August 25, 2005

ACHP Denver Office to Close

Press Release:
ACHP to Consolidate Resources by Closing Colorado Field Office

Effective October 28, 2005, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation will close its Lakewood, Colorado, field office and reallocate resources to its headquarters in Washington, DC. This realignment will allow the ACHP to complete its reorganization of the Office of Federal Agency Programs, expand and consolidate staff to better meet its mission goals articulated in the National Historic Preservation Act, and more fully support the Administration's Preserve
America initiative.

Created in 1973, the Lakewood field office served as a base for management of western State Section 106 cases. However, regulatory and statutory changes since then have significantly altered case management practices. The Section 106 review process has evolved to focus ACHP participation on high-profile cases where such involvement facilitates realization of outcomes acceptable to involved stakeholders. Involvement in these cases can also lead the ACHP to pursue broad changes to Federal agency programs or policies. The ACHP staff and Federal agency liaisons in the Washington, DC, office will now perform
these tasks.

The ACHP's expanded and consolidated Office of Federal Agency Programs, responsible for administering the Section 106 review process, will continue to work with Federal agencies to address their requirement to take historic properties into account when planning and executing projects. In addition, it will intensify its focus on addressing systemic Federal policy and program issues that impact historic preservation. Staff of this realigned office will also be better
positioned to participate more fully in other ACHP program responsibilities, including implementation of Executive Order 13287.

Over the next two months the ACHP will work with its customers to ensure a smooth delivery of services. A subsequent news release will provide details about this consolidation of resources and assignments of Federal agency review responsibilities.



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