A key responsibility of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is to administer the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), a review process that ensures historic properties are considered during the development of any federal project. The ACHP’s Office of Federal Agency Programs (OFAP) coordinates this responsibility.

INFORMATION ABOUT SECTION 106 REVIEW AND CONSULTATION

Section 106 plays a central role in the federal historic preservation program. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects on historic properties of any project they carry out or which receives federal financial assistance, permits, or approvals, and provide the ACHP an opportunity to comment on these projects prior to making a final decision.

Agencies must meet their Section 106 responsibilities through a process set forth in regulations issued by the ACHP. These regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations at 36 CFR Part 800, “Protection of Historic Properties,” and can be found on the ACHP’s Web site, www.achp.gov/regs.html.

A wide variety of federal projects, ranging from the construction, rehabilitation, or demolition of roads, facilities, buildings, and dams to projects which require the issuance of federal licenses and permits, or loans and grants that might affect historic properties are subject to Section 106 review. Properties listed on or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, a list maintained by the National Park Service, must be considered under the requirements of Section 106. The National Register includes various types of properties, such as buildings, structures, objects, districts, and sites of national, state, or local importance.