Protecting and Preserving Cultural Resources

As a federal agency, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is responsible for complying with a variety of federal laws regarding the effects of agency actions on cultural resources, including prehistoric and historic resources, as well as traditional cultural properties. Cultural resources compliance is guided primarily by the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its implementing regulations.
There are three components of the BPA Cultural Resources Program:

• Cultural Resource Compliance for BPA Transmission
  Services Projects
• Cultural Resource Compliance for BPA Fish and Wildlife
  Mitigation Program Projects
• Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Cultural
  Resource Program

BPA's stewardship of cultural resources is accomplished in collaboration with affected Tribes, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO), Tribal Historic Preservation Offices (THPO), other federal and state land management agencies, the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), and interested members of the public. BPA typically manages agency compliance on a project by project basis, but is currently considering several programmatic approaches.

Through this program, BPA, the Bureau of Reclamation, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers work closely with federal and state agencies, affected Tribes, and interested parties to identify, evaluate, and mitigate effects to historic properties; including traditional cultural properties that are affected by the operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System.

BPA's Cultural Resources staff is located in the Environmental Planning and Analysis group within the Environment Fish & Wildlife organization.