2.10 CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
2.10.1 INTRODUCTION
Cultural resources are sensitive, irreplaceable resources with potential public and scientific uses, and are an important and integral part of our national and local heritage. Cultural resources constitute “a definite location of human activity, occupation, or use identifiable through field inventories (i.e., surveys), historical documentation, or oral evidence” (BLM-M-8110). The term “cultural resource” also includes “historic or architectural sites, structures, or places with important public and scientific uses, and may include definite locations (i.e., sites or places) of traditional cultural or religious importance to specified social and/or cultural groups. Cultural resources are concrete, material places and things that are located, classified, ranked, and managed through the system of identifying, protecting, and utilizing for public benefit”. Archaeological resources, a subset of cultural resources, are “any material remains of human life or activities that are at least 100 years of age, and that are of archaeological interest” as further defined in 43 CFR 7.3.
2.10.2 CURRENT SETTING
A variety of cultural resource types attributed to distinct chronological periods ranging from over 10,000 years ago to the present have been discovered in Garfield County, and there is potential for finding additional resources. Archaeological investigations began in or near GarfieldCounty in the late 1920s. In response to legislative requirements, more recent inventories have traditionally been conducted to support site specific surface disturbing projects and to comply with the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and other cultural resource preservation laws. Additionally, academic institutions have performed some research projects, although such scientific investigations are relatively limited.
Detailed inventories have not been conducted on all of the cultural resources in the County. Intensive cultural resource inventories meeting Utah Class III standards (i.e. 15 meter transect intervals) have only been completed on a small percentage of the lands in GarfieldCounty. Within GarfieldCounty, a total of 3,802 cultural resource sites are listed in the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) database. Cultural resource densities range from non-existent in rugged remote terrain to more than 100 sites per square mile in favorable locations. Based on GarfieldCounty’s size, tens of thousands of cultural resources may exist within the County limits.
It is believed that there are numerous unknown cultural resources in the County. Many of these resources are not able to be associated with specific events or time periods. Some resources lack any diagnostic information that would enable interpretation of small and previously impacted sites. Other resources are easily visible and contain characteristics suitable for interpretation, use and enjoyment. The size/influence of cultural resources can be determined from the field measurements and GPS technology. It is believed that reliable documents have not been developed for most of the cultural resources within the County. Many cultural resources are eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and are managed as directed by local, state, and federal regulation. SHPO records for GarfieldCounty indicates two cultural resources are listed in the NRHP; one cultural resource is nominated for listing and 1,765 resources have been evaluated as being National Register quality.
2.10.3NEED FOR CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT DIRECTION
Cultural resources have monetary, social, scientific and cultural value. When the resources are destroyed or exported from the County (even for scientific purposes,) there is a net loss of cultural value. The County needs to have a “No Net Loss of Cultural Resource Value” policy.
Cultural resources have not been adequately identified, mapped, or surveyed in the County. To a large extent, the cultural resources are unknown and therefore cannot be adequately managed, developed, used, enjoyed, or protected. Cultural resources need to be identified and inventoried. The lack of reliable data and specific inventories has resulted in cultural resources being used as a club to support special designation and prevent otherwise acceptable uses of the land or has left the resource unprotected.
Agencies lack specific direction regarding Outstandingly Remarkable/Relevant and Important values associated with cultural resources. Criteria need to be provided to federal and state land managers, so a consistent, legal management approach can be implemented.
Artifacts and other cultural resources have cultural, social, scientific and monetary value. Resources are being extracted and exported without the County receiving any value in return. A system needs to be established for the County’s residents and visitors to receive a cultural, social, scientific and/or monetary value for resources that are exported from the County. This is in addition to any intrinsic value that may be available for cultural resources having been here for some time.
Rural natural resource based communities are struggling to survive. Increasing environmental legislation and prescriptive, recreation oriented management have resulted in loss of economic opportunity and business capabilities associated with traditional natural resource extraction industries. In addition to efforts to revive such industries, educational and interpretive opportunities need to be greatly expanded for residents and visitors to rural communities like GarfieldCounty.
Some cultural resources in the area have been described as “world class.” Educational opportunities, interpretive facilities, programs, and understanding of cultural resources need to be world-class for all of the residents and visitors to GarfieldCounty. The school children, residents and visitors of the County need to have the greatest opportunities for field trips, hands-on experience, understanding, use, and enjoyment of these resources.
A facility needs to be constructed for the study, interpretation, use, enjoyment, display, and curation of cultural resources.
2.10.4 DESIRED FUTURE CONDITION
GarfieldCounty desires:
1. Consistent criteria for Outstandingly Remarkable/Relevant-Important values as they relate to cultural resources be developed. There are thousands of cultural resources within the County. Some are of greater value, and some are of lesser value. Those of lesser value need to be treated in accordance with law and in a manner that permits the multiple use/sustained yield of lands located in the County. Those that are determined to be Outstandingly Remarkable/Relevant-Important need to be developed to provide for interpretive opportunities, use and the enjoyment of current and future generations. Special designations should only occur in those situations where the cultural resource is of such quality and value that it meets or exceeds the Outstandingly Remarkable/Relevant-Important minimum criteria.
