Pinedale Field Office
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
Volunteers Needed for Holden Hill Recordation
The Bureau of Land Management, in cooperation with the Wyoming Archaeological Society’s Upper Green River (UGR) Chapter, is seeking volunteers to assist in the recordation of Holden Hill, an emigrant inscription site on the Sublette Cutoff, a shortcut which shaved about 85 miles and seven days off the main Oregon-California Trail route.
Hundreds of emigrant inscriptions can be found on the base of the sandstone walls at Holden Hill. The site has previously been recorded and the emigrant names documented; however, the photographic techniques available at that time were not adequate. New technology such as 3D photography can capture more detail and allow the documentation of palimpsest inscriptions which are layered on top of each other.
Neffra Matthews and Tom Noble of the BLM National Operations Center in Lakewood, Colo., are well known for their 3D photographic imaging of the Red Gulch dinosaur trackway near Worland, Wyo. They will lead and train volunteers in this technique which will be used at the Holden Hill site. Plans also include making inscription line drawings and metal detection along the trail, if time allows.
The recordation effort is scheduled for Aug. 27 through 31. To volunteer or for more information, please contact Pinedale Field Office Archaeologist Sam Drucker at 307-367-5358 or sdrucker@blm.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.
Pinedale Field Office 1625 West Pine Street Pinedale WY 82941