The Heritage Conservation Council of Douglas County promotes the conservation of our cultural and natural heritage to honor our past, enrich our present, and inspire our future. They make recommendations to the Douglas County Commission on how to best establish a framework to conserve our natural & cultural heritage for future generations and to enhance economic benefits of tourism, local agriculture, and other endeavors based on such conservation efforts.
The Heritage Conservation Council works to:
- Ensure the conservation of the County’s natural and cultural resources.
- Identify, conserve and promote the County's natural resources, prehistoric, historic and cultural heritage through ongoing surveys and studies of natural and cultural heritage resources.
- Implement the strategies and goals identified for the protection, development and utilization of heritage resources as defined in the County Comprehensive Plan.
- Foster civic pride and promote tourism, particularly as related to the natural resources, pre-settlement history, settlement history, and the themes encompassed in Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area.
- Work in concert with the State Historic Preservation Officer and observe the State Preservation Act.
- Support education programs to increase public awareness of and support for the County’s historic environment.
Heritage Conservation Council Members
Heritage Conservation Council Meetings
The Heritage Conservation Council hosts monthly business meetings generally on the first Thursday of each month at 7pm either in-person or via Zoom. Anyone is welcome to attend these public meetings. Public comment can be provided at the start of the meeting. Attendance information for each individual meeting can be found in the Upcoming Meetings section.
Occasionally, Heritage Conservation Council committee members will meet in between monthly meetings to further discuss proposed projects and goals. While no binding actions or decisions are made at these committee meetings, HCC business is discussed. If a quorum of HCC members is present at these meetings, the meeting information will be included below.
- Cultural Committee Meeting: April 9, 2024 at 3:30 pm-4:30 pm. Please contact the Heritage Coordinator for more information.
Upcoming Meetings
Climate Action Plan
Douglas County is building a plan to mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change; it will be tailored to our community’s priorities, account for our assets and vulnerabilities, and recommend short and long-term policy changes...
Open Space Plan
Identified as a priority in Plan 2040, Douglas County has launched a collaborative planning process to establish the Douglas County Open Space Plan.
Conservation Resources
Learn more about resources available for natural and cultural heritage conservation in Douglas County.
Documents
Frequently Asked Questions
The application period for HCC’s annual Natural and Cultural Hertiage Grant program is currently closed. Check back in January for information about the 2025 grant cycle.
There are a variety of resources available to property owners interested in learning more about how to protect and preserve historic resources. To learn more about this process and the resources that may be available to you, visit our Conservation… Read More
In addition to honorific recognition, the primary benefit for listing a property is access to state and federal tax credits and funding opportunities that can greatly offset the cost of future repair and maintenance work that will be done on the… Read More
New Hampshire Office
1006 New Hampshire Street
Lawrence, KS 66044
United States