Starting Tuesday, the National Trust For Historic Preservation's 2012 Nation Conference will kick off in Spokane. The theme this year is "Beyond Boundaries" and the event will explore preservation's boundaries, using our local stories as an example.

The conference will include field sessions with hands-on exploration of preservation sites and discussions around how to expand the role of preservation in revitalizing cities, combating sprawl, creating jobs, saving energy, preserving landscapes, and building community. The four top areas of focus this conference include: 

Sustainability: Reuse of historic and older buildings, greening the existing building stock and reinvestment in older and historic communities to combat climate change.

Diversity: Protecting, enhancing and enjoying the places that matter to people to ensure these places and their stories remain part of the American narrative, ensuring a diversity of people and places to reflect the full range of the American experience.

Public Lands: Enhancing stewardship of cultural resources on public lands through education on their importance and increased funding for their protection.

Re-imagining Historic Sites: Creating new and innovative models for historic site interpretation and stewardship.

Mike Prager has a story how the preservation ethic in Spokane drew the national organizers. Some of that ethic is on display in this "Beyond Boundaries" clip after the jump. You might recognize a few faces. 

Also, check out this post from the National Historic Preservation blog about why they're excited to visit Spokane. 

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