The National Park Service National Park Service (NPS) preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. NPS cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
A bureau within the U.S. Department of the Interior, NPS manages 431 park units covering more than 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. A network of NPS staff, volunteers, and partners work together to manage and protect America's national parks. NPS has jurisdiction over more than 7,500 historic properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), including National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), and hundreds more historic properties which are eligible for listing on the NRHP.
In 2020, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and NPS entered into a partnership in order to improve preservation planning. Various policy solutions, including program alternatives to tailor the Section 106 review process (36 CFR Part 800), are being considered. The partnership provides for a full-time staff member within the ACHP's Office of Federal Agency Programs (OFAP) focused on solutions for deferred maintenance and climate resilience within national parks.
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In the summer of 2024, NPS established a nationwide programmatic agreement for its cultural resources grants and financial assistance programs (Nationwide PA) in partnership with the ACHP and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Offices (NCSHPO). The agreement establishes a consistent Section 106 process for the agency's cultural resources grants and financial assistance undertakings, which support the mission of the NPS in the preservation and interpretation of cultural resources. The agreement can be accessed via the link in the third bullet in the list above.
Earlier in 2024, A Report on Historic Outleasing as a Preservation Stewardship Solution at the National Park Service was developed as part of the inter-agency agreement, in furtherance of the recommendations in ACHP's Leveraging Federal Historic Buildings Final Report (2021). The purpose of the 2024 report is to facilitate greater use of historic outleasing at the NPS (e.g., via their Business Services Directorate and 54 U.S.C. § 102101 "Part 18" and Section 111), especially of small-to-mid-sized under- and unutilized historic buildings often built for residential, commercial, or industrial purposes within NPS park boundaries. The ACHP produced an executive summary of the report as well.
Nationwide Program Alternatives in Development
In August 2024, NPS also submitted to the ACHP an agency request for a program comment on stewardship and management of NPS Mission 66-era facilities (Program Comment). The intent of the Program Comment is to facilitate continued use and preservation of Mission 66-era historic properties by providing parks with an optional tool that will reduce or eliminate external reviews for certain straightforward Mission 66-era focused undertakings. It will also allow superintendents to consider Mission 66-era facilities as eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places when they reference the Mission 66-era Multiple Property Determination Form, thereby addressing NPS’s identification backlog. For more information including a draft of the Program Comment visit the ACHP's dedicated site.
In addition, NPS is looking to improve how the Section 106 review process is carried out for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) State and Local Assistance Programs. The LWCF Program currently provides federal assistance for planning, acquisition, and development of locally owned and managed outdoor recreation lands. NPS has been evaluating its current policy and is requesting initial feedback on its current and future Section 106 process, along with seeking feedback on its development of a Section 106 program alternative (36 CFR § 800.14) for these undertakings. For more information including how to attend consultation meetings or submit comments, visit the dedicated PEPC site.
Contact Information
ACHP Liaison (Parks Policy): Kirsten Kulis (202-517-0217 or kkulis@achp.gov)
ACHP Assistant Director (Grants Policy and Cases): Rachael Mangum (202-517-0214 or rmangum@achp.gov)
ACHP Program Analyst (Parks Cases): Christopher Wilson (202-517-0229 or cwilson@achp.gov)
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