Public Notice Regarding Historic Review of Privately-Owned Residential Buildings Proposed for Demolition in Orleans Parish, Louisiana The high winds and heavy rains of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the subsequent widespread flooding severely damaged many buildings in Orleans Parish. In the aftermath of the hurricanes, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is issuing this public notice as part of its responsibilities under 36 CFR Part 800, the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. This notice applies to activities carried out by the Public Assistance (PA) program implemented under the authority of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C.§§ 5152-5206. The City of New Orleans has determined that many of the buildings severely damaged by the hurricanes are an imminent threat to public health and safety. As part of its mission under the PA program, FEMA is proposing to fund the demolition of privately-owned residential buildings that pose such a threat. The identification and evaluation portion of the regulations cited above require that FEMA determine if properties proposed for demolition are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. (1) FEMA, in consultation with the Louisiana State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) has determined that some of the buildings proposed for demolition are in a state of collapse and have lost any historic integrity they may have had prior to the disaster. This means that these collapsed buildings are not eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places and FEMA has completed its Section 106 responsibilities for these buildings. For informational purposes, their addresses can be found at the website www.crt.state.la.us/culturalassets/fema106. (2) FEMA, in consultation with the SHPO, seeks to determine if additional privately owned residential buildings proposed for demolition by the City of New Orleans are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion A (associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history) or Criterion B (associated with the lives of persons significant in our past) and is requesting the aid of the public in this identification effort. Any member of the public who has specific, documented evidence of a property's association with events or persons significant in local, state, or national history is encouraged to provide this information to FEMA. For a list of the addresses and to comment on the historic significance of the buildings, visit www.crt.state.la.us/culturalassets/fema106. Comments can be submitted to FEMA for a 15-day period beginning on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at the above website or by regular mail to: FEMA LA TRO Historic Preservation 1250 Poydras Street New Orleans, LA 70113 If mailed, comments must be physically received at this address by November 8, 2008.