This week, the Salem Statesman-Journal published an in-depth profile on Roger Roper, a longtime friend and Advisor to Restore Oregon. Since 2003, Roger has served as the Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer in Salem, overseeing a staff of 16 archaeologists, survey coordinators, preservationists, and heritage professionals.
Also pictured are Peggy Moretti,
Congresswoman Bonamici,
and Brett Estes (Restore Oregon photo)
Roger’s agency, the State Historic Preservation Office, or SHPO (pronounced “ship-o”), is the division of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that manages National Register Nominations, state and federal tax incentives, regulatory compliance, and the Oregon Main Street Program, among other government preservation activities. While they do not provide direct historic preservation advocacy, the SHPO is responsible for maintaining invaluable historic site records and offering technical expertise that community leaders around the state rely on to preserve important historic places.
Roger has been a regular partner of Restore Oregon initiatives since the organization re-launched in 2009. In 2012, Roger worked with the Oregon Cultural Trust’s former Executive Director, Chris D’Arcy, in securing funding for Restore Oregon to send two dozen Oregonians to the National Preservation Conference in Spokane. In 2013, he provided organizational and financial assistance to survey Settlement-era homes and farmsteads as part of Restore Oregon’s Most Endangered Places program.
Roger’s profile can be found in the Statesman-Journal.
