§470aa — Title 16 Conservation | U.S. Code

Summary

Protects archaeological resources on public and Indian lands and promotes sharing information among government, professional archaeologists, and private collectors. The law says these sites and artifacts are part of the Nation’s heritage, can’t be replaced, and are at risk because people buy, sell, and dig them. It also says existing federal rules were not enough to stop uncontrolled digging and loss. The law recognizes that many people legally collected items for noncommercial reasons and could choose to share their finds with experts. Its goal is to save these resources for now and the future and to encourage cooperation, especially for collections made before October 31, 1979.

Title 16, §470aa

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Congress finds that—

(1)archaeological resources on public lands and Indian lands are an accessible and irreplaceable part of the Nation’s heritage;

(2)these resources are increasingly endangered because of their commercial attractiveness;

(3)existing Federal laws do not provide adequate protection to prevent the loss and destruction of these archaeological resources and sites resulting from uncontrolled excavations and pillage; and

(4)there is a wealth of archaeological information which has been legally obtained by private individuals for noncommercial purposes and which could voluntarily be made available to professional archaeologists and institutions.

(b)The purpose of this chapter is to secure, for the present and future benefit of the American people, the protection of archaeological resources and sites which are on public lands and Indian lands, and to foster increased cooperation and exchange of information between governmental authorities, the professional archaeological community, and private individuals having collections of archaeological resources and data which were obtained before October 31, 1979.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Short Title

Pub. L. 96–95, § 1, Oct. 31, 1979, 93 Stat. 721, provided that: “This Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979’.” Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Pub. L. 108–208, Mar. 19, 2004, 118 Stat. 558, known as the “Galisteo Basin Archaeological Sites Protection Act”, provided for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of nationally significant archaeological resources in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico by designating Galisteo Basin Archaeological Protection Sites and their acreage and provided for addition, deletion or modification of the sites, administration, cooperative agreements, acquisition of land and interests, withdrawal of lands from mining and other public land laws, and

Construction

of the Act.

§470aa Congressional Findings and Declaration of Purpose