H.F. 210 Section 1. NEW SECTION . 303.19A Effort required of rural 1 electric cooperatives receiving federal funding to identify 2 historic properties. 3 1. When constructing electric distribution and transmission 4 facilities, a rural electric cooperative receiving federal 5 funding for the construction shall only be required to conduct 6 an archeological site survey of its proposed route when, based 7 upon a review of existing information on historic properties 8 within the area of potential effects of the construction, it is 9 determined that a historic property, as defined by the federal 10 National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, is 11 likely to exist within the proposed route. 12 2. An archeological site survey required to be conducted by 13 a rural electric cooperative shall be designed to be no more 14 arduous than the reasonable and good faith effort required 15 under the federal National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, 16 as amended, as interpreted by the advisory council on historic 17 preservation, shall reflect the public interest, and shall take 18 into account the likelihood and magnitude of potential impacts 19 to historic properties and project costs. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The department of cultural affairs is responsible for 22 administering the Iowa cultural resources survey and 23 registration program which is to be operated in accordance with 24 federal law. Site surveys of proposed routes of construction 25 that have the potential to impact historic properties may be 26 requested under this program if federal funds are used to 27 finance the construction. 28 This bill establishes specific standards for surveys 29 by rural electric cooperatives. The bill requires a rural 30 electric cooperative to perform a site survey only when a 31 historic property is likely to exist on the property. The 32 survey itself must be a reasonable and good faith effort, 33 balancing the impacts on the historic property and the project 34 costs. 35 -1- LSB 2051YH (2) 84 jr/nh 1/ 1