Home News The ACHP Announces New Director of the Office of Federal Agency Programs

Washington, D.C.—The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) announces Reid J. Nelson as the new director of the agency’s Office of Federal Agency Programs—the office that deals primarily with the Section 106 process of the federal preservation program.

Nelson has worked at the ACHP for the past two years as an assistant director in the Office of Federal Agency Programs, in charge of the Federal Property Management section. He came to the ACHP with extensive experience in historic preservation after working with the Navajo Nation in its Archaeology and Historic Preservation Departments for 18 years, the last nine of which were as a program manager for the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department.

Nelson is also a member of the Transportation Research Board’s committees on Native American Issues and Archaeological and Historic Preservation. He has also worked as an archaeologist throughout the West and Midwest and as a researcher and lecturer. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Minnesota and completed coursework for a Master of Art in Anthropology at Washington State University.

ACHP Chairman John L. Nau, III said, “Reid is the right person to lead the hard-working and dedicated historic preservation staff in the Office of Federal Agency Programs. His years of working with the Section 106 process, especially in the West and in Indian Country, bring invaluable insight and experience to the ACHP’s leadership in this critical area.”

Current Director of the Office of Federal Agency Programs (OFAP) Don Klima is retiring in January after 30 years of working for the ACHP. He began as the agency’s southeastern representative in 1978 and then took over the management of OFAP in 1982.

“We will sincerely miss Don who has guided the OFAP staff through numerous changes. Many of the seminal Section 106 cases that have defined the shape of the Section 106 process and the ACHP’s role in it have occurred under his leadership,” ACHP Executive Director John M. Fowler said.

Fowler continued, “we are looking forward to Reid assuming this important role, and we are delighted to be able to promote from within. He will continue the good work OFAP has been doing, while also bringing a fresh perspective to ACHP management. He knows the interworkings of the ACHP, but he also knows our work as a customer and stakeholder.” Nelson will begin work as OFAP director on Jan. 5, 2009.

The ACHP is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and appropriate productive use of the nation’s historic resources, oversees the Section 106 process of the National Historic Preservation Act, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy. It also provides a forum for influencing federal activities, programs, and policies that affect historic properties. Additionally, the ACHP has a key role in administering the Administration’s Preserve America Initiative.

Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the impact of their projects on historic properties and to consult with stakeholders on ways to minimize harmful effects. Administered by the ACHP in partnership with State and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, the Section 106 process brings historic preservation considerations into the planning of more than 100,000 federal, federally-assisted, and federally licensed actions each year. As a result, thousands of historic properties nationwide are spared from unnecessary harm. Additional information about the Section 106 process can be found at www.achp.gov/work106.html.

Posted December 10, 2008

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