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Committee advances bill to move State Historic Preservation Office into OSMEC despite preservationist objections
Summary
The Senate State Affairs Committee voted to send H 898 to the floor after extended public testimony where preservation advocates warned the administrative move would dilute the State Historic Preservation Office’s mission and create conflicts of interest; proponents said the change would streamline federal permitting and preserve statutory duties.
Senator Den Hartog introduced H 898, which would place the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) and the State Historic Preservation Office under the Office of Species, Minerals, and Energy Coordination (OSMEC). Den Hartog said the change is an administrative relocation meant to improve federal permitting coordination and would not alter SHPO’s statutory duties or staffing.
Multiple preservation advocates testified against the bill. Bob Reinhardt of Boise said moving SHPO would “dilute its mission” and warned the administrative shift could misalign priorities. Brittney Scigliano, representing Preservation Idaho, and other local preservation advocates testified they worried the change would cause confusion and undermine Idaho’s leadership on historic preservation.
Frank Eld and other opponents told the committee they feared conflicts of interest if an office focused on resource permitting also supervised historic preservation reviews. Eld offered a hypothetical in which a mining company overseen by OSMEC sought to develop historically preserved land, saying that scenario could compromise preservation decisions.
Supporters said the move would not change SHPO’s legal responsibilities. Paul Arrington, representing the Idaho Water Users Association, said putting SHPO into OSMEC would streamline federal permitting for water projects that cross federal lands or use federal funds. Will Hart, representing the Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association, said he had heard complaints about SHPO customer service and believed the administrative change could improve responsiveness.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about statutory duties and conflicts of interest. Den Hartog repeatedly told the committee the bill would not remove the gubernatorially appointed SHPO or the State Historic Preservation Review Board and that federally mandated duties would remain intact.
Senator Harris moved and Senator Adams seconded sending H 898 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. The motion carried by voice vote; Senator Shippy recorded the lone no vote.
The committee’s recommendation sends H 898 to the full Senate for further consideration. No floor action was taken at the meeting.
