Features

ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS & CASE STUDIES: Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966: A Streamlined Approach for Sidewalk Improvement Projects

Laura Dawood^a1 c1, Bruce D. Hart^a1, Sandy Lawrence^a2 and Dale Youngkin^a1

^a1 Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group LLC, Atlanta, Georgia

^a2 Georgia Department of Transportation, Office of Environmental Services, Atlanta, Georgia

Abstract

Federally funded projects must comply with a suite of environmental federal regulations, including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the US Department of Transportation Act of 1966, which are addressed through the National Environmental Policy Act process. In this case study, we describe a Federal Highway Administration sidewalk improvement project implemented by the Georgia Department of Transportation in DeKalb County, Georgia, that used an innovative streamlined process under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 to evaluate and assess effects on historic resources and to comply with National Environmental Policy Act process. This project also represents a novel use of this Streamlined Section 106 Process, since it was used in a new sidewalk construction project that required right-of-way acquisition and easements as compared to previous projects where this streamlined process was used only in cases with existing sidewalks and no right-of-way acquisition. Additionally, we demonstrate how coordination under the National Environmental Policy Act addressed impacts on historic resources and resulted in the successful preservation of cultural resource features.

Environmental Practice 12:134–143 (2010)

(Received 2009)

(Revised 2009)

(Accepted 2009)

Correspondence:

^c1 Address correspondence to: Laura Dawood, Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group LLC, 6300 Powers Ferry Road, Building 600, Suite 341, Atlanta, GA 30339; (phone) 678-904-8591; (fax) 678-904-8596; (e-mail) ldawood@keagroup.com

Laura Dawood has over 14 years of experience in the environmental field, including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) practitioner for federal-aid and state transportation projects, wetland delineation, protected species studies, project management, ecological field work, sustainable development, public involvement, International Standard (ISO) 14001, and statistical analysis. Ms. Dawood is proficient in oral and written communication in both English and Spanish. She has an MS in Conservation Ecology & Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia and a BS in Biology from McGill University in Montreal.

Bruce D. Hart has 18 years of experience preparing National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for federal-aid and state transportation projects and providing environmental compliance support for a variety of business settings, including industrial facilities. Prior to working with KEA Group, he was employed with several consulting firms and state and local government agencies. Mr. Hart holds an MS in Evolutionary Biology from the University of Akron (Ohio) and a BS in Microbiology from the Ohio State University.

Sandy Lawrence is the History Unit Manager for the Office of Environmental Services at the Georgia Department of Transportation in Atlanta. She has been with the department for over 9 years and has been the unit manager since 2005. She received her Master of Historic Preservation from the University of Georgia in 2000.

Dale Youngkin, Environmental Group Leader at Kennedy Engineering & Associates Group, has over 14 years of experience in the environmental field, including wetland delineation, stream assessment, in-stream benthic sampling, wetland and stream mitigation and restoration, protected species studies, vegetation sampling and identification, global positioning system (GPS) data collection, and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation for federal-aid and state transportation projects. Mr. Youngkin holds an MS in Biology/Marine Biology from Florida Atlantic University and a BS in Marine Science/Biology from Long Island University. He is a founder and past president of the Georgia Association of Environmental Professionals and is a member of the Transportation Research Board, Committee on Ecology and Transportation.