The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) was enacted due to public concern that so many of the nation’s historic resources were not receiving adequate attention as the government sponsored much-needed public works projects. The NHPA, strengthened and expanded by several subsequent amendments, is today the basis of America’s historic preservation policy. The Act outlined federal policies for protecting historic properties, established the National Register of Historic Places, state historic preservation programs, and tribal historic preservation programs, as well as the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, an independent federal agency that assists the President, Congress and Federal Agencies on national preservation policies.