Montana/Dakotas Cultural and Paleontological Resource Management

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Project Description: BLM Montana/Dakotas manages archaeological and historic sites, artifact collections, places of traditional cultural importance to Native Americans and other communities, and paleontological resources that occur on federal lands in the state of Montana/Dakotas. Collectively, these heritage resources represent thousands of years of human occupation, and millions of years of the earths natural history. BLM Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Programs coordinate management, preservation, education and outreach efforts, economic opportunities, and public uses of a fragile, nonrenewable scientific record that represents an important component of Americas heritage. The BLM Montana/Dakotas Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Resource Management Programs seek to establish partnerships that collaboratively encourage the public to learn about and engage with heritage resources in (Montana/Dakotas), with the goals of building a meaningful conservation stewardship legacy through expanding public access for recreation opportunities on public lands, working to ensure meaningful consultation and self-determination for Tribes, enhancing visitor experience on public lands by better meeting our infrastructure and maintenance needs, and eliminating unnecessary steps and duplicative reviews while maintaining rigorous environmental standards. Expected Outcomes: Broadly, the objective is to develop partnerships to improve access to, and use, of heritage resources, and promote their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational values in a manner that meets U.S. Department of the Interior priorities and Cultural Heritage and Paleontology Program goals. Individual projects shall meet one or more objectives. 1. Conduct studies, including inventory, excavation, records research, and collections-based research to improve the understanding of Americas natural and cultural history. 2. Monitor at-risk heritage resources to track trends in condition and project effectiveness. 3. Stabilize at-risk heritage resources. 4. Train future cultural resource management practitioners and paleontologists through research projects, field schools and internships that capitalize on BLM heritage resources. 5. Assist with cultural heritage data and records management activities such as organizing, maintaining, and scanning site and survey records; creating, digitizing and maintaining geospatial data; and performing data entry. 6. Preserve existing collections at recognized curation facilities through such activities as archival housing, stabilization or conservation. 7. Promote engagement with Native American communities and foster partnerships with tribal governments and programs. 8. Promote public engagement, learning opportunities, and archaeological and/or paleontological ethics through heritage resources education and outreach programs, events, and products. 9. Conduct studies directed at determining impacts to heritage resources caused by activities such as prescribed fire, juniper control projects, vegetation removal by chaining or any land disturbing activity. 10. Stabilize at-risk historic structures. 11. Develop and maintain historic sites with interpretive and educational potential. Public/BLM Benefits: 1. The protection and preservation of cultural heritage and paleontological resources for the benefit of future generations. 2. The improvement of professional and/or public understanding of the nations cultural and natural history; 3. Educational, recreational, and economic opportunities for local communities and the public. 4. Increased Native American access to locations and natural resources important to traditional cultural practices and beliefs. 5. The Management of heritage resource collections and associated records to appropriate standards, and providing access to the public and Native Americans.

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