PAL

T.F. Green Airport began as Hillsgrove State Airport in 1931 and was the first state-owned airport in the country. The Rhode Island Airport Corporation (RIAC) proposed a number of improvements, including the extension of main runway and safety areas to meet current standards and the increased travel demand at the airport. The environmental studies and documentation were prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), partially funded by the Federal Aviation Authority.

Process

PAL assisted RIAC in meeting its obligations under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

PAL conducted archaeological and architectural investigations to identify and evaluate resources considered potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

• One resource listed in the National Register was identified within the area of potential effect (APE). Formal Determinations of Eligibility were prepared for two additional properties and one historic district.
• Two historic cemeteries were also identified within the APE. These cemeteries, while not subject to review under Section 106, are protected by state regulations.
• PAL's coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office, Narragansett Indian Tribal Historic Preservation Office, and the City of Warwick; in particular, the Historic Cemeteries Commission was a key element of these investigations.

Results

The NEPA process is ongoing and PAL will continue to assist RIAC in evaluation of effects to Historic Properties, review avoidance and/or mitigation measures, and prepare Memoranda of Agreement.