The Federal Advisory Council charged with promoting protection of the country’s historic buildings and sites voted on a proposal to gut established protections and eliminate public review and input. This is the most serious threat to our historic resources since the National Historic Preservation Act was passed 60 years ago.
You may not be familiar with the Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation or the Section 106 review process, which is triggered when federal funding is part of a project. But they played key roles in the development of Moynihan Train Hall, the reuse of the former TWA Terminal at JFK, and recent efforts to protect the City’s shoreline from future flooding. They were even key to efforts at Ground Zero to document and save remaining elements of the World Trade Center after 9/11.
Penn Station redesign would also trigger a Section 106 review. If that review is eliminated, there will be no opportunity for public comment on the new station or any changes to the surrounding area.
The new regulations also eliminate the need for notifying local governments about federal projects in their area and narrow the definition of what is a historic resource.
You can find more specifics by linking to a National Trust for Historic Preservation fact sheet.
The Advisory Council released these proposals on July 17 with no warning.
_______________________________
The Federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation did vote as expected on July 24 to gut national historic preservation protections.
The changes now go to interagency review before being published in the Federal Register. Presumably, there also will be a 30-day public comment process. We will notify you when that starts. But you can take action now.
Please write U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Kathy Hochul, and Attorney General Letitia James. Please also write your U.S. Representative. If you aren’t sure who that is, check here.
Ask them to oppose changes to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Tell them historic preservation matters. Public review matters. And changes curtail the State’s right to know about and influence federally-funded projects.
Section 106 has played key roles in the development of Moynihan Train Hall and the reuse of the former TWA Terminal at JFK. Don’t let this Council, which is supposed to promote historic protection, take away public review and comments on Penn Station and future projects that impact our heritage and our City.