Historic Preservation in Oklahoma at Risk After National Advisory Council’s Vote

July 29, 2026

Contact: Jessica Brogdon
Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-967-9487
[email protected]
okhistory.org

OKLAHOMA CITY — The preservation of historic and cultural places in Oklahoma and across the nation is at risk after a vote by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP). The 24-member board voted on Friday to move forward with rewriting Section 106 regulations under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. Section 106 currently requires federal agencies to consider how federal projects would affect properties listed in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The proposed changes would dramatically reshape how the federal government identifies, evaluates, and resolves projects affecting historic sites.

The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a division of the Oklahoma Historical Society (OHS), oversees the Section 106 review process for projects in Oklahoma. In FY 2026, SHPO staff reviewed more than 2,400 projects under Section 106 guidelines.

“This rewrite would fundamentally alter how Section 106 works,” said Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Lynda Ozan. “It is not simply a procedural update; it would fundamentally change how states, tribes, local governments, and the public participate in decisions affecting historic places.”

The proposed changes would no longer require federal agencies to invite interested parties, such as historic preservation offices and tribal governments, to share feedback on whether the project would cause adverse effects and what appropriate mitigation would include.

“The ACHP’s proposed rule changes would impact the state’s opportunity to identify and resolve issues early in the project planning, potentially increasing conflict later rather than reducing it,” said Ozan.

The next step is a public comment period, and the ACHP will be required to respond to the comments it receives. No information has been released about the public comment period. Multiple rounds of review are expected before any final action is taken.

Section 106 has protected the places and records that allow Americans to discover where they came from, honor those who came before them, and preserve those stories for future generations. Once historic places, cemeteries, archaeological sites, and their associated records are lost, no amount of future research can recreate them.

“Section 106 remains one of our nation’s most effective tools for safeguarding the physical evidence of America’s history, and its core principles should remain the foundation of the federal historic preservation program,” said Trait Thompson, executive director of the OHS.

“Many stakeholders support targeted improvements that make the process more efficient but not changes that fundamentally alter the consultative framework established by Congress,” said Ozan.

The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications, the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit okhistory.org.

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