Section 106

In the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), Congress established a comprehensive program to preserve the historical and cultural foundations of the Nation as a living part of community life. Section 106 of the NHPA is crucial to that program, because it requires consideration of historic preservation in the multitude of Federal actions that take place nationwide. Because Manchester is a city with a rich history, the RAISE Manchester Project is going through the Section 106 Review process.

Section 106 requires Federal agencies to consider the effects of their actions on historic properties and provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) an opportunity to comment on Federal projects prior to implementation. To successfully complete Section 106 review, Federal agencies must:

• Determine if Section 106 of NHPA applies to a given project and, if so, initiate the review.
• Gather information to decide which properties in the project Area of Potential Effect (APE) are listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.
• Explore alternatives to avoid or reduce harm to historic properties.
• Determine how historic properties might be affected.
• Reach agreement with the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO)/tribe (and the ACHP in some cases) on measures to deal with any adverse effects.

Throughout Section 106 review, Federal agencies must consider the views of the public. The City of Manchester is actively seeking comments on its RAISE Manchester project through a public participation process. The City’s project design team is currently working with the New Hampshire Division of Historic Resources and the Federal Highway Administration to identify cultural, historical, and archaeological resources located within the project area. The City is interested in hearing from appropriate institutions and individuals would like to participate as consulting parties in the Section 106 Review process. Approved consulting parties can provide input during the Section 106 Review process including participation in any regularly scheduled project design team meetings or public meetings where the RAISE Manchester Project and cultural resources will be discussed.

Who Are “Consulting Parties”? Under the NHPA, the following parties are entitled to actively participate as consulting parties during Section 106 review:

• State Historic Preservation Officers
• Indian tribes
• Local governments
• Historical Societies
• Historical Commissions
• Property owners in the project area

Other individuals and organizations with a demonstrated interest in the project may participate in Section 106 review as consulting parties “due to the nature of their legal or economic relation to the undertaking or affected properties, or their concern with the undertaking’s effects on historic properties.” The Federal Highway Administration will consider requests and decide who meets the criteria to become a consulting party.

Consulting parties are entitled to share their views, receive and review pertinent information, offer ideas, and consider possible solutions together with the Federal agency and other consulting parties. Consultation does not mandate a specific outcome. It is the process of seeking consensus about how the effects on historic properties should be handled.

For more information on how you can become a consulting party please contact:

Jamie Sikora
Environmental Program Manager
Federal Highway Administration
NH Division Office
53 Pleasant Street, Suite 2200
Concord, NH 03301
Office phone: 603-410-4870
Jamie.Sikora@fhwa.dot.gov