CHAPTER 1 Introduction, Progress Report, and 2024 Themes
The “Preserve America” Executive Order The “Preserve America” Executive Order 13287, issued in 2003, affirms the stewardship responsibilities of all federal agencies for historic properties, the responsibilities for which began with the Antiquities Act of 1906. They were expanded in the Historic Sites Act of 1935 and were significantly expanded in 1966 in the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its subsequent amendments. Section 3 of EO 13287 requires federal agencies to report every three years to the ACHP and the Secretary of the Interior on their progress in identifying, protecting, and using for economic benefit the historic properties they own. The ACHP is an independent federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and sustainable use of the nation’s diverse historic resources and advises the President and Congress on historic preservation policy. In its role overseeing Section 3 of the EO, the ACHP conducts its own review of federal government historic property stewardship, assembles and analyzes information provided by other federal agencies, and presents its findings and recommendations in a report to the President. The full text of the EO, past reports, and information about Section 3 can be found on the ACHP’s website. The “Preserve America” EO and related provisions of the NHPA aim to ensure federal agencies are good stewards of historic properties for the benefit of the American people while still meeting mission needs and, where appropriate, pursuing partnerships to promote the preservation of the nation’s heritage and its economic benefit to communities. The NHPA sets forth broad affirmative responsibilities for federal agencies with respect to balancing mission needs with historic values. Section 110 (54 USC Ch. 3061) directs that historic preservation is to be integrated into the programs of federal agencies. Agencies meet this responsibility by taking steps to identify and thoughtfully manage historic properties in their care as well as through compliance with Section 106 of the NHPA (54 USC § 306108). Section 106 requires federal agencies to take into account the effects of their projects and programs on historic properties and provide the ACHP a reasonable opportunity to comment on them. The regulations implementing Section 106 (36 CFR Part 800) detail this consultative review process. The EO further directs agencies to advance good preservation stewardship by pursuing partnerships with state and local governments, federally recognized Tribes, and the private sector to promote the preservation of the unique cultural heritage of communities and to realize the economic benefit that these properties can provide through activities like heritage tourism, providing space for businesses and organizations that can operate in harmony with an agency’s mission, or contributing to the ongoing vitality of small towns and city centers as focal points of civic activity. The ACHP continues to see the use of partnerships to identify, protect, and use historic properties trending upwards. As in the 2020 progress reports, federal agencies are increasingly receptive to, and entering into, preservation partnerships in their management of historic properties. Throughout this report the term “historic properties” is used, as defined in the NHPA, as those buildings, structures, objects, sites, and districts that are listed in, or are eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places (National Register). The term includes National Historic Landmarks (NHLs), which are designated by the Secretary of the Interior for their exceptional value or quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the nation.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT is the steward of a multitude of historic properties that span the entire nation and its territories. From lighthouses and courthouses to sacred landscapes and traditional resource gathering places, to the archaeological remnants of mining camps, federal agencies have developed guidelines, strategies, and protocols to protect and manage these properties under their stewardship. Since the Section 3 Report’s inception in 2003, agencies have celebrated many successes and have also been presented with new challenges and opportunities to identify, protect, and use historic properties under their ownership or control. Although the technological, political, and societal landscape has changed in 20 years, the great value and appreciation the American public places on its historic places remains the same. In the spirit of the “Preserve America” Executive Order 13287, agencies continue to advance their methods of protection, enhancement, and use of federal historic properties in the face of contemporary challenges, while promoting partnerships for the preservation and use of historic properties. The successes and opportunities outlined in this report demonstrate how federal historic preservation activities have advanced climate adaptation and sustainability initiatives; critical infrastructure to the American people; the federal government’s trust responsibility with Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiians; environmental justice; and a diverse and well-trained preservation workforce.
A HistoriCorps volunteer glazes windows as part of the restoration of Corral Park Cabin within the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland. (Erica Bradley/USFS)
6
IN A SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP: A Report on Federal Historic Properties • 2024 | 7
Made with FlippingBook - Online Brochure Maker