Streamlining Historic Preservation with Tribal Input: Sen. Gallego's Senate Hearing

Streamlining Section 106 Reviews

• 💡 Senator Ruben Gallego advocates for streamlining the National Historic Preservation Act processes while ensuring continued tribal input.
• 🎯 Arizona's State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has a strong track record, reviewing over 3,000 federal projects in three years with an average turnaround of less than 30 days and an adverse effect rate below 2%.
• 🔑 Gallego believes there are ways to improve the Section 106 review process without compromising community and tribal input.

Improving Efficiency and Collaboration

• 🤝 Dr. Merritt notes that programmatic agreements are effective for streamlining when strong relationships exist between SHPOs and federal agencies, as seen with Arizona's SHPO and the National Park Service.
• 🚀 She suggests expanding the utility of these agreements from project-specific to more programmatic approaches for agencies across entire states to embed efficiencies.
• ⚠️ The reconstruction of the Grand Canyon Lodge, destroyed by fire, is cited as an example where streamlining authorities like synchronous reviews and exemptions could be utilized.

Value of Tribal Consultation

• ⛰️ Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs) are crucial for protecting cultural heritage, especially in areas like the Southwest with a high concentration of historical sites.
• ⚖️ Mr. Koncho emphasizes that THPOs take on significant responsibilities, often with limited staff, highlighting the need for additional funding to manage the thousands of requests they receive annually.
• ❓ Reducing or narrowing the opportunity for tribal consultation could lead to the loss of invaluable historical and cultural knowledge.

Data and Accountability in Preservation

• 📊 Gallego questions how to measure the impact of Section 106 on project delays if performance metrics, previously collected by the National Park Service, are no longer shared across states.
• ✅ Dr. Merritt states that accountability also comes from reporting statistics to governors and legislatures, and that the true measure of success is minimal complaints about the 106 process, indicating a smooth and functional system.