Oregon Heritage
Value of Cultural Heritage in Disaster Resilience
Brief Description
This Communications Toolkit and accompanying messaging guide is developed for the core group of heritage advocates who will use this playbook to make informed decisions about communicating the value of heritage for disaster resilience and recovery. They give voice to people past and present about places that represent home, define community, and make Oregon, Oregon. Their stories will influence elected leaders, residents, business owners, visitors, the media and others in the community who determine the fate of historic places and cultural resources to a value that supports planning for the protection of heritage resources?
Oregon's Cultural Heritage
This communication’s playbook assumes the primary reader is a cultural resource professional or volunteer whose goal is to communicate to other preservation professionals, government agencies and this public the value of incorporating Oregon’s cultural heritage into planning for disaster preparedness and recovery. With that premise, the information provided is intended to engage and influence community members and decision-makers to advocate for the inclusion of cultural heritage resources into all manner of local disaster and emergency plans.
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Conversely, it is critical that institutional and community planning efforts, be it for comprehensive plans, preservation plans, strategic plans, master plans, or capital improvement plans, incorporate the potential for disaster to heritage assets into plan goals, objectives and actions.
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The messaging tools provided in this publication can be used for information sharing in a variety of ways. However, the information is used, it must be tailored specific to each audience. The words used are the examples illustrated must demonstrate an awareness and interest in the audience’s individual needs and the larger community in which they live. This is relevant not only when communicating with property owners, but also with individuals and institutional organizations that serve as stewards of Oregon’s heritage resources.
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