The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA; Public Law 89-665; 54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.) is legislation intended to preserve historic and archaeological sites in the United States of America. The act created the National Register of Historic Places, the list of National Historic Landmarks, and the State Historic Preservation Offices.
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation - Preservation50
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966
Senate Bill 3035, the National Historic Preservation Act, was signed into law on October 15, 1966, and is the most far-reaching preservation legislation ever enacted in the United States. Several amendments have been made since. Among other things, the act requires federal agencies to evaluate the impact of all federally funded or permitted projects on historic properties (buildings, archaeological sites, etc.) through a process known as Section 106 Review.
The National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law by Lyndon B. Johnson on October 15, 1966. This act established several institutions: Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, State Historic Preservation Office, National Register of Historic Places, and the Section 106 review process. The Section 106 Process is further explained and defined in 36 CFR Part 800.
Source: wikipedia