Adverse effect

An adverse effect is any action that alters the characteristics of an historic property that qualify it for inclusion or eligibility for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in a manner that would diminish the integrity of the property. Integrity is the ability of a property to convey its significance, based on its location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association.

Adverse effects can be direct or indirect. They include reasonably foreseeable impacts that may occur later in time, be farther removed in distance, or be cumulative. Typical examples of adverse effects are:
 * Physical destruction or damage;
 * Alteration inconsistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties;
 * Relocation of the property;
 * Change in the character of the property’s use or setting;
 * Introduction of incompatible visual, atmospheric, or audible elements;
 * Neglect and deterioration;
 * Transfer, lease, or sale out of Federal control without adequate preservation restrictions.