Are Agencies Doing Enough or Too Much for Archeological Preservation? Guidance Needed

Congress has passed the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments to provide additional guidance and clarification to the National Preservation Program. The amendments give the Secretary of the Interior the authority to waive the 1-percent limitation on the use of project funds to defray the costs of data recovery, increase the role of state historic preservation programs, and clarify federal agency responsibilities. GAO reviewed the programs of eight agencies whose activities had potential major impacts on archeological sites, the operations of five state historic preservation offices, and the program management of the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP).

The National Archeology Program, which costs about $100 million a year, is not working well. The Department of the Interior must provide better leadership and direction to federal agencies and states. Without better guidance, some federal agencies could spend billions of dollars over the next 10 to 30 years for archeological surveys, many of which may not be necessary, while other agencies may not do enough to identify and protect archeological sites. Interior has not established good criteria for agencies to use in determining whether identified sites are important to the national heritage, nor has it provided guidance on the extent to which archeological resources must be recovered, recorded, or preserved to comply with federal laws and regulations. This has resulted in project delays, increased costs, and general confusion over what is required to identify sites, determine their significance, and protect their resources. Federal departments and agencies interpret their responsibility for identifying archeological resources differently. Federal agencies rarely coordinate archeological overview studies, which could avoid duplication and save money. State historic preservation offices could help federal agencies determine which properties have state and local significance and are eligible for listing on the National Register. While some agencies limit archeological excavation to project areas, others require federal permittees and grantees to excavate sites well outside those areas. Lack of information on program costs and accomplishments hampers the program.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: James Duffus Iii Team: General Accounting Office: Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division Phone: (202) 512-7756