Are You a Project Consultant?

Secretary of the Interior (SOI) Qualified Preservation Professionals are responsible for all aspects of the field work, report preparation and content, National Register evaluation recommendations, preliminary evaluations of project effects, cultural resource management suggestions, and proper curation of project artifacts and records at an approved curation facility. The SOI qualified preservation professionals are also responsible for ensuring that all other project personnel have sufficient experience to perform assigned duties. Typically the professionals that work with the Kentucky Heritage Council / KY State Historic Preservation Office for Section 106 projects are SOI Qualified Historians, Prehistoric Archaeologists, Historic Archaeologists, and/or Architectural Historians.

Each agency, institution, or consulting firm submitting cultural resource assessment reports to the Kentucky Heritage Council / State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review must also have on file at the Kentucky Heritage Council curriculum vitae for each SOI qualified professional that documents a level of experience meeting the SOI Standards for each specific position. The Secretary of Interior's Standards for professional qualifications in archaeology, history, and architectural history are those used by all Federal agencies and have been previously published in the Code of Federal Regulations (36 CFR Part 61) and the Federal Register (48:44738-447390). These standards can be found on the National Park Service website. 

Some federal agency officials may require additional experience beyond this minimum. 

Kentucky Heritage Council Site Protection Program staff reviews these curriculum vitae to confirm that the professional meets the SOI standards. Firms and organizations with SOI qualified professionals may be placed on the Kentucky SHPO’s list of Section 106 consultants. 

SOI Qualified Historians, Archaeologists, and Architectural Historians are the preservation professionals responsible for the overall quality of the background research, field work, and resulting cultural resource assessment reports. All Section 106 investigations subject to review by the Kentucky SHPO must be carried out under the direct supervision of a SOI qualified professional who meets or exceeds the minimum professional requirements established in the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.