The United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) told the FCC last week...
The United South and Eastern Tribes (USET) told the FCC last week it had concerns about how a national program agreement (NPA) on tower siting would handle sites that potentially were eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.…
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House Resources Committee Chmn. Pombo (R- Cal.) and National Parks Subcommittee Chmn. Radanovich (R- Cal.) told the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation last fall they were concerned about the applicability of the Council’s siting rules to the large number of properties “potentially eligible” for National Register and the extent to which that would affect tower siting. The Council had asked the FCC to delay adoption of the NPA by 30 days to address the potential eligibility issue (CD Feb 2 p2). The NPA is designed to streamline the review process for tower sites under Sec. 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). That provision requires federal agencies to consider the effects of an “undertaking,” including tower construction, on historic properties. “USET believes that narrowing this definition would violate the letter and the spirit of the NHPA, both as it applies to ‘historic properties’ in general and specifically as it applies to ‘properties of religious and cultural importance’ to Indian tribes,” USET told the FCC. “Such a narrowing of the definition of ‘historic property’ could potentially exclude the vast majority of tribal historic properties from coverage under the NHPA with devastating consequences for the protection and preservation of our heritage and identity.” USET said Pombo’s staff had indicated that tribal interests weren’t specifically considered when the letter to the Council was drafted. “They have committed to further discussions to hear USET’s concerns in detail and to assure appropriate protection of tribal historic properties,” USET said. Separately, the Recent Past Preservation Network, which promotes the preservation of post-World War II buildings, told the FCC it was concerned about consideration in the NPA negotiations of excluding replacements of existing towers from Sec. 106 review. “Communications towers -- like bridges, factories, windmills and electricity transmission lines -- are an important part of America’s industrial heritage,” the group said. It suggested Sec. 106 consultation on all towers 45 years or older.