The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) was established on October 15, 1966. It is considered one of the U.S.’s most extensive preservation legislations.
This law was enacted in the public’s interest to preserve historic sites from being lost or altered. Procedural protections encourage identifying and protecting historic and archeological resources at the federal, state, and local levels.
What are the roles and responsibilities of NHPA?
NHPA establishes an ethical framework at all levels of federal government and within agencies. The law sets a standard of accountability for agencies to consider the environmental impact of their actions on historic sites.
There are several tools, resources, and responsibilities that the NHPA carries out to ensure that agencies do their due diligence before moving forward with potential projects.
This includes:
- The identification of federally protected historical sites, buildings, structures, objects, etc., under the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP).
- A review and requirement process under Sections 106 and 110, which work to ensure agencies consider the effects of assisted, regulated, or funded activities on historic properties and the programs they plan to set in place to protect said properties.
- Advising agencies regarding their national historic preservation programs and the importance of compliance with Section 106.
How NHPA impacts your agency and projects
Due to preservation initiatives, NHPA has been a significant resource in gaining and maintaining substantial archeological knowledge. The implementation of Section 106 and the expansion of archeological resources needed to meet its requirements have collected invaluable data relevant to the public interest.
Ultimately, actions stemming from NHPA have been proven beneficial across all economic, social, and cultural growth levels. Federal consideration of historical preservation displays the importance of environmental integrity in developing cities and landscapes across the country.
FirstCarbon Solutions (FCS) provides an extensive team of in-house experts who are knowledgeable across all environmental and cultural consulting capacities. We help agencies navigate the intricacies of NEPA documentation processes under Section 106 and work to bring our clients to compliance in a cost-effective and timely manner.
