The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance... has released a new report on archaeological and fossil resources... on Bureau of Land Management lands, in Utah.
The environmental group says the B-L-M is not doing enough to protect these treasures.
The B-L-M says it does as much as it can.
News Specialist Jed Boal has the story.
The Bureau of Land Management oversees 23 million acres of land in Utah...with as many as a half-million archaeological sites.
The treasures include petroglyphs, pictographs, fossils and dwellings...some left from cultures thousands of years old.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance believes they do not get the protection they deserve.
Utah's remote canyons are rich with unique archaeological, cultural and fossil artifacts.
Following study with archaeologists and Native Americans...The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance believes these sites need better protection from the B-L-M.
Heidi McIntosh/SUWA Conservation Director: UNFORTUNATELY, WHAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IS THESE SITES DO NOT GET THE PROTECTION THEY DESERVE, THAT THE PUBLIC EXPECTS, OR THAT THE LAW REQUIRES.
SUWA cites five main threats to these treasures:
Oil and gas development
- Looting
- O-R-V trails
- Other recreation
- Grazing.
SUWA reports in 1999, the Office of Inspector General found the BLM did not have the information it needed to protect these undisclosed cultural resources.
Heidi McIntosh/SUWA Conservation Director: THE PROTECTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES HAS SIMPLY BEEN A LOW PRIORITY FOR THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
State Archaeologist, Garth Portillo argues the Bureau does the best it can...but says more can be done.
Some sites get good protection...others need more.
And the B-L-M has only recorded a small precentage of the sites they believe are out there.
Garth Portillo/B.L.M.-State Archaeologist: THERE ARE A LOT OF SITES THAT WE'RE NOT PAYING SPECIFIC ATTENTION TO. IF WE HAD MORE RESOURCES WE WOULD DO MORE.
When the B-L-M identifies a site with management problems...Portillo says they take action.
He argues oil and gas development does not outweigh all other B-L-M responsibilities.
Garth Portillo/B.L.M.-State Archaeologist: SHORT OF LOCKING THE PUBLIC LANDS UP AND DENYING ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC, WE CANNOT GUARANTEE THAT EVERY SITE IS GOING TO REMAIN IN PERFECT PRISTINE CONDITION FOREVER.
The state archaeologists says they could use more money, more personnel and more cooperation from the public to protect these sites.
SUWA wants more attention on the issue...and more pressure to make sure the BLM protects these resources.
July 30, 2002
