S.B. 79 - Historic Preservation Reviews Summary

• Requires the Department of Land and Natural Resources to determine effects of state or county housing projects on historic properties, aviation artifacts, and burial sites within 90 days of a complete request.

• Establishes three-tier review process based on area sensitivity: highly sensitive areas require archaeological inventory surveys; moderately sensitive areas may proceed under archaeological monitoring if prior surveys show no significant properties; nominally sensitive areas may proceed without further review.

• Mandates state inventory of historic places numbers be obtained for all historic properties identified within housing project areas before or during construction.

• Requires agencies to make reasonable efforts to avoid or minimize adverse effects to significant historic properties, with mitigation options including preservation, archaeological data recovery, and historic documentation.

• Establishes discovery protocols requiring work to cease within 20 feet of inadvertently discovered human remains or previously unidentified historic properties, with notification to the state historic preservation division within 48 hours.