Colorado’s ancient petroglyphs and pioneer-era
courthouses might soon be left to the ravages of time. State
Treasurer Mike Coffman wants to boost the state’s economy by
redirecting funds earmarked for historic preservation to promote
tourism.
In 1990, Colorado voters approved a
constitutional amendment that legalized gambling in three towns
— Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek — and sent
28 percent of the resultant tax revenues into the State Historic
Fund. Since then, the state has spent about $125 million to restore
more than 2,000 archeological and historical sites.
But in
mid-March, Coffman proposed using half of the State Historic Fund
to market tourism in the state. He argues that historic
preservation may not even need state funding: “We need to
look at what private developers can do on their own,” he
says.
Preservationists reject the notion that they are
flush with money. “We usually have to choose between many
good projects,” says Mark Wolf of the Colorado Historical
Society. Large portions of the fund are earmarked to be returned to
the gaming towns, to administer the Colorado Historical Society and
to renovate the State Capitol over the next six years. If the fund
is cut in half, little will be left for other projects.
Before any money can be moved, voters must approve another
constitutional amendment. Coffman’s proposal can get to the
ballot either as a citizens’ initiative or with two-thirds
support of both the state house and the senate.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Historic preservation vs. tourism?.
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