摘要: |
In accordance with Section 407 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, the Department will conduct research and produce a report in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers (SHPOs), the Department of the Interior, appropriate representatives of the railroad industry, and representative stakeholders, on ways to streamline compliance with the requirements of Section 303 of Title 49 U.S.C. and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) for federally funded railroad infrastructure repair and improvement projects. The study shall: 1) Summarize the current and predictable future state of railroad resource and railroad corridor eligibility and eligibility determinations under the National Historic Preservation Act; 2) Report the results of a case study with field reconnaissance comparing documentation for two to three rail corridors; 3) Explore and identify extant and potential problems and benefits related to designating railroad corridors as historic resources; forecasts the likelihood, implications and consequences of widespread designation of railroad corridors as linear historic districts, to both federal sponsorship of railroad infrastructure improvement and historic preservation outcomes; 4) Explore and identify possible streamlining solutions to the historical railroad resource preservation problems including but not limited to administrative, regulatory or legislative measures providing an exemption of railroad corridors under the National Historic Preservation Act and administrative, regulatory or legislative measures related to the application of Section 4(f) to railroad infrastructure improvement projects. The solutions should achieve railroad safety and railroad improvement by ensuring necessary maintenance, repairs and structure replacements are not hindered while focusing on meaningful historic preservation outcomes for historic resources and structures along corridors. |