Governor's Executive Order 05-05

Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed Executive Order 0505 (GEO 05-05) into action in November of 2005.  This order requires that all state agencies with capital improvement projects to integrate the Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (DAHP), the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs (GOIA), and concerned tribes into their capital project planning process.  The simple idea behind the Order is to have the State take the lead in protecting our rich history for future generations to enjoy, particularly when tax payer money is being spent.

The following categories of State funded capital projects require GEO 05-05 review:

• Any Capital Construction Projects

• Land Acquisition projects for the purpose of capital construction.

The Review Process

There are two avenues to take for the review process: an initial face-to-face meeting, or utilization of our EZ-forms.  We prefer to review projects that are in the planning stage.  By doing this DAHP staff will be able to determine which projects will not require review under EO 05-05 and which projects will.  Our experience indicates that the majority of projects do not require any further action following an initial review. 

To start the review process, we suggest you contact DAHP staff at (360) 586-3065 to set up a 0505 project review meeting.  If you are not able to have a “face-to-face” meeting, please use our EZ Forms as discussed below.

At this “face-to-face” meeting, bring a list of capital projects planned for implementation during current biennia.   These meetings are kept informal and conversational.  We do not expect, or even encourage, creation of any new materials, forms, or presentations for this initial review process.   However, during these meetings questions may arise about your projects, and supporting documents may help answer (i.e. photos, feasibility studies, etc.) these questions.

At these meetings DAHP staff would like to review the following information:

• Project Description
• Location
• Proposed ground disturbance
• Does the project involve buildings or structures that are 50 years of age? 
• Photographs of the building(s) or site
• Information about your contact with interested tribes

We will also need to know if there is any federal involvement in the project: i.e. federal funding, permits, or licenses.  Please note that if there is federal connection, then the Section 106 consultation process of the National Historic Preservation Act will likely apply.  For these projects, consultation with our office is typically conducted by the responsible federal agency.

After going through the project list with DAHP staff, you should come away from the meeting with the following tangible results:

• A list of your projects that do not require further DAHP review; or
• A list of projects that need additional clarification or information; or
• A list of projects that have been identified as of concern and that will require additional dialogue to resolve impacts to cultural resources and;
• Agreement about needed “next steps” to continue or complete the review process.

If you cannot meet with DAHP staff, we have developed a series of one-page forms (the “EZ” 1 and 3 forms) that allows you to correspond with us on an ongoing basis.  The EZ forms were designed specifically to make it easy and quick for you.

• EZ-1 (Project Review Sheet)
• EZ-2 (Determination of Eligibity - completed using our Historic Property Inventory Forms on-line)
• EZ-3 (Building Modification Worksheet)

GEO 05-05 Guidance Documents

• GEO 05-05 Guidance / Overview (Powerpoint Presentation)
• Frequently Asked Questions