The Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership this week issued its update report on its activities in the second quarter, including that a U.S. senator from Oklahoma will reintroduce a Route 66 National Historic Trail bill “as soon as possible.”
The partnership summarized its findings in a letter with the report:
In brief, the bill to designate Rt. 66 a National Historic Trail [HR801] has not yet been re-introduced in Congress this year. We are working hard with Senator Inhofe’s office to finalize language included in the bill, so it can be introduced as soon as possible.
The bill to establish a national Rt. 66 100th Anniversary Commission [HR66] is progressing. It was voted out of Committee in the Senate a few weeks ago and is now awaiting a vote by the full Senate.
Work continues on the development of a GPS-based Rt. 66 navigation app, with completion slated for the end of this year.
The Vintage Motel Task Force has recruited 12 properties to be part of what is being called The Route 66 Motel Collection. Approximately 14 additional properties qualify for inclusion in The Collection and are being actively recruited.
The Road Ahead has also been involved in its first set of Section 106 reviews, details of which are provided below in the report from the Preservation Working Group.
The senator referred to is U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, who’s served in that post since 1994.
Word on the street is New Mexico U.S. Sens. Tom Udall or Martin Henrich will co-sponsor the bill; Udall co-sponsored it during the last congressional session.
As for Section 106 in the summary, here’s a concise explanation:
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) requires federal agencies to consider the effects on historic properties of projects they carry out, assist, fund, permit, license, or approve throughout the country. If a federal or federally-assisted project has the potential to affect historic properties, a Section 106 review will take place.
Section 106 gives … interested parties and the public the chance to weigh in on these matters before a final decision is made. This process is an important tool for citizens to lend their voice in protecting and maintaining historic properties in their communities.
The Route 66 historic trail legislation found widespread bipartisan support in Congress during the last session, but the government shutdown that began late last year derailed any chance it would become law.
I’ve advocated designating Route 66 as a National Historic Trail since 2012, for reasons I’ve detailed here.
The full Route 66 Road Ahead Partnership report for the second quarter made be read here.
(Image of Route 66 shield in front of Gay Parita in Paris Springs, Missouri, courtesy of Roamin’ Rich Dinkela)