Historic Preservation
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in coordination with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), has developed a prototype Programmatic Agreement to address its historic preservation requirement for DOE State Energy, Weatherization and Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Programs.
-
ACHP Letter to Energy Secretary Steven Chu on February 5, 2010
-
Delegation of Authority Regarding Section 106 Review of Undertakings
DOE, ACHP, and NCSHPO understand the heavy volume of activity anticipated under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and have been actively working together to create a manageable framework for streamlining DOE's compliance with the requirements of the National Historic Preservation Act while ensuring the protection of our nation's historic properties. This innovative approach is the first of its kind under ACHP regulations to address the extraordinary volume of effort necessary to implement the 2009 Recovery Act.
On February 5, 2010, ACHP released to the states a prototype Programmatic Agreement for execution by DOE, individual State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs) and the state energy offices to address DOE's historic preservation consultation requirement. This approach allows flexibility between the states while recognizing that many states have already instituted effective consultation protocols that can be applied to DOE's programs. There will only be one agreement executed in each state or territory. The agreement will be signed by the SHPO and the corresponding state energy office and will cover all grantees and subgrantees within that state or U.S. territory. This limits the number of agreements that must be negotiated and submitted to DOE. This also means that energy office representatives should consult with the other grantees in their states to make sure that the agreements are consistent with the expectations of the various programs and recipients.
Through this prototype Programmatic Agreement, DOE has taken a categorical approach to activities to streamline reviews and reduce the heavy burden placed on SHPOs and to expedite the obligation of Recovery Act funds. Further, this approach will apply to counties, municipalities and other local governments through DOE's financial assistance awards to ensure comprehensive coverage of DOE's program recipients. This prototype Programmatic Agreement also recognizes the sovereignty of tribal governments while allowing them the option to participate in this comprehensive approach.
DOE is prepared to enter into Programmatic Agreements upon execution of the Programmatic Agreement by the SHPOs and state energy offices. Follow this link to view Programmatic Agreements executed by DOE, the SHPOs and SEOs to date.
DOE will schedule teleconferences with the states to clarify DOE's approach to historic preservation consultation and answer any questions. In the interim, inquiries related to historic preservation may be emailed to historicpreservation@go.doe.gov.