§800.3. Initiation of the section 106 process. — Inbound Citations

(a) The agency official, in consultation with the appropriate SHPOs/THPOs, affected Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations, and the Council, is encouraged to develop procedures for taking historic properties into account during operations which respond to a disaster or emergency declared by the President, a tribal government, or the Governor of a State or which respond to other immediate threats to life or property. If approved by the Council, the procedures shall govern the agency's historic preservation responsibilities during any disaster or emergency in lieu of §§ 800.3 through 800.6.

(ii) If the Council declines to comment, the agency official shall continue to comply with the requirements of §§ 800.3 through 800.6 for the individual undertakings.

(g) A consultation by the agency official with the SHPO/THPO and other consulting parties may address multiple steps in §§ 800.3 through 800.6 where the agency official and the SHPO/THPO agree it is appropriate as long as the consulting parties and the public have an adequate opportunity to express their views as provided in § 800.2(d).

(c) An agency official may use the process and documentation required for the preparation of an EA/FONSI or an EIS/ROD to comply with section 106 in lieu of the procedures set forth in §§ 800.3 through 800.6 if the agency official has notified in advance the SHPO/THPO and the Council that it intends to do so and the following standards are met.

(1) During preparation of the EA or draft EIS (DEIS) the agency official shall:

(i) Identify consulting parties either pursuant to § 800.3(f) or through the NEPA scoping process with results consistent with § 800.3(f);

(ii) Identify historic properties and assess the effects of the undertaking on such properties in a manner consistent with the standards and criteria of §§ 800.4 through 800.5, provided that the scope and timing of these steps may be phased to reflect the agency official's consideration of project alternatives in the NEPA process and the effort is commensurate with the assessment of other environmental factors;

(iii) Consult regarding the effects of the undertaking on historic properties with the SHPO/THPO, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations that might attach religious and cultural significance to affected historic properties, other consulting parties, and the Council, where appropriate, during NEPA scoping, environmental analysis, and the preparation of NEPA documents;

(iv) Involve the public in accordance with the agency's published NEPA procedures; and (v) Develop in consultation with identified consulting parties alternatives and proposed measures that might avoid, minimize or mitigate any adverse effects of the undertaking on historic properties and describe them in the EA or DEIS.

(i) The agency official shall submit the EA, DEIS, or EIS to the SHPO/THPO, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations that might attach religious and cultural significance to affected historic properties, and other consulting parties prior to or when making the document available for public comment. If the document being prepared is a DEIS or EIS, the agency official shall also submit it to the Council.

(ii) Prior to or within the time allowed for public comment on the document, a SHPO/THPO, an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization, another consulting party or the Council may object to the agency official that preparation of the EA, DEIS, or EIS has not met the standards set forth in paragraph (c)(1) of this section or that the substantive resolution of the effects on historic properties proposed in an EA, DEIS, or EIS is inadequate. If the agency official receives such an objection, the agency official shall refer the matter to the Council.

(3) Within 30 days of the agency official's referral of an objection under paragraph (c)(2)(ii) of this section, the Council shall review the objection and notify the agency as to its opinion on the objection.

(i) If the Council agrees with the objection:

(A) The Council shall provide the agency official and, if the Council determines the issue warrants it, the head of the agency with the Council's opinion regarding the objection. A Council decision to provide its opinion to the head of an agency shall be guided by the criteria in appendix A to this part. The person to whom the Council addresses its opinion (the agency official or the head of the agency) shall take into account the Council's opinion in reaching a final decision on the issue of the objection.

(B) The person to whom the Council addresses its opinion (the agency official or the head of the agency) shall prepare a summary of the decision that contains the rationale for the decision and evidence of consideration of the Council's opinion, and provide it to the Council. The head of the agency may delegate his or her duties under this paragraph to the agency's senior Policy Official. If the agency official's initial decision regarding the matter that is the subject of the objection will be revised, the agency official shall proceed in accordance with the revised decision. If the final decision of the agency is to affirm the initial agency decision, once the summary of the final decision has been sent to the Council, the agency official shall continue its compliance with this section.

(ii) If the Council disagrees with the objection, the Council shall so notify the agency official, in which case the agency official shall continue its compliance with this section.

(iii) If the Council fails to respond to the objection within the 30 day period, the agency official shall continue its compliance with this section.

(4) If the agency official has found, during the preparation of an EA or EIS that the effects of an undertaking on historic properties are adverse, the agency official shall develop measures in the EA, DEIS, or EIS to avoid, minimize, or mitigate such effects in accordance with paragraph (c)(1)(v) of this section. The agency official's responsibilities under section 106 and the procedures in this subpart shall then be satisfied when either:

(A) The ROD, if such measures were proposed in a DEIS or EIS; or

(B) An MOA drafted in compliance with § 800.6(c); or

(ii) The Council has commented under § 800.7 and received the agency's response to such comments.

(5) If the undertaking is modified after approval of the FONSI or the ROD in a manner that changes the undertaking or alters its effects on historic properties, or if the agency official fails to ensure that the measures to avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse effects (as specified in either the FONSI or the ROD, or in the binding commitment adopted pursuant to paragraph (c)(4) of this section) are carried out, the agency official shall notify the Council and all consulting parties that supplemental environmental documents will be prepared in compliance with NEPA or that the procedures in §§ 800.3 through 800.6 will be followed as necessary.

