22-3-423. Duties of historic preservation officer. - Montana Statutes

     22-3-423. Duties of historic preservation officer. Subject to the supervision of the director of the historical society, the historic preservation officer has the following duties and responsibilities:
     (1) follow necessary procedures to qualify the state for money that is now or will be made available under any act of congress of the United States or otherwise for purposes of historic preservation;
     (2) conduct an ongoing statewide survey to identify and document heritage properties and paleontological remains;
     (3) maintain a state inventory file of heritage properties and paleontological remains and maintain a repository for all inventory work done in the state;
     (4) evaluate and formally nominate potential register properties according to the criteria established by the register;
     (5) prepare and annually review the state preservation plan, register nominations, and historic preservation grant activity;
     (6) maintain, publish, and disseminate information relating to heritage properties and paleontological remains in the state;
     (7) cooperate with and assist local, state, and federal government agencies in comprehensive planning that allows for the preservation of heritage properties and paleontological remains;
     (8) enter into cooperative agreements with the federal government, local governments, and other governmental entities or private landowners or the owners of objects to ensure preservation and protection of registered properties;
     (9) adopt rules outlining procedures by which a state agency that has no approved rules under 22-3-424(1) shall systematically consider heritage properties or paleontological remains on lands owned by the state and avoid, whenever feasible, state actions or state assisted or licensed actions that substantially alter the properties;
     (10) respond to requests for consultation under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as provided for in 22-3-429;
     (11) develop procedures and guidelines for the evaluation of heritage property or paleontological remains as provided in 22-3-428;
     (12) protect from disclosure to the public any information relating to the location or character of heritage properties when disclosure would create a substantial risk of harm, theft, or destruction to the resources or to the area or place where the resources are located; and
     (13) any other necessary or appropriate activity permitted by law to carry out and enforce the provisions of this part.

     History: En. Sec. 6, Ch. 563, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 351, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 323, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 343, L. 1995.