Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission: GAAC

Annual Report

Download GAAC Annual Report on the Publications page

Mission

GAAC graphic Arizona is a national leader in the development of Public Archaeology and Heritage Tourism programs. The Governor's Archaeology Advisory Commission has played an important role in the development of Arizona's multi-component, award-winning educational programs in archaeology. The legislation creating the Commission was signed into effect by Governor Bruce Babbitt on March 26, 1985. The purpose of the Commission is to advise the State Historic Preservation Office on a variety of archaeological issues important to Arizona.

The Commission has assisted the SHPO in creating successful and unique public education programs, including Arizona Archaeology Awareness Month, the Archaeology Expo, and the Site Steward Program. The Commission is working with the Arizona Office of Tourism and the Arizona Humanities Council in promoting and expanding sensitive heritage tourism experiences. As part of this effort, the Commission has produced a document entitled "Guidelines for Archaeological Park Development" to assist public and private agencies in the appropriate and sensitive development of archaeological sites into interpretive public parks. The goal is to promote local economic development through archaeological heritage tourism, while fostering a stewardship ethic and the preservation of these irreplaceable archaeological and historical resources.

Agenda & Minutes

Minutes 11/18/10 ( 103 KB PDF)

GAAC Members

Download statement of locations where all notices of meetings will be posted ( 37 KB PDF)

The statutory Commission is composed of 11 members with expertise in prehistoric or historic archaeology, anthropology and/or ethnography, as well as tourism, public education, economic development, business, and Native American affairs. List updated February 2009.

Charles Adams, Ph.D. - Chair
Curator of Archaeology
Arizona State Museum
University of Arizona, Room 219N
P.O. Box 210026
Tucson, AZ 85721-0026
TEL: 520-621-2093
FAX: 520-621-2976
ecadams(at)email.arizona.edu
(Term Expires 09/01/10) Term Extended

Connie Stone, Ph.D. Vice Chair
Archaeologist, Renewable Energy Coordination Office
Bureau of Land Management
One North Central Avenue, Suite 800
Phoenix, AZ 85004-4427
TEL: 602-417-9429
FAX: 602-417-9454
Connie_Stone(at)blm.gov
(Term Expires 9/01/11)

Thomas E. Jones
Historical Archaeologist/Historian
Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd.
424 W. Broadway Road
Tempe, Arizona 85282
TEL: 480-894-5477
FAX: 480-894-5478
tjones(at)acstempe.com
(Term expires 9/1/2014)

J. Andrew Darling, Ph.D
Gila River Indian Community
Cultural Resource Management Program
P.O. Box 2140
Sacaton, AZ 85247
TEL: 520-562-7151
j.andrew.darling(at)gric.nsn.us
(Term Expires 09/01/12)

Chris Downum, Ph.D.
Northern Arizona University
Department of Anthropology
Box 15200
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
TEL: 928-523-6275
FAX: 928-523-9135
Chris.Downum(at)nau.edu
(Term Expires 9/01/11)

Margerie Green, Ph.D.
President
Archaeological Consulting Services Ltd.
424 W. Broadway Road
Tempe, AZ 85282
TEL: 480-894-5477
FAX: 480-894-5478
mgreen(at)acstempe.com
(Term Expires 09/01/10) Term Extended

Duane Hubbard
Chief, Resource Management
Tonto National Monument
HC 02, Box 4602
Roosevelt, AZ 85545
TEL: 928-467-2241 / 602-794-3819
FAX: duane_hubbard(at)nps.gov
(Term Expires 9/01/13)

Donna Ruiz y Costello
21220 N 23rd Ave #108
Phoenix, AZ 85027
TEL: 623-547-5146
lrobertson36(at)cox.net
(Term Expires 9/01/12)

Kristen D. McLean
Arizona Site Steward Program Coordinator
Arizona State Parks
1300 W. Washington
Phoenix, AZ 85007
TEL: 602-542-7389
FAX: 602-542-4180
kmclean(at)azstateparks.gov
(Term expires 9/01/14)

Advisory Committee Coordinator: Ann Howard (602) 542-7138

Three Year Plan 2010–2012

The Governor’s Archaeology Advisory Commission supports the mission of the State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO) by providing advice regarding archaeological activities and issues. The Commission evolved from an earlier advisory group that primarily had been concerned with stopping vandalism of important archaeological sites in Arizona.

Recognizing the successes of the advisory group, in 1985, the State Legislature created a statutory body called the Archaeology Advisory Commission. The Commission’s enabling legislation listed the goal of the earlier advisory group as well as new objectives, including the promotion of archaeology and the development of a broad base of public support for historic preservation. The Commission has been highly successful, helping the SHPO to initiate the popular Arizona Site Steward Program and Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month activities, as well as providing public education guidelines, a statement of principles regarding cooperation between archaeologists and American Indian tribes, guidelines for archaeological excavations on private property, and a report on the archaeological curation crisis in Arizona.

