Preservation Law Turns 60 as Advocates Organize to Defend Project Reviews
A coalition of 1,000 organizations launched a campaign to defend federal historic preservation reviews on Oct. 15, 2026, the 60th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act.
President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law on Oct. 15, 1966. More than 100,000 sites are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the federal list of properties considered worthy of preservation. NPR
At the center of the anniversary is Section 106, the part of the law that requires federal agencies to consult with states, tribes and other stakeholders before starting projects that could harm historic sites. That consultation process applies to federally funded or permitted projects across the country.
The anniversary comes as that process faces proposed changes. A federal council voted in summer 2026 to revise the Section 106 regulations. On July 24, 2026, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the agency that oversees the reviews, voted to move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
In the Senate, a bipartisan permitting reform bill gaining traction would narrow Section 106 review to speed up infrastructure and energy projects. The Senate released the permitting reform bill, S. 5653, in October 2026.
The new Section 106 Strong coalition officially launched Oct. 15, 2026. It followed an August letter in which a coalition of 600 groups urged Congress to block an overhaul of the reviews. That coalition said the rewrite would eliminate the roles of the public in the process.
Preservation advocates cite the Grand Canyon and the Arlington Memorial Bridge as examples of historic sites that would lose protection under the proposed changes. The National Trust for Historic Preservation said that under the proposed changes, federal agencies will no longer be required to try to avoid or minimize damage to historic buildings, neighborhoods and landscapes. NPR
The Senate has also examined the process. In the 119th Congress, the Senate held a committee hearing to examine the Section 106 consultation process, with the hearing record titled "The Section 106 Consultation Process Under the National Historic Preservation Act." Congress.gov
Section 106 reviews have figured in recent Washington projects. On Sept. 24, 2026, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation announced termination of Section 106 consultation on the Triumphal Arch Project. The team working on the proposed arch in Washington, D.C., had said its required review would begin on a Friday. The administration also proposed installing permanent fencing around Lafayette Park outside the White House.
