Rep. Jared Huffman Criticizes Trump Administration's Move to Weaken Historic Preservation Protections
Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), the ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, has voiced strong opposition to the Trump administration's recent decision to weaken Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. This section mandates federal evaluation of construction projects' impacts on protected sites and requires consultation with affected groups, including Tribal Nations. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, filled with Trump appointees, voted to advance rules that would reduce these protections. Huffman criticized this move as an attempt to dismantle safeguards that protect America's historical sites, allowing developers to bypass considerations for tribal burial grounds and other significant locations. The American Institute of Architects and other preservationists have also condemned the decision, highlighting the potential risks to approximately 1.4 million historic sites.