BLM Utah Grant for Partner Repositories to Meet DOI Museum Standards

Public lands in Utah have been the source of many thousands of unique and irreplaceable archaeological, historical, and paleontological resources that represent Utahs 13,000 year human history and millions of years of biological prehistory. The Cultural and Paleontological Resources Management Programs are responsible for managing and preserving these fragile, nonrenewable scientific resources that are an important component of America’s natural heritage. These heritage resources are managed for educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational purposes. In addition, the cultural resources program is responsible for engaging with Native American communities and ensuring accountability for the proper care of museum objects that are related to the tribes cultural patrimony. Cultural and paleontological objects collected under permit are housed in non-federal repositories across the country, but remain federal property. The BLM-Utah State Offices Cultural Resources Management and Paleontology Programs coordinate the management, preservation, and outreach efforts for these resources.

b. Objectives:

The BLM Utah State Offices Cultural Resource Management and Paleontology Programs are seeking to establish partnerships to assist partner repositories in the care of BLM-Utah collections and collaboratively encourage the public to learn about and engage with heritage resources from the state. In addition to providing professional care of these objects, partner repositories provide volunteer opportunities, increased opportunities for engagement by the public, and encourage scientific studies of museum objects originating from public lands. These kinds of programs are made possible by facilitating partner repositories in their care of museum objects originating from BLM land.

Broadly, the objective is to develop strong partnerships with partner repositories responsible for the preservation of heritage resources. The repositories housing federal museum objects facilitate the promotion of their educational, scientific, cultural, and recreational values.
â¿¢ Provide support for curating collections to DOI Museum Program management standards;
â¿¢ Proactive collection based studies;
â¿¢ Accountability through regular inventory;
â¿¢ Monitoring at-risk heritage resources in collections;
â¿¢ Stabilizing at-risk heritage resources in collections;
â¿¢ Provide support to facilities that are focused on the curation of heritage resources;
â¿¢ Assist with heritage resources data management, such as digitizing records;
â¿¢ Complete special projects involving BLM museum collections, including studies, interpretation, and proactive conservation projects;
â¿¢ Promote engagement with tribal communities and foster partnerships with tribal governments and programs on the long-term care of objects related to their cultural patrimony;
â¿¢ Provide support for the inventory and summary of human remains and objects subject to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and research that facilitates development of these inventories and summaries.
â¿¢ Increase accessibility of museum objects to the public, Native American communities, and researchers;
â¿¢ Provide support for and foster volunteer partnerships to maintain museum objects originating from BLM land;
â¿¢ Promote public engagement, learning opportunities, and archaeological and/or paleontological ethics through education and outreach programs, events, and products undertaken by partner repositories; and
â¿¢ Develop interpretive programs and products.

The public benefit of these projects may include, but is not limited to, the following:

â¿¢ Museum exhibits;
â¿¢ Scientific research;
â¿¢ Educational and interpretive opportunities;
â¿¢ Long-term preservation of objects for future generations;
â¿¢ Compliance with laws and regulations of the United States; and
â¿¢ Support for Native American communities and the repatriation or long-term preservation of their cultural items.