The Nickel Report

On July 24, 2026, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) reportedly voted to move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to amend the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Section 106 implementing regulations. Subsequently, this NPRM was submitted to the White House Office of Management and Budget and is now awaiting review and approval to be published in the Federal Register. While the NPRM has not yet been publicly released, a draft that was sent to ACHP members was leaked to the press in late July. If the NPRM is similar to the leaked draft, the proposed changes would significantly streamline the Section 106 process for energy, mining, and infrastructure projects on federal lands or other entities requiring federal environmental permits.