Federal Planning and Historic Places - (Heritage Resource Management) by Thomas F King (Paperback)

About the Book

Section 106. A critical section of an obscure law, the National Preservation Act. It has saved thousands of historic sites, archeological sites, buildings, and neighborhoods across the country from destruction by federal projects. And it has let even more be destroyed, damaged...

Book Synopsis

Section 106. A critical section of an obscure law, the National Preservation Act. It has saved thousands of historic sites, archeological sites, buildings, and neighborhoods across the country from destruction by federal projects. And it has let even more be destroyed, damaged, or somehow changed. Tom King de-mythologizes Section 106, explaining its origins, its rationale, and the procedures that must be followed in carrying out its terms.

Review Quotes

[King's] analogy between chronic disease and regulatory procedures is funny as well as sharp-edged .... The goal of AltaMira's Heritage series includes producing 'practical guides designed to help those who work in cultural resource management, environmental management, heritage preservation, and related subjects.' This goal has been met by King's contribution.

[Tom King] very nearly manages to bring what can be a complicated and arcane process into lay terms. Laced with humor, thought-provoking (and sometimes controversial) prose, and simplified examples, Federal Planning and Historic Places should assist anyone who wishes to learn about the 106 process.

I would recommend King's book to students in academic programs that serve to train the next generation of historic preservation professionals.... Those of us who are professionally involved with historic preservation planning in the United States (and her trust territories that are also subject to the process) will find many, many sections of King's book to be enlightening, provocative, and interesting-and funny to boot! .... King's book, as I have said, is wonderfully insightful.

If Historical Preservation Departments across the country realize the importance of King's work, it maybe come the essential supplement to those who would assure employment to thousands of archaeologists, historians, and preservationists. And, if this happens, it may turn the tide in preserving what is important to many Americans. This is a valuable work.

Thomas F. King, a long-standing leader in the ever-growing and transforming field of Cultural Resource Management (CRM), has done a great service to the historic preservation community by writing this book.... Any archaeologist who works in CRM or who is responsible for teaching students about the realities of practicing archaeology in the U.S. today should own this book. AltaMira Press should be congratulated for publishing books like this one in its Heritage Resource Management Series and filling a publication void.

Unique and valuable... the book for all who deal with Section 106 regulations to read and reread.

What makes this book especially valuable is the author. Thomas F. King has been involved in the Section 106 process since its inception, has taught section 106 classes for years, and has probably thought more about the regulation's evolution than any other person alive.

About the Author

Thomas F. King has worked in historic preservation since the mid-1960's, as an academic, a contractor and a government official. During 1977-79 he organized historic preservation programs in the islands of Micronesia, and from 1979-88 he oversaw Section 106 review for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. He holds a Ph.D. in anthropology (emphasis archaeology) from the University of California, Riverside.