Hi HRC,
Please, see the following update from ACHP Executive Director Reid J. Nelson!
"I am pleased to inform you that I have updated the names of two critical offices in the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). Effective immediately, the Office of Preservation Initiatives will become the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs (OPLA) and the Office of Native American Affairs will become the Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples (OTIP). These name changes were spurred by and made in coordination with the ACHP's Chair Sara Bronin who earlier this month carried out a review of ACHP committees' scope, names and membership.
OPLA will be responsible for developing preservation policy recommendations, analyzing legislation proposed at the federal/state/local levels and Executive Branch policy initiatives, and participating in ACHP programs and research related to major national preservation issues. While many of the office's responsibilities remain the same, the new office name reflects the ACHP's increased focus on policy development and advising federal, state and local government.
A new responsibility of OPLA will be to advise upon state and local legislation affecting historic properties, in accordance with an ACHP responsibility set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act. The ACHP has adopted internal guidance to ensure that such advice is offered only upon request and in situations where there are substantial or precedent-setting impacts to historic properties or issues of concern related to federal preservation law and policy.
The change to OTIP marks a transition from the longstanding Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA). This new name reflects the ACHP's commitment to advancing the interests of all Indian Tribes, Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs), and Indigenous Peoples in the Section 106 process and the broader historic preservation arena.
Over the past two decades OTIP has served as the ACHP's subject matter expert on issues of concern to Indian Tribes, NHOs, and Indigenous Peoples including: representing the ACHP on the White House Council on Native American Affairs and at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues; advising the Chairman and staff on policy matters and historic preservation issues affecting Indian Tribes, NHOs, and Indigenous Peoples; ensuring the ACHP meets its trust and government-to-government consultation responsibility to federally recognized Indian Tribes; and, providing technical assistance and outreach regarding the rights and roles of Indian Tribes, NHOs, and Indigenous Peoples in the Section 106 review process.
The rebranding of the office will not impact or lessen the agency's commitment to Indian Tribes and NHOs in any way, nor will it substantially affect ongoing operations. Appointing an office at the ACHP to formally oversee the involvement of Indigenous Peoples in the Section 106 process will, however, facilitate greater consideration for Indigenous populations' cultural and historic resources, an action the ACHP is proud to take.
For additional information on these transitions please contact Druscilla Null, Director, Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs, at dnull@achp.gov or Ira L. Matt, Director, Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples, at imatt@achp.gov. Additional information about each office can be found by clicking the following links:
Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs
Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples"
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Jaelon T. Moaney
Sr. Manager, Federal Relations
The American Institute of Architects
Washington, DC
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