Vermont's Programmatic Agreement and Manual on Section 106 Review of Historic and Archaeological Resources in Federal-aid Highway Projects

State and federal officials in Vermont developed a model programmatic agreement that dramatically streamlines the review of impacts of transportation projects on historic and archaeological resources and better protects those resources. The programmatic agreement delegates the sign-off authority of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) in the Section 106 process to qualified historic preservation professionals within the Vermont Agency of Transportation, exempts numerous types of activities from review, and provides standards and guidelines for day-to-day implementation. Consideration of historic and archeological resources early in the project planning process and a strong public involvement component are key elements of the agreement. The trust that was established through earlier interagency coordination efforts between the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the SHPO forms the basis for the programmatic agreement, which is innovative in its concept of self-regulation. The first annual evaluation of the programmatic agreement has proclaimed it a resounding success, and thirty other states have requested copies so that they may consider developing similar programs.