Trump-appointed council votes to rewrite historic preservation rules, easing path for his triumphal arch

The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, where 20 of 24 members are Trump appointees, voted to approve sweeping revisions to Section 106 regulations under the National Historic Preservation Act. The changes would make State Historic Preservation Officer review optional rather than mandatory, eliminate the requirement for public comment, narrow the definition of historic property, and limit the ability of Tribal Nations to protest projects affecting their lands. The vote directly benefits President Trump's planned triumphal arch near Arlington National Cemetery, which is currently undergoing a Section 106 review that preservation groups say has already been rushed and exclusionary. The National Trust for Historic Preservation said it will take legal action to press for withdrawal of the proposal, calling it an effort to 'eviscerate the preservation of our shared civic and cultural heritage.' Tribal representatives called the changes 'an affront to Tribal sovereignty.' The propo...