Even if the resources were available to better protect and preserve our historic sites, there would be some serious questions to deal with. I think most would agree that the mansions at Atsion or Batsto should be restored and maintained in at least the last good condition they existed in, if not an earlier one if the historians all agree on an era. But what would you do with sites like the Harrisville ruins, as an alternative to fences and signs? I don’t think too many people would suggest restoring the factory to its original appearance. With so much of the original structure gone, the result would be a re-creation rather than a restoration and it would no longer have authentic significance. Such sites are more interesting as ruins, but they are then more susceptible to vandalism and theft of materials. Being guarded by a human presence might be considered a bit financially extreme. Electronic surveillance perhaps? Fences and signs are far from the ideal solution in such cases, but maybe they are just a compromise in the absence of a better one.
