Cultural Resource Standards HandbookGuidance for Understanding and Applying the New York State Standards for Cultural Resource InvestigationsPrepared By: © 2000 by the New York State Archaeological Council What Is the Purpose of This Handbook?This handbook was created to assist non-archaeologists in their use and understanding of the New York State's Professional Standards for Cultural Resource Investigations (hereafter referred to as the Standards). The process of identification, evaluation, and protection of significant cultural resources is mandated by a variety of state and federal laws. These laws help protect our state's cultural heritage. Agencies, municipalities, and private developers are full partners in this process of preservation. Cultural resource investigations conducted as part of these mandates serve as a planning tool for many groups living, working, and developing projects in New York State. New York State has adopted a set of professional standards for the conduct of cultural resource investigations and the curation of collections resulting from these studies. The purpose of creating standards for cultural resource investigations is to establish systematic, high-quality methods for the identification, evaluation, and interpretation of culturally significant resources. Use of these Standards helps ensure that professionals gather uniform categories of information, explain their methods, and use appropriate reporting procedures. This process assists in the equitable and comparable review of development projects throughout the state. The Standards outline the basic information needed by reviewers, but they also encourage performance above the required minimum level. The regulatory review process for most development projects in New York State now includes some consideration of the potential impact of the project on cultural resources. Appendix A lists the agencies and programs whose proposed projects must comply with federal, state, and local cultural resource laws. Cultural resources can include (but are not limited to) prehistoric (pre-A.D. 1600) and historic (post-A.D. 1600) archaeological sites, as well as standing buildings greater than 50 years old and various types of landscapes (e.g. rural, sacred, urban). New York regulatory requirements for compliance were formalized in the State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA), the New York State Historic Preservation Act (NYSHPA) and the New York City Environmental Quality Review Act (CEQRA). SEQRA and CEQRA require the consideration of environmental, social, and economic factors for certain proposed development actions. Many of these follow the lead of federal laws and regulations such as Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Protection Act. Cultural resources are given equal weight with ecological factors in making decisions about the potential impacts of projects on important aspects of the environment. NYSHPA established requirements for the identification, evaluation, and preservation of significant archaeological sites and structures. One goal of planned development is to ensure the preservation of significant cultural and natural features, such as prehistoric and historic archaeological sites and historic standing structures, as well as open space, trees and plants, water supplies, and unique landscapes. Preventing the destruction of these resources ensures the continued use and enjoyment of them by present and future generations. Whether you are planning to develop a commercial venture, such as a shopping mall or gravel mine, or a municipal project, such as a water treatment plant or highway, it is likely that both cultural and natural features will be considered in the planning and permitting process. It is important therefore that everyone (developers, planners, and individuals) understand the process and goals of cultural resource management (CRM). This handbook, when used in conjunction with the Standards, is a good first step in understanding the preservation and permitting process. Stewardship of the past is not solely the responsibility of archaeologists and managers. Every citizen shares this responsibility. Although it is not a requirement of any legislation, it is important for landowners to consider the impacts of their own ground-modifying activities on any known sites under their control as well as protection of the site from looters. The state encourages stewardship of sites on private land through a variety of preservation easements that reduce taxes. Who Should Use This Manual?Any individual or group who needs to familiarize themselves with CRM procedures should use this manual, including:
How to Use This Handbook:The information in this handbook is intended to provide a good overview of the CRM process; it is not intended to be a comprehensive description of that process. This handbook was written in a question/answer format to allow readers to select areas that are of particular interest to them. The intent is to help people understand the CRM process of identifying, recovering, preserving, and managing resources within an environmental impact context. A flow chart is provided to visually guide you through the process. This handbook is divided into sections keyed to corresponding parts in the New York State Standards, available from either the New York Archaeological Council (NYAC) or the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPR&HP):
Handbook Format Notes:
This document may be viewed in two ways:
AcknowledgmentsMany people contributed to the preparation of the Cultural Resource Management Handbook. The Standards Committee of the New York Archaeological Council (NYAC) assumed the primary responsibility for seeing this manuscript through various drafts and revision to completion. Specifically, Mary Burns, Christopher Lindner, Linda Stone, and Nina Versaggi of the NYAC Standards Committee worked countless hours on these multiple drafts. The Standards Committee is especially grateful to members of the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Bard College for writing the first draft of this Handbook. Under Christopher Lindner's direction, Aaron Kimple, Mark Knudson, and Kim Uyehara produced a manuscript that formed a basic outline for this publication. NYAC acknowledges their contribution with appreciation for their enthusiastic effort. As the draft moved through various stages of revision and rewrite, several staff members at the Public Archaeology Facility at Binghamton University provided comments. In particular, NYAC appreciates the efforts of Christopher Hohman, Timothy Knapp, Laurie Miroff, and Sean Rafferty. Their comments helped produce a more "user-friendly" version of the Handbook. Maria Pezzuti of the Public Archaeology Facility designed the cover of the Handbook and NYAC thanks her for this important contribution. The following agency personnel offered useful official and unofficial additions to the Handbook: Robert Ewing (NYSDEC), Douglas Mackey (OPR&HP), and Florence Swartz (USDA, NRCS). NYAC thanks them for their comments, which added important details to this manuscript. Note: Address all comments, questions, or requests for copies to the President of NYAC or the Chair of the Standards Committee at the following addresses: Christopher Lindner Nina Versaggi |
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