scope:

Overview

This Handbook provides recommendations for complying with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act during the environmental review process for transportation projects.

Section 106 of the NHPA requires Federal agencies to take into account the effects of their actions on historic properties.¹ The NHPA created the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) and authorized the ACHP to issue regulations governing the implementation of Section 106. These regulations are set forth in 36 CFR Part 800. Cross-references to the Section 106 regulations are included throughout this Handbook.

The Section 106 process seeks to incorporate historic preservation principles into project planning through consultation between a Federal agency and other parties with an interest in the effects of the Federal agency's action on historic properties. Section 106 consultation includes four main steps: initiating consultation; identifying historic properties that could be affected by the undertaking; assessing the undertaking's effects on historic properties; and seeking ways to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any adverse effects on those properties. The intent of this Handbook is to assist project managers and Section 106 practitioners in carrying out Section 106 consultation in coordination with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for transportation projects. This Handbook focuses primarily on Section 106 consultation for highway, transit, and passenger rail projects that involve funding or other approvals by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), or Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Many of the suggestions in this Handbook also can be applied to other types of projects.

The Reference Materials section at the end of the Handbook includes additional sources of introductory and advanced information on Section 106.

1 54 USC 306108. Prior to December 19, 2015, Section 106 was codified at 16 USC 470f.