A new coalition, Section 106 Strong, launched on October 15 to oppose proposed limits on historic-preservation reviews, NPR reported. The campaign targets both federal regulatory changes and a bipartisan Senate permitting bill.
Under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, federal agencies must consult states, tribes and other stakeholders before projects that could harm historic sites. The process does not necessarily stop a project, Yale professor Elihu Rubin told NPR.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted in July for changes that would narrow which properties qualify as historic, make public comment on individual projects optional and remove required consultation with Native American tribes, according to the report. Twenty of the council's 24 current members were appointed by President Donald Trump.
The Senate bill, introduced in late September, would also reduce public and tribal input, narrow the scope of reviews and restrict legal remedies for violations. Its backers seek faster permitting for infrastructure and energy projects. Tribal preservation leaders warn that the changes would diminish their communities' role in decisions about historic places.
Neither route was final as of NPR's report. The regulatory proposal remained in rulemaking, with a 30-day public comment period still unopened and the council's next meeting scheduled for November 10. The Senate planned to consider its bill after returning from recess on November 9.
