| Contacts: | Arizona State Parks: Managing and conserving Arizona's natural, cultural and recreational resources. Address: 1300 W. Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007 | |||
| FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Ellen Bilbrey, PIO, at (602) 542-1996 (Parks) or pager at (602) 229-7577, Internet mail: ebilbrey@azstateparks.gov; or Kris Dobschuetz (SHPO), (602) 542-7141, kdobschuetz@azstateparks.gov, or Ann Howard (SHPO), (602) 542-4174, ahoward@azstateparks.gov. |
2013 ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGY AND HERITAGE
AWARENESS MONTH CELEBRATION
"Life on the Edge: Feast or Famine in Arizona’s Past"
(Phoenix, AZ – December 10, 2012) -- For the entire month of March 2013, the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO)/Arizona State Parks (ASP) is coordinating activities throughout the state for the 30th annual celebration of Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month (AAHAM). These events will focus on current efforts to preserve our past by protecting our fragile and non-renewable cultural resources. AAHAM combines education with entertainment to reach both adults and children in an effort to teach responsible stewardship of our cultural resources. Museums, historical societies, tribes, agencies, parks, and archaeology organizations will be hosting events across the state; events are also planned in Arizona State Parks as part of their interpretive programs.
Proclaimed by the Governor each year, this celebration will feature prehistoric and historic site tours, exhibits, hikes, open houses, lectures, demonstrations and other activities throughout Arizona. A free statewide listing of these events and activities will be available in January, 2013 by contacting the ASP offices at (602) 542-4174, or by visiting the ASP website at www.azstateparks.com.
The featured event for the month is the ARIZONA ARCHAEOLOGY EXPO (Expo). This year’s Expo will offer many educational attractions for archaeology and history buffs, and will be located at the historic Horseshoe Ranch on the Agua Fria National Monument, north of Phoenix, on Saturday, March 16, 2013, from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The Expo is open to the public and is FREE. Arizona Game & Fish Department and the Bureau of Land Management are co-hosting the event.
The Expo will provide a special opportunity for visitors to learn more about why it is important to preserve archaeological sites and historic places, what archaeologists, historians, and tribal members do in their jobs, and about the prehistory and history of Arizona. The Expo will feature archaeology-related hands-on activities, craft demonstrations, and other fun and educational events. In addition, Boy Scout and Girl Scout merit badge requirements can be fulfilled at the Expo! Special displays and booths by archaeological and historical organizations, museums, Native American tribes, state and federal agencies, and others will allow you to participate as an archaeologist might in their research today, or make crafts and tools that teach how prehistoric Native Americans and other early inhabitants survived in the Southwest. Cultural and historical demonstrators, talks by archaeologists, and interactive activities will help make the past come alive! In addition, tours of local archaeological sites (rock art and pueblos) will be offered.
Free prize raffles will occur throughout the day. The Expo will give visitors new insights into Arizona's many prehistoric, historic, and contemporary cultures, and will help instill a sense of stewardship for our state’s fragile and nonrenewable heritage resources.
For more detailed information, contact either Kris Dobschuetz, SHPO Archaeological Compliance Specialist at Arizona State Parks/SHPO (602-542-7141) or by e-mail at kdobschuetz@azstateparks.gov or Ann Howard, Deputy SHPO, at Arizona State Parks/SHPO (602-542-7138), or by e-mail at ahoward@azstateparks.gov.
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.