Tucson Field Office
| Contacts: | Diane Drobka, 928-348-4403, ddrobka@blm.gov |
Southeastern Arizona Gets New National Historic Landmark
Sierra Vista, AZ – An important fossil and archaeological site within the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area has just been nationally recognized for its special scientific values. On October 17, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced his designation of the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Murray Springs Clovis Site as a National Historic Landmark.
Murray Springs, located in southeastern Arizona, is one of the best-dated Paleoindian sites in North America. It is also one of the most significant Clovis sites, providing evidence of the earliest well-documented culture in the Americas. The 13,000-year-old site contains a multiple bison kill, a mammoth kill, and possibly a horse kill in a deeply stratified sedimentary context.
Several thousand stone tools and waste flakes from their manufacture were found along with the bones of late Pleistocene animals. Murray Springs has been called the largest single sample of Clovis flint knapping activity yet known in the western United States. Photos of the site, excavations, and artifacts are posted on the BLM Arizona Facebook page.
The BLM encourages Arizona residents and visitors to our state to walk the 1/3-mile-long trail and read its 10 interpretive exhibits. For information on the Murray Springs Clovis Site Trail, visit http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/cultural/murray.html.
Murray Springs was among 26 new national historic landmarks and one national natural landmark that Secretary Salazar recognized as places that possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States. Currently there are only 2,527 designated national historic landmarks and 592 national natural landmarks across the country bearing this national distinction.
“Each of these landmarks represents a thread in the great tapestry that tells the story of our beautiful land, our diverse culture and our nation’s rich heritage,” said Salazar. For a list of all 26 national historic landmarks, visit the Department of the Interior website at http://www.doi.gov/news/pressreleases/Interior-Designates-27-New-National-Landmarks.cfm
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.