Home News NPS Endorses ACHP Policy Statement on Balancing Cultural and Natural Values

Washington, DC—In recent correspondence to National Park Service (NPS) regional directors, NPS Director Fran P. Mainella strongly endorsed the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) policy statement, "Balancing Cultural and Natural Values on Federal Lands." The policy statement encourages Federal land managers to recognize that cultural and natural values should be considered in an integrated manner to ensure that cultural values are afforded equal consideration.

Mainella said that the policy statement was approved with the "full support" of her agency, and asked the regional directors to suggest ways to ensure that their practices measure up to existing NPS policies and to identify best practices and needs for improvement for managing cultural resources in the National Park System.

"With your help and that of ACHP," Mainella told the regional directors, "we will work together toward the goal of ensuring the National Park Service remains a national leader among Federal agencies."

ACHP's policy statement represents two years of collaboration with NPS, which initiated its own review of its existing policy and guidance based on the principles in ACHP's policy statement. The policy statement was created by an ACHP task force chaired by general public member Kak Slick, who, as the newly appointed chair of ACHP's Federal Agency Programs Committee, will continue to lead ACHP's initiative in cooperation with NPS.

Focus will now shift to working with other major land-managing Federal agencies. Under the direction of the Federal Agency Programs Committee, ACHP will use the policy statement as a basis for developing a similar policy to guide other Federal property agencies.

Section 106 participants are encouraged to refer to ACHP policy statement and NPS's summary of policies to factor into Section 106 consultation where cultural and natural values may conflict.

Updated April 26, 2002

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