PISCATAQUIS OBSERVER • October 31, 2026
Since 1966, the National Historic Preservation Act has ensured that before a federally funded project damages a historic place, the people who live in its community have input. It ensures that federal agencies consult with interested parties to find ways to avoid, minimize or correct any adverse effects on historic resources. A permitting reform bill now before the Senate (the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, S. 5653) would make much of that consultation optional. The bill: removes many federal projects from review, narrows what counts as harm, lets agencies opt out of preservation, replaces consultation with rigid deadlines, punishes partners for federal delay, sharply limits judicial review, undermines Tribal sovereignty and sacred places. Urge U.S. Sens. King and Collins to oppose the bill before the scheduled vote on Nov. 9. ~ Liz McKeil, executive director, Moosehead Marine Museum, Greenville