From Preservation Action:
Last week the House Natural Resources Committee held a hearing where they voted to advance H.R. 4141, which would completely eliminate all required review for the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for development of certain broadband infrastructure.
During the hearing, the Committee's Ranking Member, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Rep. Teresa Leger-Fernandez (D-NM), spoke in opposition to the bill, citing the $65 billion provided in the infrastructure bill for rural broadband and the need to support agencies that conduct these reviews. Rep. Leger-Fernandez noted the burden placed on Tribal Historic Preservation Offices to conduct these reviews without sufficient support. She also cited how the National Historic Preservation Act (H.R. 3350) would reauthorize the Historic Preservation Fund and support State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices that carry out these reviews.
While we recognize the need to expand broadband access to rural and tribal areas, it shouldn't come at the expense of key protections that safeguard our historic and cultural resources. Preservation Action opposes this harmful bill.
Unless noted, the thoughts and opinions expressed in the article are solely that of the
author and not necessarily the opinion of the editors of PreservationDirectory.com.
|
|