The Trump administration is quietly moving to revise a decades-old rule governing historic preservation of buildings and landscapes. The proposed changes would ease the path for constructing the president’s pet projects in Washington.
Proposed Changes
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, a little-known independent federal agency, is proposing to amend key regulations for implementing the National Historic Preservation Act. The 1966 act is the primary federal law that protects historical and archeological sites in the United States.
Critics say the move would curtail the required oversight for projects that could affect sites of historical significance — effectively gutting a significant part of the preservation law. The proposed changes include cutting the requirement for public comment, giving more authority to agencies endeavoring to undertake construction projects, and changing timelines for reviews.
The proposal replaces a requirement that projects seek to “avoid, minimize or mitigate” adverse effects on historical sites with one that they take “reasonable mitigation measures.” Many of the stipulations to consult with Native Americans regarding religious or historical significance for Indigenous groups are also being struck out.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
