Home News ACHP’s BRAC Task Force posts Federal Preservation Program Notes

In 2005, ACHP established a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Task Force to encourage preservation of historic properties affected by the Department of Defense’s BRAC process through assistance to participants in the Section 106 process, and to facilitate redevelopment outcomes that promote preservation, long-term stewardship of historic properties and the economic viability of communities.

The Department of Defense (DoD) is beginning the fifth round of base realignment and closure (BRAC) since the BRAC Commission’s first recommendations affected bases in 1988.  As one of the largest owners of property, buildings and structures within the Federal government, the Department of Defense’s BRAC process has been a concern to those interested in preserving and re-using historic properties within DoD’s inventory.  In response, the BRAC Task Force has prepared the following Federal Preservation Program Notes to provide information that helps agencies, Section 106 participants and communities in understanding the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act for BRAC actions:

• 2005 BRAC and the National Historic Preservation Act: An Introduction to the Section 106 Process
• The National Register Of Historic Places and The National Historic Landmark Program
• Historic Preservation Assistance Programs
• Federal Historic Preservation Tax Incentives Program
• Base Realignment and Closure And Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act
• Base Realignment and Closure Activities Requiring Consultation with Native Americans
• BRAC and Archeological Collections

What is BRAC?   BRAC is the congressionally authorized process DoD has previously used to reorganize its base structure to more efficiently and effectively support its forces, increase operational readiness and facilitate new ways of doing business.   BRAC legislation establishes a process by which an independent BRAC Commission, appointed by the President, assesses the recommendations of the Secretary of Defense and views of the public to make recommendations to the President on which bases should be realigned or closed.  For more detailed information on the BRAC process go to the DoD’s website at http://www.dod.mil/brac.  DoD’s has also posted a series of Frequently Asked Questions about BRAC and has posted these on its website at http://www.dod.mil/brac/faqs001.html. 

The BRAC legislation states that if the President approves the recommendations, the recommendations are binding 45 legislative days after Presidential transmission or adjournment, unless Congress enacts joint resolution of disapproval.  For BRAC 2005, the Commission delivered its report to the President on September 8, 2005, and President Bush concurred with and sent the report to Congress on September 15, 2005.  On November 9, 2005, the BRAC Commission’s recommendations became law.  Information on the BRAC Commission can be found on its website at http://www.brac.gov/.

What decisions did the Commission make?  The BRAC Commission was established by law to provide an objective, non-partisan, and independent review and analysis of the list of military installation recommendations issued by the Department of Defense in May 2005.  The Commission’s mission is “to assess whether the DoD recommendations substantially deviated from the Congressional criteria used to evaluate each military base. While giving priority to the criteria of military value, the Commission will also take into account the human impact of the base closures and will consider the possible economic, environmental, and other effects on the surrounding communities.”  The detailed recommendations of the BRAC Commission for bases which will be realigned and those that will be closed can be found at: http://www.brac.gov/docs/final/AppendixQ.pdf

How will DoD implement BRAC? In preparation for realignment and closure, DoD has prepared guidance on implementing the BRAC 2005 recommendations.  The Base Redevelopment and Realignment Manual (BRRM), DoD 4165.66-M, describes the "process" that will be followed in implementing the BRAC 2005 recommendations. It has been updated to reflect statutes and regulations that are new since the time the previous manual was published in 1997. The BRRM provides an array of legal authorities -a "tool box" of possible property transfer options, that affords DoD the flexibility to do what's best given the individual circumstances.  Chapter 8 of the BRRM discusses how DoD must comply with laws that protect natural and cultural resources.  The BRRM can be found on DoD’s BRAC website at:  http://www.dod.mil/brac/pdf/4165-66-M_BRRM.PDF.

In addition to DoD’s websites, each of the Military Departments also have a BRAC website

            Army:         http://www.hqda.army.mil/acsim/brac/braco.htm
            Navy:         http://www.bracpmo.navy.mil//
            Air Force:  http://www.af.mil/brac/

Further information on cultural resource considerations under BRAC 2005 can be found on DoD’s Denix website at: https://www.denix.osd.mil/CR-BRAC.

Assistance to communities adjacent to BRAC’d military bases can get information from DoD’s Office of Economic Adjustment (OEA) at http://www.oea.gov/oeaweb.nsf/Home?OpenForm.  Others interested in the closure process from the community perspective can use OEA’s website to get contact information about the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) in their area.  As the community point-of-contact for local redevelopment, the LRAs will be involved in historic preservation and Section 106 related to BRAC closures at bases with historic properties.

Posted October 2, 2006

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