Letter to the Hon. Richard V. Spencer, Secretary of the Navy - Larsen Letter to Navy on the Shutdown and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation Comment Period

Letter

Dear Secretary Spencer:

While the Department of Defense is one of the six federal agencies for which Congress has passed appropriations for Fiscal Year 2019, the partial government shutdown is having indirect effects on the military.

On November 30, 2018, the Navy terminated consultations with state and local stakeholders on the impacts to historic preservation of a proposed increase in EA-18G Growler operations at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. This termination triggered a 45-day period for comment by the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP), the independent agency tasked with advising Congress and the executive branch on preservation and use of historic resources. But with the ACHP currently shut down, this comment period has been effectively paused.

Consistent with 36 CFR § 800, Navy leadership has pledged not to sign a Record of Decision on Growler operations until receiving and addressing comments from the ACHP on the suitability of historic preservation consultations. I urge you to fulfill this commitment despite the unanticipated delay caused by the partial government shutdown.

Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your continued support for Navy communities.

Sincerely,

Rick Larsen

Member of Congress

Washington State, 2nd District

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