Louisiana's Comprehensive Archaeological Plan

As Louisiana enters this second decade of the 21st century, it approaches a number of historic milestones including the bicentennials of statehood, the War of 1812, and the Battle of New Orleans (2015) along with the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War and the tercentenaries of both Natchitoches (2014) and New Orleans (2018). With these important commemorations just on the horizon, it seems highly appropriate that the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and interested preservation groups from around Louisiana articulate a larger vision for the conservation of the important historic and cultural resources located here within our state. Yet, Louisiana finds itself in a precarious position. The catastrophic hurricanes of recent years and the Gulf oil spill have stretched resources thin and a discouraging budget climate that has already reduced the overall reach and effectiveness of state government now threatens to carve further into public services. Preservation organizations must of necessity respond to these difficult times.
It has been the goal of this planning process to look more carefully at how to serve the needs of the people of Louisiana while doing so in a less than ideal fiscal environment. With this thought in mind, and after intensive research and discussion among members of the preservation community, public officials, and private citizens, the following planning document has been developed to address the major issues of cultural resource management over the next five years (2011-2015). Primarily, the plan calls for a focus in five main areas: 1) developing advocacy efforts, 2) expanding education and public knowledge, 3) building visibility, 4) streamlining services, and 5) identifying and protecting historic properties. With hard work and a cooperative spirit among all partners, we feel that historic preservation and archaeological conservation in Louisiana can be both economically feasible as well as morally responsible.

The Center for Digital Antiquity does not have a copy of the original 1983 edition of the Louisiana Archaeological Plan. The file available for download is an updated comprehensive archaeological plan for the years 2011-2015 published in 2011.