For more than a decade, the BLM in California has maintained a partnership with the Society for California Archaeology (SCA), a nonprofit scientific and educational organization dedicated to research, understanding, interpretation and conservation of California's heritage. One of SCA’s goals is encouraging respect, appreciation and a better understanding of California's diverse cultural heritage, a goal strongly shared by BLM. (text continues below)

 

California Archaeological Site Stewardship Program volunteers at an historical site managed by the Ridgecrest Field Office:

 

SCA and BLM work together to protect and interpret archaeological and historical resources across California; particularly the more than 500,000 estimated archaeological sites that exist on BLM lands.

 

Another objective of this partnership has been to provide a mechanism for the preservation of the State’s heritage through education and monitoring programs. This objective is met through two programs: California Archaeology Month and the California Archaeological Site Stewardship Program (CASSP).

 

Kirk Halford, archaeologist with BLM's Bishop Field Office, talks to participants at a CASSP workshop:

 

California Archeology Month is celebrated each October and BLM is an official co-sponsor. CASSP is supported by California Department of State Parks and Recreation’s off-highway vehicle (OHV) grants and in-kind contributions from BLM. The program trains, supervises and supports volunteers who monitor and report the physical condition on assigned archaeological and historical sites. The volunteers work on BLM OHV trails and on other lands in small teams directed by BLM archaeologists.

 

An added benefit of this partnership is a collaborative working relationship between BLM and SCA with the government of Mexico’s Instituto Nacional De Anthropologia e Historia (INAH) in Baja California.  A co-sponsored annual binational symposium, Balances and Perspectives on Anthropology and History of Baja California, promotes the preservation of heritage resources between our two countries. Previous cosponsored symposia were held in Mexicali, Tecate, Rosarito Beach, Tijuana, and Mexico City. The 2007 symposium will be held in Mexicali during November.

 

BLM California News.bytes, issue 303