SAVANNAH, GA – APRIL 13, 2021 – Beginning April 2021, a team of historic preservation consultants and architectural historians will be surveying unincorporated areas along the Georgia coast to identify and assess damages to historic resources in Chatham, Bryan, Liberty, McIntosh, Glynn, and Camden counties. Managed by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Coastal Historic Survey, is funded by an Emergency Supplemental Historic Preservation Fund grant from the National Park Service to help historic resources recover in areas impacted by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria in 2017. The Coastal Historic Survey will inventory historic resources over 50 years of age to determine eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places, degree of damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017, and provide preparedness for future disasters. The project will complete an architectural analysis of each county to include a description of the unique development patterns of coastal Georgia and the identification of character defining features for specific properties and areas. “Assessing the damages from Hurricane Irma to Georgia’s historic assets is vital to our mission,” said Christopher Nunn, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. “We are grateful Congress appropriated supplemental grants to assess the damage to historic assets and continue to recover from this natural disaster.” According to the National Park Service, as national emergencies arise, Congress may appropriate funding from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF). The HPF uses revenue from federal oil leases on the Outer Continental Shelf, providing assistance for a broad range of preservation projects without expending tax dollars. Public participation is an important component of the Coastal Historic Survey. During the month of April, community virtual Zoom meetings open to the public will be hosted in each county. Owners and tenants of older and historic properties along the coast, particularly those damaged by Hurricane Irma, are encouraged to contact the project team. More information about the project, community meeting dates, and a form for contact is available at www.coastalhistoricsurvey.com.