Priorities and Positions

"Congress finds and declares that...the increased knowledge of our historic resources, the establishment of better means of identifying and administering them, and the encouragement of their preservation will improve the planning and execution of Federal and federally assisted projects, and will assist economic growth and development"

-- National Historic Preservation Act of 1966

Advocacy and government relations are central to achieving ACRA's goals. Through our Government Relations Committee, and with the support of our government relations counsel, Cultural Heritage Partners, PLLC, ACRA communicates with federal and state lawmakers, staffers, and agencies to ensure that the voice of the CRM industry is heard. To strengthen our industry, we help Members of Congress and government officials understand the scope of our business, the importance of historic preservation, and the impact of the cultural resource management industry on the economy.

ACRA's Government Relations Committee has identified the following legislative and regulatory conditions that will allow the CRM industry to thrive:

1. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act is consistently applied to all federal undertakings.
   
2. SHPOs and THPOs have sufficient resources to carry out timely Section 106 reviews. Lack of sufficient resources leads to unnecessary delays on projects, which leads to poor outcomes for clients and resources. 
   
3. Small businesses are encouraged to thrive and to contract with the federal government.