36 CFR 800.1 Authorities, purposes, and participants.
(a) Authorities. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires a Federal agency head with jurisdiction over a Federal, federally assisted, or federally licensed undertaking to take into account the effects of the agency's undertaking on properties included in or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and, prior to approval of an undertaking, to afford the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation a reasonable opportunity to comment on the undertaking. Section 110(f) of the Act requires that Federal agency heads, to the maximum extent possible, undertake such planning and actions as may be necessary to minimize harm to any National Historic Landmark that may be directly and adversely affected by an undertaking and, prior to approval of such undertaking, afford the Council a reasonable opportunity to comment. These regulations define the process used by a Federal agency to meet these responsibilities, commonly called the section 106 process.
(iii) Indian tribes. The Agency Official, the State Historic Preservation Officer, and the Council should be sensitive to the special concerns of Indian tribes in historic preservation issues, which often extend beyond Indian lands toother historic properties.... When an undertaking may affect properties of historic value to an Indian tribe on non-Indian lands, the consulting parties shall afford such tribe the opportunity to participate as interested persons. Traditional cultural leaders and other Native Americans are considered to be interested persons with respect to undertakings that may affect historic properties of significance to such persons.
36 CFR 800.3
(c) Evaluation of effect. Applicants are required by section 110(a) of the HCDA of 1980 to include in their applications a description of the effect of a proposed UDAG project on any National Register property and or any property which may meet the Criteria.
(1) Criteria of Effect and Adverse Effect. The following criteria, similar to those set forth in 36 CFR 800.3, shall be used to determine whether a project has an effect or an adverse effect.
(i) Criteria of effect. The effect of a project on a National Register or eligible property is evaluated in the context of the historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural significance possessed by the property. A project shall be considered to have an effect whenever any condition of the project causes or may cause any change, beneficial or adverse, in the quality of the historical, architectural, archeological, or cultural characteristics that qualify the property to meet the Criteria of the National Register. An effect occurs when a project changes the integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling or association of the property that contributes to its significance in accordance with the National Register Criteria. An effect may be direct or indirect. Direct effects are caused by the project and occur at the same time and place. Indirect effects include those caused by the undertaking that are later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still reasonably foreseeable. Such effects involve development of the project site around historic properties so as to affect the access to, use of, or significance of those properties.
(ii) Criteria of adverse effect. Adverse effects on National Register properties or properties which meet the Criteria may occur under conditions which include but are not limited to:
(A) Destruction or alteration of all or part of a property;
(B) Isolation from or alteration of the property's surrounding environment;
(C) Introduction of visual, audible, or atmospheric elements that are out of character with the property or alter its setting;
(D) Neglect of a property resulting in its deterioration or destruction....