Rep. Frey appointed to national historic preservation board post
Today The White House announced that Representative John H Frey of Ridgefield was appointed by President Donald Trump to serve on The National Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).
The ACHP is an independent bipartisan federal agency that promotes the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of our nation's historic resources, and advises the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.
“It is truly an honor to have been asked to serve, combining my deep appreciation of history and love of public service,” said Representative Frey. Completing twenty-two years as Ridgefield’s state representative, he is the longest serving state representative in Ridgefield’s history. The second longest was the first, Col Phillip Burr Bradley, who served for 13 years starting in 1776.
A four-year term, Representative Frey’s tenure will begin immediately. The ACHP meets several times a year in Washington, DC.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) is an independent federal agency with the primary mission to encourage historic preservation in the government and across the nation.
The National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), which established the ACHP in 1966, directs federal agencies to act as responsible stewards when their actions affect historic properties.The ACHP is given the legal responsibility to assist federal agencies in their efforts and to ensure they consider preservation during project planning.
The ACHP serves as the federal policy advisor to the President and Congress; recommends administrative and legislative improvements for protecting the nation’s diverse heritage; and reviews federal programs and policies to promote effectiveness, coordination, and consistency with national preservation policies. A key ACHP function is overseeing the federal historic preservation review process established by Section 106 of the NHPA. Section 106 requires federal agencies to consider the effects of projects, carried out by them or subject to their assistance or approval, on historic properties and provide the ACHP an opportunity to comment on these projects prior to a final decision on them.
• Four expert members and four public members
• Member of an Indian tribe or Native Hawaiian organization
• Municipal mayor
• State governor
• Secretary of the Department of the Interior
• Secretary of the Department of Agriculture
• Secretary of the Department of Defense
• Secretary of the Department of Education
• Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security
• Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Secretary of the Department of Transportation
• Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Administrator of the General Services Administration
• Architect of the Capitol
• Chairman of the NationalTrust for Historic Preservation
• Chairman of the National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers
• Chairman of the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
Rep. Frey, who resides in a restored 1753 residence which was the home of a revolutionary war soldier, has had a demonstrated interest in historic preservation. He served as President of the Lounsbury House (formerly the home of the late CT Governor Phineas C. Lounsbury), a former trustee of the Ridgefield Historical Society and a member of the State Capitol Preservation and Restoration Commission.
A lifelong Ridgefield resident, this is the second Presidential appointment for Frey. In 2007, then President George W. Bush appointed him to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships.