Contributed by: Restore Oregon
Organization: Restore Oregon
Dated Posted: July 26, 2026
Website: Visit External Site

Historic Preservation Crisis Happening Now

“The ACHP’s proposed changes to Section 106 will eviscerate the preservation of our shared civic and cultural heritage in the United States.”

– Brent Leggs, President and CEO of the National Trust for Historic Preservation

Damaging and substantial changes to the federal regulatory process known as Section 106 were hastily proposed with a highly irregular email vote due tomorrow, just one-week after a draft proposal was made public. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a voting member who voted no. Congressional leaders are pushing back and urging rejection, including Senator Ron Wyden (thank you!).

As a statewide partner with the National Trust, Preservation Action, National Preservation Partners Network, Restore Oregon is working quickly to develop an action plan for Oregon and what will need to happen rapidly in the next month or so as this moves forward. We are also working with our State partners on ways to support the regulatory work they must do that protects historic and cultural resources in Oregon.

For now, we ask all our readers, supporters, and all the professionals who work in the regulatory and cultural resources management sector of our field to be ready and available to help Restore Oregon in this endeavor to advocate and work in collaboration on this crisis. It is going to take all of us!

To help educate everyone, here is information and news coverage of this breaking emergency situation:  

National Trust for Historic Preservation: https://savingplaces.org/stories/section-106-under-threat

Congressional Leadership Fights Back:

https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/heinrich-enr-members-release-statement-urging-advisory-council-on-historic-preservation-to-reject-rule-gutting-tribal-consultation

Cultural heritage Partners: Defending Section 106 and America's Heritage Laws 

New Republic: Trump’s Latest Plan to Sell Your History Out From Under You

The Atlantic: Inside Trump’s Rush Job to Build His Arch

Architect’s Newspaper: Proposed changes to Section 106 draw pushback from preservationists and legal experts  

CBS News: Council handpicked by Trump to gut review process of historic preservation projects