Cultural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Cultural resources are prehistoric and historic archaeological sites; historic buildings, structures, and records; certain types of museum collections; and traditional cultural or sacred properties that are important to Native Americans and other ethnic groups.
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To date, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has identified over 8,000 cultural resources as a result of surveys completed on approximately 1% of the lands that it manages. These include 11,000-year-old archaeological sites, shipwrecks and their cargo, historic plantations and buildings, cemeteries and burial grounds, lighthouses, and battlefields. |
Hundreds of these sites are listed on or eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, with seven having been designated as National Historic Landmarks. While many Service cultural resources are adequately protected, hundreds of sites continue to be threatened by erosion, project impacts, deterioration, and theft of artifacts.
At the Illinois River National Wildlife and Fish Refuges, we have conducted a number of archaeological surveys. When necessary, archaeologists have excavated artifacts from the refuges prior to habitat rehabilitation projects. These artifacts are on display at the Dickson Mounds Museum near Havana.
Why we protect and study cultural resources:
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Cultural resources are the physical manifestations of our past, providing us with the means to examine and study first-hand the events and processes that have shaped our nation. Many are unique and irreplaceable. Their true value rests in what they offer us in terms of scientific information, interpretive opportunities, and cultural identity.
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The National Wildlife Refuge System's 500+ refuges encompass approximately 92 million acres spread across diverse landscapes throughout North America, the Pacific Ocean, and Caribbean Sea. If managed effectively, this System could play an integral role in protecting many outstanding examples of prehistoric and historic sites in perpetuity for study and appreciation.
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The study of cultural resources provides important information on changes to the environment and landscapes over thousands of years that contributes directly to the Service's primary mission of managing wildlife and their habitat. Research helps document information on past vegetation patterns, climatic fluctuations, wildlife populations, and historic uses of land by humans.
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Cultural resources offer excellent interpretive opportunities to help educate visitors about human impacts to the environment and the history of local communities. Cultural resources can be viewed on many refuges that are open for public visitation.
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The history of the Fish and Wildlife Service closely reflects the nation's growing concern with the protection of natural resources and conservation of wildlife. The Service's history is a story of notable individuals and events that have helped shape the American conservation movement for over 120 years.
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The protection of traditional cultural properties and sacred areas is important to the identity and values of many communities. These areas allow us to reflect upon and appreciate the strengths of our nation's cultural diversity.
Laws That Protect Cultural Resources
There are a number of laws that apply to the management and protection of cultural resources, most notably the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979, as amended. Key provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act direct Federal agencies to establish historic preservation programs to identify, evaluate, and protect important sites under their jurisdiction; and, to take into account the impacts of agency projects on significant cultural resources.
