§800.2. Participants in the Section 106 process. — Inbound Citations

(2) If appropriate, a request by the Commission to initiate informal consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402, section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920, or section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and implementing regulations at 36 CFR 800.2, and, if applicable, designation of the potential applicant as the Commission's non-federal representative.

The terms defined in 36 CFR 800.2 shall be used in conjunction with this regulation. Furthermore, as used in these regulations:

(2) National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 review process as outlined in 36 CFR part 800.2(a)(2) Lead Federal agency; and

(g) For all proposed projects, DOE shall serve as lead agency for consultation under the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR 402.07) and section 106 of the NHPA (36 CFR 800.2(a)(2)) unless the relevant Federal entities designate otherwise. DOE shall coordinate these consultation processes with the Federal agency with the most significant interest in the management of Federal lands or waters that would be traversed or affected by the proposed project or the designated lead agency.

(1) Undertakings for which an agency other than the Commission is the lead Federal agency pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(a)(2).

(1) The agency official shall invite any local governments or applicants that are entitled to be consulting parties under § 800.2(c).

(c) Project means a commercial, industrial, and/or neighborhood project supported by the UDAG program of the Department of HUD, as defined in 24 CFR 570.451(g). A project includes the group of integrally related public and private activities described in the grant application which are to be carried out to meet the objectives of the action grant program and consists of all action grant funded activities together with all non-action grant funded activities. A project is an undertaking as defined in 36 CFR 800.2(c).

(2) If the Council decides to participate in the consultation, the agency official shall consult with the SHPO/THPO, the Council, and other consulting parties, including Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations under § 800.2(c)(3), to seek ways to avoid, minimize or mitigate the adverse effects. If the agency official, the SHPO/THPO, and the Council agree on how the adverse effects will be resolved, they shall execute a memorandum of agreement.

(e) This part facilitates improved and earlier coordination of and consultation between relevant Federal entities, relevant non-Federal entities, and others pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) (NHPA) and its implementing regulations found at 36 CFR part 800. Under this part, DOE may determine it has an undertaking with the potential to affect historic properties and may, at that time, authorize a project proponent, as a CITAP applicant, to initiate section 106 consultation for the undertaking consistent with 36 CFR 800.2(c)(4). Prior to that determination, this part requires project proponents to gather initial information and make recommendations relevant to the section 106 process to the extent possible. This part also establishes DOE as lead for the section 106 process, consistent with DOE's role as lead or joint lead agency for purposes of NEPA, in order to maximize opportunities for coordination between the NEPA and section 106 processes. Federal entities remain responsible for government-to-government consultation with Indian Tribes (and government-to-sovereign consultation in the context of Native Hawaiian relations) and for any findings and determinations required by and reserved to Federal agencies in 36 CFR part 800.

(2) if the scope is sufficiently developed, initiate consultation with SHPOs, THPOs, and others consistent with 36 CFR 800.2(c)(4), which may include authorizing a project proponent, as a CITAP applicant, to initiate section 106 consultation and providing appropriate notifications.

(e) A potential license applicant may at the same time it files its notification of intent and distributes its pre-application document, request to be designated as the Commission's non-Federal representative for purposes of consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act and the joint agency regulations thereunder at 50 CFR part 402, Section 305(b) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act and the implementing regulations at 50 CFR 600.920. A potential license applicant may at the same time request authorization to initiate consultation under section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the implementing regulations at 36 CFR 800.2(c)(4).

(e) In consultation with the SHPO/THPO, the agency official shall plan for involving the public in the section 106 process. The agency official shall identify the appropriate points for seeking public input and for notifying the public of proposed actions, consistent with § 800.2(d).

(4) The agency official shall make information available to the public, including the documentation specified in § 800.11(e), subject to the confidentiality provisions of § 800.11(c). The agency official shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to express their views on resolving adverse effects of the undertaking. The agency official should use appropriate mechanisms, taking into account the magnitude of the undertaking and the nature of its effects upon historic properties, the likely effects on historic properties, and the relationship of the Federal involvement to the undertaking to ensure that the public's views are considered in the consultation. The agency official should also consider the extent of notice and information concerning historic preservation issues afforded the public at earlier steps in the section 106 process to determine the appropriate level of public involvement when resolving adverse effects so that the standards of § 800.2(d) are met.