There is as well a third component, frequently overlooked but fundamental to a site's preservation - maintenance. Without a consistent and comprehensive maintenance program, the benefits of a well-prepared management plan can vanish as a site's condition deteriorates through human neglect. Still, assessing value through consultation and consensus is an important starting point. But value, as Dr. Mac Lean observes, is not static. Recognizing that those things change over time is something else entirely.
Value is a very dynamic idea.
It comes and goes. Introducing that concept can sometimes make people uncomfortable because it reminds them that their point of view is as ephemeral as the next person's. If values are dynamic, site management strategies must be the same. Ultimately, successful site management is not so much an end, but a process, one that seeks retention of the cultural significance of a place while acknowledging and accommodating a shifting consensus on the nature of that significance.