Advisory Council on Historic Preservation ACHP

Urban renewal and interstate highway construction destroyed thousands of historic buildings in the 1950s and 1960s, including the beloved Pennsylvania Station in New York, demolished starting in 1963. In response, Congress passed the National Historic Preservation Act, signed on October 15, 1966, which created the National Register of Historic Places, state historic preservation offices, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Council's members include a chair appointed by the President, preservation experts and citizens, a governor and a mayor, a tribal representative, and the heads of several federal agencies.

The Council's main job is overseeing Section 106 of the law, which requires every federal agency to take into account the effects of projects it carries out, funds, or permits on historic properties, from highways and pipelines to cell towers and military bases, and to give the Council a chance to comment. Agencies must consult with state and tribal historic preservation officers, Indian tribes, local governments, and the public, and they often sign agreements to avoid or reduce harm. Section 106 does not require that historic places be preserved, only that their fate be considered. The Council also advises the President and Congress on preservation policy.

Section 106 review applies to tens of thousands of federal projects a year, and it gives tribes a formal voice over sacred and cultural sites affected by federal actions, as in disputes over pipelines and energy projects. Business groups and some officials in both parties argue that the process adds delays to infrastructure, housing, and energy projects, and efforts since 2025 to speed federal permitting have pressed the Council to streamline reviews. Supporters say it is a modest, consultative process that saves irreplaceable places, while critics say it allows opponents to stall needed projects.