(3) If an agency official, after consulting with the Council, determines to grant the assistance, the agency official shall comply with §§ 800.3 through 800.6 to take into account the effects of the undertaking on any historic properties.

(1) The following criteria, similar to those set forth in 36 CFR 800.3, shall be used to determine whether a project has an effect or an adverse effect.

(i) The effect of a project on a National Register or eligible property is evaluated in the context of the historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural significance possessed by the property. A project shall be considered to have an effect whenever any condition of the project causes or may cause any change, beneficial or adverse, in the quality of the historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural characteristics that qualify the property to meet the Criteria of the National Register. An effect occurs when a project changes the integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association of the property that contributes to its significance in accordance with the National Register Criteria. An effect may be direct or indirect. Direct effects are caused by the project and occur at the same time and place. Indirect effects include those caused by the undertaking that are later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still reasonably foreseeable. Such effects involve development of the project site around historic properties so as to affect the access to, use of, or significance of those properties.

(ii) Adverse effects on National Register properties or properties which meet the Criteria may occur under conditions which include but are not limited to:

(A) Destruction or alteration of all or part of a property;

(B) Isolation from or alteration of the property's surrounding environment;

(C) Introduction of visual, audible, or atmospheric elements that are out of character with the property or alter its setting;

(D) Neglect of a property resulting in its deterioration or destruction;

(iii) If rehabilitation is a project activity, such components of the project may be considered to have no adverse effect and need not be referred to the Council if they are undertaken in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Historic Preservation Projects (U.S. Department of the Interior, Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service, Washington, DC, 1979) and the State Historic Preservation Officer concurs in the proposed activity. Additionally, the following types of project components or elements will be considered to not normally adversely affect properties listed in the National Register or which meet the Criteria.

(A) Insulation (except for the use of granular or liquid injected foam insulation in exterior walls or other vertical surfaces);

(B) Caulking;

(C) Weatherstripping;

(D) Replacement of Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) equipment, provided that such equipment is not historic and that replacement equipment is screened from public view and that the State Historic Preservation Officer and the applicant agree the equipment will not affect those qualities of the property which qualify it to meet the 36 CFR 60.6 Criteria;

(E) In-kind refenestration (for example, replacement of deteriorated windows of a similar configuration, color and material);

(F) Lowering of ceilings, provided the ceilings will not be visible from outside of the building or from an interior public space and that the State Historic Preservation Officer and the applicant agree it will not affect a quality which qualified the building to meet the 36 CFR 60.6 Criteria;

(G) Replacement in-kind of substantially deteriorated material, provided that the State Historic Preservation Officer and the applicant agree;

(H) Installation of machinery, equipment, furnishings, fixtures, etc., in the interior of existing buildings, provided that the State Historic Preservation Officer and the applicant agree such installations will not affect a quality which qualified the building to meet the 36 CFR 60.6 Criteria.

(I) Site improvements such as sidewalk paving and landscaping, provided that the State Historic Preservation Officer and the applicant agree that the site improvement will not affect those qualities of the property which qualify it to meet the 36 CFR 60.6 Criteria.

(iv) Under certain conditions, alteration of land containing archeological resources in the project area may have no adverse effect on those resources. Procedures for determining whether such conditions exist were published by the Council in the Federal Register on November 26, 1980 (45 FR 78808), as part X of the “Executive Director's Procedures for Review of Proposals for Treatment of Archeological Properties.” Because the identification of archeological sites in an urban context, and consideration of appropriate treatment methods, present special problems, further guidance is provided in Appendix 2.

(b) If a project, activity or program is categorically excluded from NEPA review under an agency's NEPA procedures, the agency official shall determine if it still qualifies as an undertaking requiring review under section 106 pursuant to § 800.3(a). If so, the agency official shall proceed with section 106 review in accordance with the procedures in this subpart.

(ii) If an Indian tribe has assumed the functions of the SHPO in the section 106 process for undertakings on tribal lands, the SHPO shall participate as a consulting party if the undertaking takes place on tribal lands but affects historic properties off tribal lands, if requested in accordance with § 800.3(c)(1), or if the Indian tribe agrees to include the SHPO pursuant to § 800.3(f)(3).

(4) Gather information from any Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization identified pursuant to § 800.3(f) to assist in identifying properties, including those located off tribal lands, which may be of religious and cultural significance to them and may be eligible for the National Register, recognizing that an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization may be reluctant to divulge specific information regarding the location, nature, and activities associated with such sites. The agency official should address concerns raised about confidentiality pursuant to § 800.11(c).

(2) In addition to the consulting parties identified under § 800.3(f), the agency official, the SHPO/THPO and the Council, if participating, may agree to invite other individuals or organizations to become consulting parties. The agency official shall invite any individual or organization that will assume a specific role or responsibility in a memorandum of agreement to participate as a consulting party.

(i) Identify consulting parties either pursuant to § 800.3(f) or through the NEPA scoping process with results consistent with § 800.3(f);

(ii) If an Indian tribe has assumed the functions of the SHPO in the section 106 process for undertakings on tribal lands, the SHPO shall participate as a consulting party if the undertaking takes place on tribal lands but affects historic properties off tribal lands, if requested in accordance with § 800.3(c)(1), or if the Indian tribe agrees to include the SHPO pursuant to § 800.3(f)(3).