Consultation Checklist

Consultation requests should be made formally via a letter to our office. Please include the following information in your letter. These elements are critical to ensuring we are provided with the necessary information to respond to your consultation request.  Applicants or other individuals or organizations receiving financial assistance, permits, licenses, or other approvals should first check with the Federal agency(ies) involved to determine if the Federal agency has delegated them the authority to initiate consultation with our office on their behalf.  If the Federal agency(ies) has, the Federal agency(ies) will likely need to provide you with a memo noting this delegation of authority or contact our office.  If the Federal agency provides a memo delegating authority, please submit this with your consultation packet.     

1. What is the purpose of the consultation?

Examples of consultation requests may include:

• Request for concurrence for a determination of effect on historic properties, as well as National and State Register eligibility determinations 

  • • Memorandum of agreement proposal for resolution of adverse effect on a historic property 

• Development of a programmatic agreement (PA)

• Provide additional information requested by SHPO for a previously submitted consultation

2. What is the project name and agency number?

For new submissions, state the agency's project name and number. If the submission is a follow up or additional information for a previously submitted project is being provided, list the previously assigned HC # (this number can be found on SHPO response letters or on the email subject line from our office).

3. What is the agency involvement?

Identify the lead agency, the agency program, and type of involvement.  Please include a phone number and email for the agency point of contact.

Examples may include:

• The Federal agency involved is the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the staff contact information for which is John Doe; the Federal program is CDBG; and the type of Federal program is a low-interest loan to conduct rehabilitation work on downtown buildings.

• The State agency involved is the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. CDPHE staff member Jane Doe is the main contact and can be reached at (303) 111-0123 . The program is a grant to fund a portion of the costs to replace sewer lines.

4. What action is proposed?

Detail the project scope of work.

Examples:

• The project involves removing metal siding on several buildings; repair façade materials in need of repair; and paint.

• The project will entail the excavation of 1050 feet of non-compliant sewer lines and replace them with concrete sewer lines per current code regulations.

5. Where is the project located?

Identify location where the project will take place.  Please include coordinates and/or an address as well as a map with sufficient detail to understand where activities will occur.

6. What is the previous use of the area.

This step requires you to conduct research to identify cultural resources and land use. 

Explain how your project will impact existing properties,  for example:

• Are there any buildings or structures 50 or more years of age on or adjacent to property site? 

This is important because 50 years is the established age to begin to evaluate if a building is eligible for listing on the National Register and will require research with the county assessor.

• Will any buildings 50 or more years of age be vacated elsewhere as a result of this project? 

This is important because abandonment of a building eligible to be listed on the National Register may be considered an adverse effect to the building.

• What are the previous use(s) of site? 

This is important to determine if previous uses may have damaged properties or obliterated archaeological sites.

• Will there be any ground disturbance? 

This is important to determine if archaeological sites may be affected by the project. If there will be ground disturbance, elaborate on the following:

• Has the land been previously disturbed?

• Will access roads be constructed?

• Will the project require borrow areas?

• Will the project require staging or storage areas?

7. Define the Area of Potential Effect (APE).

Establish the APE, which is defined as the geographic area(s) within which an undertaking or project may cause changes in the character or use of historic properties, if such properties exist.  The APE should reflect the potential visual, auditory and physical effects to the setting of historic resources as well as any indirect or reasonably foreseeable effects that may occur later in time, be farther removed in distance, or be cumulative.  Please note that the APE may be larger than the project area and is dependent on what is being proposed.  

Examples may include:

7. • 1. • The APE of a project to do interior work may be only the building involved. However the APE for exterior work may also include the neighborhood if the neighborhood may be eligible or listed as a historic district.

        • The APE for a tall structure (such as a barn) may include the area in which it is visible if there are eligible properties for which the viewshed is part of their significance.

8. State Your Determination of Potential Effects.

Federal regulations state that the Federal agency remain responsible for all findings and determinations in the Section 106 process.  The Federal agency should supply its opinion on the project’s potential effects to resources identified as eligible for the National Register within the APE.  This does not prevent applicants or cultural resource contractors from providing their opinions.  The types of determinations of effect are:

• No historic properties affected
  This finding of effect is appropriate when there are no National Register-listed or eligible properties within the APE, or if there are such properties they will not be affected by the project.

• No adverse effect
  This finding of effect is appropriate when the project will affect a National Register-listed or eligible property but the effect will not diminish the characteristics rendering a property eligible for the National Register.

• Adverse effect
  This finding of effect is appropriate when the project will diminish the characteristics rendering a property eligible for the National Register—either completely (for example, by demolishing it), or significantly (for example, by altering the façade of a building).

Please address your correspondence to:

Dawn DiPrince

State Historic Preservation Officer

Notify Stakeholders

Consult with the appropriate local government and other consulting parties regarding your determinations of eligibility and potential effects, if applicable. The local government in which your project is located is required to be given the opportunity to offer its opinions on the project. Therefore you should also forward your request to the local government as well as the SHPO. Many local governments have their own historic preservation ordinance. A list of these local governments contacts can be found through the History Colorado Certified Local Government webpage.

In addition, Native American tribes are required to be notified depending on the nature of the project. This is particularly important in rural areas or for projects where ground disturbance will take place. The applicable Federal agency remains responsible to conduct this consultation. 

For more information on consulting party requirements, please contact the SHPO consultation staff.

Complete Inventory Forms and Survey Report

Complete Inventory form(s) for each building or structure (50+ years old) and archaeological site within the APE. The inventory form should include your opinion on the National Register eligibility of the resource for which the inventory form has been completed. The form that is used to record a building is called the Architectural Inventory Form 1403. There are other forms for archaeological sites and linear resources (such as railroads or ditches) for which you are best advised to hire a qualified cultural resource consultant to complete. Please see our Inventory Forms page for form templates and form preparation guidance.

Survey reports should include a Survey Management Form. Small scale projects may be eligible to use the Limited-Results Survey Form in lieu of a formal survey report. See Inventory Forms for additional information.

All site and survey documentation are required to include GIS resource boundaries.  Please see GIS Requirements to learn how to prepare and submit this data.

Submitting Information to SHPO

Whether you are submitting an initial notification letter, providing additional information, or submitting a package that includes completed inventory forms and a cultural resource report, all correspondence with SHPO should be submitted per our Submission Guidance page. If you have questions about submitting your project information, please reach out to our SHPO consultation staff.