2. All cultural resources within the County be identified and evaluated as part of a level I, and Level II Inventory. Until cultural resources are adequately identified, mapped, and inventoried, they cannot be adequately protected and are considered speculative. All federal and state agencies need to conduct Level I, and Level II inventories on their lands to identify any cultural resources located in GarfieldCounty.
3. Necessary compliance work for projects be conducted in a timely and expeditious manner and in such a way that science is expanded, interpretive opportunities are developed and projects are allowed to move forward in an economically viable manner.
4. To retain existing cultural resources. In situations where it is impossible to retain a cultural resource, an equal/adequate social, cultural, and/or economic compensation needs to be provided to the County. Such compensation may be in the form of educational opportunities, interpretive development, increased facilities, cultural programs, and/or monetary contributions.
5. A facility be constructed for the study, interpretation, use, enjoyment, display, and curation of cultural materials and resources. Residents and visitors to the County need to have a facility where they can view, interpret, and enjoy many of the artifacts and resources that are located here. Ideally, the facility needs to provide research opportunities, so experts from around the world can share their expertise with others.
6. Any new cultural resource discoveries are made and are used to solve the riddles of the past. New and expanded interpretive opportunities need to be developed for cultural resources, including opportunities for world-class experiences throughout the County.
7. Economic opportunities associated with identification, excavation, research, and interpretation of cultural resources be provided throughout the County. Study of cultural resources is no less an extraction industry than mining or timber harvesting. Those industries provided jobs and supported families within the County. Natural resource extraction industries were eliminated, largely through federal regulation. Extraction of cultural resources and research attached thereto help replace traditional industry and provide equal or greater economic opportunities and support for local families.
8. The use of these cultural resources not be used to prevent multiple use/sustained yield of public lands and to create special area designations to promote single use recreation. Cultural resources need to be used for the understanding, benefit, use, and enjoyment of the public and not be use as a pry bar to force the political will of others on the residents and visitors to GarfieldCounty.
9. The items listed above be given funding and manpower by Federal and State agencies for the accomplishment of the work outlined in this chapter.
2.10.5 POLICIES AND GOALS
GarfieldCounty contains some of the most outstanding scenery in the world. It includes parts or all of three National Parks, one National Recreation Area, one very large National Monument and one designated wilderness area. All of the designations preclude or severely limit extractive uses of on these public lands. In addition vast acreages of land are being considered for potential wilderness as Wilderness Study Areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Coupled with this, are vast expanses of cultural resources in the County. These resources are protected by Federal law and cannot be extracted, bought, sold or in any way excavated or destroyed for economic purposes.
Their basic monetary value would be derived in two ways. First, and perhaps most important would be through fees charged the public for viewing displays and educational opportunities through a world class repository/museum located within the bounds of Garfield County.
The second opportunity for monetary value is through the inventory, mapping, recordation, stabilization, and housing of these resources. It will take decades to accomplish this work.
Policy: It is the policy of GarfieldCounty that there be a “No Net Loss of Resources and Opportunity” as it relates to cultural resources. The belief of the County is that these resources should remain in the area from which they came.
Objective: It will be the objective of the GarfieldCounty to pursue a world class facility for the purpose of housing, researching, interpreting, displaying and generally providing for the residents and visitors of Garfield a place where the cultural, social, scientific, and monetary values derived from cultural resources can be met.
At the present time there are only a few places where these valuable resources are housed, displayed and scientifically studied within the State of Utah. Probably none are of world-class status. Therefore, the County will actively pursue funding from grants, partnerships, and other available Federal, State, and local funding sources to bring this to fruition.
Policy: It will be the policy of GarfieldCounty to issue permits for activities that impact cultural resources.
Objective: The County is desirous of keeping cultural resources extracted from lands within the County in the County. If they are removed from the County then compensation, either monetary or otherwise must be made to the County.
These permits are above and beyond those issued by other Federal or State agencies as required by law. It will be considered a violation of local law to extract, remove without authorization or in anyway violate the County ordinance protecting cultural resources. Violators will be prosecuted.
Objective: GarfieldCounty will adopt a CountyOrdinance protecting cultural resources and adopting a permitting process. This ordinance can be found in Appendix A2.10b.
Objective: Develop criteria for identifying and determining relevance, and outstandingly remarkable values for important cultural resource values. Actions that do not comply with this criteria will be considered to be out of compliance with the County General Plan and in violation of local law.
Objective: Pursue opportunities to inventory, map and determine the relevance of cultural resources within GarfieldCounty.
At the present time the County recognizes only known, inventoried resources. Resources that have not been mapped and been the subject of a Level II inventory are considered speculative until adequately documented. Land management decisions that are based on speculative cultural resource information are inconsistent with the local plan and a violation of the County ordinance.
This will be labor intense, somewhat costly, and take perhaps decades to complete. In the end it will provide a base from which stronger management decisions can be made, especially when dealing with other uses of public lands.