The environmental review process initiated with the passage of the 1966 National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (P.L. 89-665; 80 Stat. 915; 54 U.S.C. 306108) by Congress ushered in a new approach to Federal project planning. The passage of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (P.L. 91-190; 83 Stat. 852; 42 U.S.C. 4321) in December 1969 and its subsequent signing into law on January 1, 1970, expanded environmental reviews and formally established environmental protection as a Federal policy. NEPA and NHPA require Federal officials to “stop, look, and listen” before making decisions that impact historic properties and the human environment.

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