(a) For a State to participate in the program that this part describes, the Governor must appoint and designate a State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) to administer the State historic preservation program.

(b) It is the responsibility of the SHPO to carry out the duties and activities that section 101 (b)(3) of the Act describes. In performing those duties and activities:

(1) The SHPO must carry out a historic preservation planning process that includes the development and implementation of a comprehensive statewide historic preservation plan that provides guidance for effective decision making about historic property preservation throughout the State.

(2) The SHPO, in addition to surveying and maintaining inventories of historic properties, may also obtain:

(i) Comparative data valuable in determining the National Register eligibility of properties;

(ii) Information on properties that may become eligible for the National Register of Historic Places with the passage of time; and/or

(iii) Information on the absence of historic properties for use in planning for public and private development projects.

(3) The SHPO must provide for adequate public participation in the State historic preservation program as a whole.

(i) As part of the process of recommending a property to the National Register, the SHPO must comply with the consultation and notification procedures contained in 36 CFR part 60.

(ii) The SHPO may authorize other persons or entities to fulfill the notice requirements in 36 CFR part 60 pursuant to the Secretary's written guidance.

(iii) The SHPO also may authorize the historic preservation review commission (Commission) of a certified local government (CLG) to act in place of the State Historic Preservation Review Board (Review Board) for the purpose of considering National Register nominations within its jurisdiction, provided that the Commission both meets the professional qualifications required for the Review Board when considering such nominations and otherwise follows the Secretary's written guidance.

(iv) In accordance with the Secretary's written guidance and with the consent of both the property owners in a nomination and the chief elected local official, the Review Board (or the Commission acting in its place) may consider the nomination without a face-to-face meeting.

(4) The SHPO may carry out all or any part of his or her responsibilities by contract or cooperative agreement with any qualified nonprofit organization, educational institution, or otherwise pursuant to State law. However, the SHPO may not delegate the responsibility for compliance with the Act or with grant assistance terms and conditions.

(c) The Secretary will consider individual SHPO proposals for programs that, for a specified period, include fewer duties than those section 101(b)(3) of the Act specifies, if a different approach would better serve an appropriate balance of historic property, customer or constituent, and historic preservation needs.

(d) Procedures for review and approval of State historic preservation programs.

(1) In accordance with the Act, the Secretary will evaluate each State program for consistency with the Act periodically, but not less often than every four years. If the Secretary determines that it meets the program requirements of paragraphs (a), (b), (e) and (f) of this section, he or she will approve the State program as set forth in this section.

(2) The Secretary may use on-site and/or off-site inquiries to perform such evaluation. The Secretary will provide the SHPO with a timely report containing written findings and analyses that highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the State program.

(3) Approval method.

(i) If the Secretary determines that a State program is consistent with the Act, the report will include notice that the State program's approved status continues.

(ii) If the Secretary determines that a State program has major aspects not consistent with the Act, the report will include notice of deficiencies along with required actions for correcting them. Unless circumstances warrant immediate action, the Secretary will provide a specified period to allow the SHPO either to correct the deficiencies or to present for Secretarial approval a justifiable plan and timetable for correcting the deficiencies. During this period, the SHPO has the opportunity to request that the Secretary reconsider any findings and required actions.

(iii) The Secretary will provide timely notice of continued approved State program status to a SHPO successfully resolving deficiencies. Once the Secretary renews a State program's approved status, he or she generally will not review the program until the next regular evaluation period. However, if the Secretary deems it necessary, he or she may conduct a review more often.

(iv) The Secretary will provide timely notice of the revocation of a program's approved status to any SHPO whose program has deficiencies that warrant immediate action or that remain uncorrected after the expiration of the period specified pursuant to paragraph (d)(3)(ii) of this section. The Secretary will then initiate financial suspension and other actions in accordance with the Act, applicable regulatory requirements, and related guidance that the National Park Service issues.

(e) The SHPO must appoint or employ a professionally qualified staff.

(1) Except as approved pursuant to paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the staff must include at a minimum, one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for history, one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for historic or prehistoric archeology, and one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for architectural history. “The Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” and related guidance are part of the larger “Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.” The SHPO may determine that additional professional staff members representing the required or other disciplines are necessary to administer the State program in accordance with the Act.

(2) The Secretary will consider proposals from a SHPO for a minimum required staff composition that differs from the requirement that paragraph (e)(1) of this section specifies, if the proposal addresses better an appropriate balance of historic property, customer or constituent, and historic preservation needs in that State.

(3) When a staff position that paragraph (e)(1) of this section requires becomes vacant, the SHPO must fill the vacancy in a timely manner. In the interim, the SHPO must ensure that appropriately qualified individuals address technical matters. A vacancy in a required position that persists for more than six months is cause for review, comment, and appropriate action by the Secretary.

(f) Unless State law provides for a different method of appointment, the SHPO must appoint an adequate and qualified State historic preservation Review Board (Review Board).

(1) All Review Board members must have demonstrated competence, interest, or knowledge in historic preservation. A majority of Review Board members must meet “the Secretary of the Interior's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” which are part of the larger “Secretary's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation.” The members meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” must include at a minimum, one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for history, one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for prehistoric archeology or historic archeology, and one individual meeting “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” for architectural history. One person may meet the Standards for more than one required discipline. The other Review Board members, if any, who comprise the majority that meets “the Secretary's (Historic Preservation) Professional Qualifications Standards” may represent, subject to the SHPO's selection, any of the disciplines that those “Standards” describe.

(2) The Secretary will consider proposals from a SHPO for a minimum required Review Board composition that differs from the requirement that paragraph (f)(1) of this section specifies, if the proposal addresses better an appropriate balance of historic property, customer or constituent, and historic preservation needs in that State.

(3) When a required Review Board position becomes vacant, the SHPO must fill the vacancy in a timely manner. In the interim, the SHPO must ensure that the Review Board has access to advice from appropriately qualified individuals. A lapse of more than one year in filling the vacancy is cause for review, comment, and appropriate action by the Secretary.

(4) The Review Board must meet as often as is necessary to complete its work in a timely fashion but no less often than once a year.

(5) The Review Board must adopt written procedures governing its operations consistent with the provisions of this section and related guidance that the National Park Service issues.

(6) Review Board responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

(i) Providing advice to the SHPO on the full range of Historic Preservation Fund-supported activities, that section 101 (b)(3) of the Act describes;

(ii) Reviewing and making recommendations on National Register nomination proposals;

(iii) Participating in the review of appeals to National Register nominations; and

(iv) Performing such other duties as may be appropriate.