As an advisor to the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, the Heritage Conservation Council promotes and advocates for the conservation of tangible and intangible natural and cultural heritage to honor the past, enrich the present, and inspire the future. Our vision is to foster a Douglas County in which all communities benefit from and understand the value of conserving a diversity of both natural environments and cultural heritages.
The goals of the Heritage Conservation Council are to:
- Reduce Destruction and Encourage Sustainable Development: The Heritage Conservation Council strives to minimize the destruction of natural and cultural resources, cultural and agricultural heritages, and historic sites; conserves and documents their existence; and encourages smart, sustainable development and adaptive reuse.
- Serve through Advising: The Heritage Conservation Council is an essential advisory council to the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, County staff, and community and nonprofit organizations in the sector.
- Uplift Partner Organizations: The Heritage Conservation Council uplifts partner heritage organizations and catalyzes their collaboration by providing funding and building capacity.
- Encourage Accessibility: The Heritage Conservation Council encourages the accessibility of Douglas County’s natural and cultural resources, and evaluates their continued use and value to the community.
Heritage Conservation Council Members
| Name | Position | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Caleb Morse | Chair | Open Seat - Botanist/Lichenologist |
| Patti Beedles | Vice-Chair | Open Seat - Ecologist/Botanist |
| VACANT | Preservation Professional - Architect | |
| Nicholaus Pumphrey | Council Member | Preservation Professional - Archaeologist |
| Leonard Ortiz | Council Member | Preservation Professional - Historian |
| Tim Lyons | Council Member | Open Seat - Forestry |
| Charlie Kuszmaul | Council Member | Open Seat - Rural Heritage |
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.
Upcoming Meetings
Countywide Archaeological Survey Project
Archaeologists from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and the University of Kansas, Lawrence are set to begin a large‐scale research project in Douglas County. The investigations, undertaken on behalf of the County, begin the summer and will continue into the summer of 2026. The primary objective of the study is to develop a clearer understanding of Douglas County’s pre- and post-contact history. Researchers hope to accomplish this objective through a combination of examining artifact collections and walking fields to identify sites.
The Augustana and KU crew welcomes the participation of all Douglas County residents and property owners. Perhaps you have an artifact that you’ve always been curious to learn more about; researchers would be happy to examine it and provide additional information. Maybe you have property where your parents or grandparents used to find arrowheads and you’re curious whether anything else is out there. Investigators can walk the property, document their findings, and discuss the results with you. Participation in this project is entirely optional, costs nothing, and is confidential. Researchers take nothing from investigated properties except photographs, will not be digging, and will provide maps and a report of findings to all property owners upon request. To learn more about this exciting upcoming project, feel free to contact the crew by phone at (605) 274‐4369 or email at dig@augie.edu. If you have any questions about this project, please contact the Heritage Conservation Coordinator.
Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program
Explore the impact of Douglas County's Natural and Cultural Heritage Grant Program through this interactive map.
Open Space Plan
Douglas County’s Open Space Plan outlines a comprehensive vision to protect, promote, and prioritize conservation of the County’s open lands and natural resources.
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
Estados Unidos
