The Secretary, upon notification, in writing, by any Federal or State agency or appropriate historical or archeological authority that scientific, prehistorical, historical, or archeological data is being or may be irrevocably lost or destroyed by any Federal or federally assisted or licensed project, activity, or program, shall, if he determines that such data is significant and is being or may be irrevocably lost or destroyed and after reasonable notice to the agency responsible for funding or licensing such project, activity, or program, conduct or cause to be conducted a survey and other investigation of the areas which are or may be affected and recover and preserve such data (including analysis and publication) which, in his opinion, are not being, but should be, recovered and preserved in the public interest.
No survey or recovery work shall be required pursuant to this section which, in the determination of the head of the responsible agency, would impede Federal or federally assisted or licensed projects or activities undertaken in connection with any emergency, including projects or activities undertaken in anticipation of, or as a result of, a natural disaster.
The Secretary shall initiate the survey or recovery effort within sixty days after notification to him pursuant to subsection (a) of this section or within such time as may be agreed upon with the head of the agency responsible for funding or licensing the project, activity, or program in all other cases.
The Secretary shall, unless otherwise mutually agreed to in writing, compensate any person, association, or public entity damaged as a result of delays in construction or as a result of the temporary loss of the use of private or nonfederally owned land.
(Pub. L. 86–523, §4, as added Pub. L. 93–291, §1(3), May 24, 1974, 88 Stat. 174.)
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Last modified: October 26, 2015