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An Introduction
To Museum Collections in the Bureau of Land Management
Since
the early nineteenth century, individuals and institutions have
been conducting scientific expeditions on vast acres of public
land, excavating and collecting objects. These materials were
transported to non-federal facilities including universities,
museums and historical societies. It was not until 1906 that
permits were issued under the Antiquities Act and the mid-1980s
before BLM was delegated permitting authority. Three collections
facilities were created in BLM: Billings Curation Center, Billings,
Montana in 1984; Anasazi Heritage Center, Dolores, Colorado
in 1988; and, the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center, Flagstaff Hill, Oregon in 1992.
The 3 internal BLM facilities hold
around 3 million specimens. Approximately 180 external facilities
in 33 states hold millions of museum objects with collection sizes
ranging from thousands to only a few objects. The Bureau has responsibility
for one of the largest number of museum collections held in nonfederal
facilities of any agency in the Department of the Interior. BLM
has the largest, most varied, and scientifically significant body
of on-the-ground resources from which these collections are derived.
Bureau collections are principally archaeological, paleontological
and historic materials and may consist of one object, several
objects, or curatorial lots (i.e., fragments of an object or objects).
Collections are made up of a variety of materials such as pottery,
metal, leather, textiles, wood, stone, bone, glass, paper, photographs
and negatives. Bureau collections and their associated records
are maintained in professional facilities, both internally and
externally, whose mission is to house, preserve, document, research,
interpret, and exhibit the material in trust for present and future
generations.
Laws and authorities specific to BLM's
museum collections include: Act for the Preservation of American
Antiquities, 1906; Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act,
1974; Archaeological Resources Protection Act, 1979; National
Historic Preservation Act, 1966; Native American Graves Protection
and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 1990 and, 36 CFR 79 - Curation
of Federally Owned and Administered Archeological Collections,
1990.
The Bureau meets its stewardship responsibilities
to museum collections by ensuring the collections are housed in
facilities identified in the permit process. The Bureau's priority
regarding these collections is to use limited funding to make
progress where opportunities and resources exist to help facilities
fulfill their mission. The BLM has had a Museum Collections Management
Plan since April 1993 (revised November 1999). The Plan supports
BLM priorities and, recognizing historic and substantial problems,
emphasizes the expansion of limited funding through creative low-cost
or no-cost solutions with an emphasis on partnerships with State
and Federal agencies, universities and museums which support the
BLM priorities and are cost-effective.
Information regarding BLM museum collections
and collections management issues may be obtained from Emily Palus, BLM National Curator and NAGPRA Coordinator, (202) 452-7721. Please
see the Annual Report for 2001 for the BLM
Museum Collections Management Summary.
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