no small measure, by the actions taken by the hazard mitigation and response teams. Too often, damaged historic places are deemed to be a safety hazard and are ordered to be demolished by building officials without due consideration given to their cultural heritage value and the restoration options available. Potential for conflict abounds and, historically, conflict has ensued between the various management agencies. This book addresses these issues through conceptual papers and case studies written by people at the forefront of the conflict