Heritage Resources Management and the Wildland Fire Suppression Undertaking

Heritage Resources Program: Overview Purpose –Assist FS program areas maintaining ongoing compliance w/ heritage laws and policies while planning and implementing projects. Project Examples –Timber sales/veg. mgmt. –Wilderness maintenance projects –Prescribed fire –Wildland fire suppression Who does the work? –Archaeologists Historic Pre-Contact Industrial –Historians –Historic Preservationists –Architectural Historians/Historic Architects

Mandating Preservation and Stewardship: Heritage Resources Law and Policy Federal Law –Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) –Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) –National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) Agency Policy –FSM 2360 –Forest Plans

Archaeological Resource Protection Act (Public Law 96-95) Enacted in Forbids removal of archaeological resources from federal or tribal lands w/ out permit. Forbids the sale, purchase, exchange or transport of archaeological materials removed in violation of ARPA. Archaeological Site = 100 yrs or more in age. This is a criminal law with substantial fines and jail sentences meted out upon conviction. Confiscation of all personal property used in violation. Many successful prosecutions since enactment.

Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (Public Law ) Enacted in The bulk of the law mandates the repatriation of culturally identifiable human remains, burial goods and “items of cultural patrimony” to appropriate First Nations groups. “Inadvertent Discovery” –What to do? Stop all activity in the area. Protect the site. Notify coroner of local jurisdiction and law enforcement. Notify heritage staff. What to do issues are addressed in a Plan of Action (POA) developed by each agency.

National Historic Preservation Act (Public Law ) Enacted in Sets up the historic preservation system for the US. –Provides oversight agency Advisory Council on Historic Preservation State Historic Preservation Officers/Tribal Historic Preservation Officers –Established the National Register of Historic Places –Section 106 Mandates federal agencies to review the effects their projects may have on heritage resources and mitigate those effects in consultation w/ the ACHP/SHPO –Section 110 Federal agencies are responsible for their own heritage concerns. Agency heritage resource programs

Heritage Resource Site Types Building/Compound Structure Archaeological Site –Three elements Artifacts Ecofacts Features Ruins –Historic –Precontact Grave/Cemetery Monument Rock Art Traditional Cultural Property

Fire Effects Fire –Direct Burn/incineration –Buildings/Structures –Ruins –Artifacts Soil/sediment distrurbance –Indirect Erosion Visual exposure of sites make it easy for pot hunters to find them. Suppression Activities –Line Construction Hand line Dozer line –Safety zone construction –Spike camp activities –Retardant/water drops –High pressure hose –Remote helipad construction

Protection Measures Exclusionary Tactics –Line construction –Foaming –Sprinkler systems –Covering w/ fire retardant material –Brushing, cutting… Non-exclusionary Tactics –Prescribed fire –Fuel reduction –Removal of artifacts

Protection Measures

Resource Advisor Support to Heritage Resources Advocate for heritage support to fire if there is none. Inadvertent discoveries w/ out heritage staff member around? –Archaeological site/Historic site GPS: get a UTM of the estimated mid-point of the site... Take a picture Protect the site –Burial Run away and forget you ever seen it… Kidding… Protect the site, keep location confidential Get a hold of law enforcement and local coroner… Notify on-Forest Heritage staff ASAP.. Encourage/advocate for the use of MIST tactics… Heritage loves them too. Remember, according to provisions in ARPA and the NHPA site information is confidential…