Overview

Overview

Purpose

The Nationwide Programmatic Agreement (PA) was signed on November 14, 2008 to provide coordination between the National Park Service (NPS), the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (NCSHPO), federally recognized Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to implement Section 106 under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA). The PA Toolkit provides guidance to NPS Superintendents and cultural resource managers on using the PA during Section 106 review in parks.

Download the PA signed in 2008 here (pdf).

Goals

The PA Toolkit aims:

To familiarize NPS staff with the PA, particularly Superintendents and cultural resource managers,
To unpack key aspects of the requirements and provisions of the PA,
To link the PA with preservation law and NPS policy in the Section 106 process,
To provide a centralized location for professional guidance on implementation of the PA, and
To offer a source of professional training in the use of the PA for which NPS staff may receive credit through DOI Learn.

Audience

The PA Toolkit is specifically oriented towards NPS staff members with roles in the Section 106 process: Superintendents, Section 106 Coordinators, and professionals on the Cultural Resource Management Team with roles in the Section 106 process at the park level. The PA assigns responsibilities to these individuals, indicates qualifications necessary for their participation, and outlines their roles in policy and procedure.

The PA also describes the involvement of individuals beyond the NPS. Non-NPS participants in the Section 106 process who might use the PA Toolkit include State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs), Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs); representatives of federally recognized Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations, and others, as appropriate; contractors, and additional parties as necessary. For these individuals and parties, the PA provides information on the necessary qualifications to participate in the Section 106 process, procedures, lines of communication, and more.

Guide to the PA Toolkit on the Web

The PA Toolkit consists of seven sections, plus a glossary and resources. Within each section, look for downloadable aids such as checklists or policy documents. The checklists are in .doc format so users can add information as needed. Discussion within the text includes citations to the relevant parts of the PA. Links are included to additional sources of information where appropriate.

Navigate the PA Toolkit either by clicking the navigation bar at the top of each page, beneath the black NPS bar, or along the right side. Arrows at the bottom of each page will move backwards or forwards among the sections, or to the top of the page.

The PA Toolkit is formatted for ease of printing. Click or choose print in your browser, and the text with navigation will fit on a standard page.