Key facts
- The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation voted to rewrite regulations guiding federal agencies on historic site impacts.
- Proposed changes include narrowing the definition of historic properties and making public comment optional.
- Consultation with Native American tribes would also be limited under the proposed changes.
- Critics argue the changes will weaken protections for historic and cultural sites across the U.S.
- The move could expedite projects, including those favored by President Donald Trump.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) voted to advance proposed changes to regulations implementing the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), a move that critics fear will significantly weaken protections for historic and cultural sites across the United States. The proposed revisions aim to narrow the definition of what constitutes a historic property, make public comment periods for proposed projects optional, and limit the scope of consultation with Native American tribes.
Supporters of the changes, aligned with the Trump administration, argue that the current regulations unnecessarily slow down federal permitting processes, potentially hindering energy development and other projects. The White House and Department of the Interior did not respond to requests for comment.
However, preservation advocates and congressional Democrats have voiced strong opposition. Greg Werkheiser, founding partner at Cultural Heritage Partners, stated that the changes would endanger the preservation of historic and cultural places and that "every American who has any place in their heart that is historic or culturally significant to them should be concerned about this attempt to gut historic preservation protections." Former ACHP chair Sara Bronin noted that President Trump controls a significant majority of the council's members, making the outcome of the vote largely anticipated.
The Section 106 review process, part of the NHPA, requires federal agencies to evaluate the potential impact of new construction projects on historic places and to invite input from interested parties. The proposed changes could allow agencies to proceed with projects that might adversely affect historic properties without sufficient outreach or mitigation efforts, potentially impacting everything from President Trump's own proposed projects in Washington D.C. to the development of transmission lines.