ABSTRACT
The establishment of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and its implementing regulations has significantly enhanced the view of history and prehistory throughout the Southern Plains. This chapter focuses on a historical perspective on how the various elements of the Section 106 review process have changed over time in the Southern Plains. It discusses the Southern Plains consists of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas. Native American tribes with historical ties to the Southern Plains have been the most prominent, and often the most vocal, consulting parties in Section 106 actions because of their status as sovereign nations. The Southern Plains region is often viewed as an expansive monolith of prairie grasses covering flat to rolling terrain, when in reality it is environmentally and topographically diverse, with a variety of natural resources. Water resources for human consumption, irrigation, and industry have always been of concern in the Southern Plains.
