Section 106 Historic Review
A review process under the National Historic Preservation Act requiring federal agencies, or any project using federal funding, permits, or licenses, to consider a project's effect on historic properties before proceeding, coordinated with the State Historic Preservation Office and, when needed, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Why it matters
The trigger isn't whether a building looks historic, it's whether federal money, permits, or licenses touch the project at all, which means an otherwise ordinary renovation can suddenly owe a full Section 106 review the moment it accepts a federal grant or needs a federal permit.
On a real project
A city project renovating a downtown building uses a federal transportation grant for part of the funding, and that federal money alone is enough to trigger Section 106 review, requiring coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office before work can proceed.
Who this matters most to
A Historic Preservation Specialist owns this process end to end, coordinating with the State Historic Preservation Office and, when needed, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Where this goes wrong
A project team accepts federal grant funding without realizing that alone triggers Section 106 review, and construction begins before State Historic Preservation Office consultation happens. The agency later requires costly redesign, or in some cases reversal of work already completed, once the missed review surfaces.