Preservation & Archaeology

Compass Information

Compass is provided by the Colorado State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in an effort to provide qualified individuals with access to much of the data available from the main SHPO cultural resource database.


Now Available: Compass Platform User Feedback Survey

Current and past Compass users, we would love to get your feedback on our legacy and new Compass platforms! This survey is available through Sunday, April 9th, 2023. 

 


The Legacy Compass Platform

The (now Legacy) Compass database was first launched in the early 2000s, and served as the initial online cultural resource database administered by the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP). Generous financial support was received from the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) and the State Historical Fund (SHF) to implement the production and launch of this online database. We are incredibly grateful to Randy Palmer and Chris Schreiner of Denver's own Systems Engineering Services for the development of this system. In this iteration, the database was designed to provide qualified individuals access to many of the fields currently available in the main OAHP database, which allowed users to perform searches on both locational parameters, as well as attribute data.

 


The Newly Redesigned Compass Platform

OAHP received generous financial support from the Office of Information Technology (OIT) to build an entirely new Compass platform, as the needs of our constituents have outgrown the capacity for the original system build. OAHP partnered with GCS, under the leadership of CEO Mike Beltz and developers Jay Egenhoff and Fred Spataro, to build a more modern system to better meet the growing needs of our constituents. This redesigned system has increased search capabilities with the fields available in the main OAHP database, as well as integration with our GIS database, so that updates can more seamlessly be pushed through into the data available to Compass users.

 


Existing Legacy Compass Users - Please Note: 

  • Your legacy system login credentials will not work on the new system. Credentials for the new system will be issued after your online application is approved by the Compass Administrator. Please allow up to three (3) business days for processing.
  • Your current user profile will not transfer automatically. If you wish to transfer your current subscription, your organization will need to set up a new Organizational account, and all Individual users will be required to submit the necessary documentation in order to receive credentials for the new system.
  • You will receive credit for fees paid toward your current subscription period if you elect to switch early. Our fee structure under the new platform has changed, and you will be responsible for the difference in subscription cost between the legacy and new platforms, prorated by the number of days remaining on the existing subscription.

 

For more information on how to sign up for the new platform, please visit our Subscription Information page.