# 2026-11242: Lincoln Forest Returns Cave Burial Remains

2026-11242, Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest, Alamogordo, NM, is a Federal Register notice from Interior Department, National Park Service published 2026-06-04, effective 2026-07-06 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11242
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-11242
- Title: Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest, Alamogordo, NM
- Type: Notice
- Agencies: Interior Department; National Park Service
- Citation: 91 FR 33741
- Published: 2026-06-04
- Effective: 2026-07-06
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

Lincoln Forest Returns Cave Burial Remains

## Summary

The Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico has finished checking and identifying ancient human remains and artifacts found in a burial cave. These remains belong to Native American tribes, and starting July 6, 2026, they can be returned to their rightful communities. This important step respects Native heritage and follows federal law, with no costs to the public.

## Abstract

In accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Lincoln National Forest has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations in this notice.

## Effects PRIA read

- Repatriation Available July 6, 2026: benefit, low. Human remains representing at least 10 individuals and approximately 102 associated funerary objects from Site LA538 (Last Chance Canyon Burial Cave), Eddy County, New Mexico, have been identified as culturally affiliated with the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo. These remains…
- Who Can Request Repatriation: benefit, low. Requests for repatriation may be submitted by the Mescalero Apache Tribe and the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo identified in the notice, or by any lineal descendant, Indian Tribe, or Native Hawaiian organization (not identified in the notice) that shows by a preponderance of the evidence a cultural affilia…

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## Sources
- [2026-11242 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/04/2026-11242/notice-of-inventory-completion-us-department-of-agriculture-forest-service-lincoln-national-forest)
- [2026-11242 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-06-04/pdf/2026-11242.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2026-11241, Notice of Inventory Completion: Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park, CA](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11241)
- [Next: 2026-11243, Notice of Intended Repatriation: Hudson Museum, University of Maine, Orono, ME](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11243)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-11242 (as of 2026-06-11).