Arizona is recognized as a national leader in archaeological education and preservation programs. To help ensure that Arizona retains this position, the State Legislature overwhelmingly passed bills in 1994 and 2004 authorizing the continuance of the Commission.

The Commission is charged with advising SHPO on:

Conducting public education programs to promote archaeology and to inform the public on archaeological issues;
Fostering archaeological law enforcement activities to stop pot-hunting and other activities that damage archaeological sites;
Developing a state plan to protect archaeological sites, including the acquisition of sites and the development of archaeological preserves;
Developing mechanisms to assist private owners of archaeological sites in protecting and managing their sites;
Fostering continued study of Arizona’s archaeology to contribute to a better understanding of our cultural history; and
Archaeological activities and related issues within the State.

In consultation with SHPO, the Commission has identified a series of advisory tasks tied to these six topical areas. These tasks will form the basis for Commission activities over the following three years (2010-2012).

I. GENERAL PROGRAM DIRECTION

The Commission will inform and advise policy-makers in the state regarding heritage preservation issues and will share relevant information with the archaeological community and the public.
The Commission will support on-going public education programs carried out by SHPO and encourage programs that educate the public about the significance and stewardship of archaeological resources.
The Commission will promote professional competency in the practice of archaeology in Arizona by encouraging archaeologists to uphold professional standards and become trained in historic preservation law and regulation on the national, state, and local levels.
The Commission will encourage and promote partnerships that support archaeological resource protection and heritage education.
The Commission will support the goals and objectives established in the State Historic Preservation Plan Update 2008. These goals define objectives to achieve better resource management, effective information management, integrated preservation planning, proactive partnerships, public education and stewardship, professional standards and training, and policy-maker support.

III. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES

To more effectively achieve these goals, the Commission completed its initial Three-Year Plan for 2007-2009. At that time, it established a series of subcommittees tied to the general program direction. These three subcommittees are carried forward into the current Three-Year Plan. They include the Public Policy Subcommittee, the Public Education Subcommittee, and the Professional Competency Subcommittee. The responsibilities of these subcommittees will be to identify emerging issues, to track continuing situations, to gather relevant information, to set priorities for action, and, where appropriate, to work with SHPO in developing solutions to problems. The subcommittee objectives for this planning period are identified below.

The Public Policy Subcommittee will:

Encourage governments and tribes to undertake and involve the public in policy development and long-term planning efforts that identify and preserve the full range of archaeological sites in their communities;
Continue to make the Governor and Legislature aware of important issues regarding historic preservation at both the State and National levels;
Support efforts to protect archaeological resources and programs within units of the State Parks system, with particular attention to parks that have been closed, or are threatened with closure, as a result of the budget crisis;
Develop policy to promote better management and protection of archaeological resources along the international border, in light of threats posed by illegal activities as well as actions carried out in response by governments and communities; and
Share policy statements or related correspondence to the Governor, Legislature, and state agencies with professional and avocational organizations to promote effective communication of the Commission’s current activities.

The Public Education Subcommittee will:

Coordinate with SHPO to make activities associated with the annual Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month, including the Archaeology Exposition, more effective, widely known, and better attended;
Raise awareness of the Commission’s Awards in Public Archaeology by encouraging nominations, improving the award ceremony, and better publicizing the winners’ accomplishments;
Continue to work with Arizona State Parks to improve and expand the nationally recognized Arizona Site Steward Program;
Maintain communication with avocational organizations to offer advice and support for their efforts in public outreach and projects conducted in partnership with professional archaeologists and historians;
Work to publicize and highlight the contributions of archaeology and archaeologists to the history of Arizona, in conjunction with the celebration of the State Centennial in 2012; and
Collect and share information on youth education programs conducted by agencies, tribes, and communities.

The Professional Competency Subcommittee will:

Participate in the annual Arizona Historic Preservation Partnership Conference to highlight issues and sessions relevant to the management and protection of archaeological resources. Promote workshops developed to train archaeologists who are new to Arizona on state prehistory, cultural traditions, and associated material culture;
Seek input from the archaeological community to examine issues related to the effectiveness and efficiency of fieldwork and analytical methods;
Monitor the continued development and maintenance needs of the multi-institutional AZSITE statewide cultural resource inventory. Support the incorporation into the database of information on raw material sources and characteristics. Assist the AZSITE Consortium in building AZSITE into a primary tool for preservation planning; and
Assist SHPO in training programs for state agencies and others in historic preservation law and regulations.

The Commission’s mandate is to serve in an advisory capacity to SHPO. The organizational structure described in this plan enables the Commission to be more proactive and accountable in effectively carrying out its responsibilities.

Arizona's Curation Crisis

Download Curation Crisis Executive Summary ( 84 KB PDF)

Download Curation Crisis Final Report ( 398 KB PDF)

Public Outreach and Education

Public outreach and education is a critical component of archaeological site protection in Arizona today. Without an understanding of what the archaeological record represents, the public cannot be expected to appreciate that record, nor support the investment of public resources in its preservation for future generations. We owe it to our children to give them the opportunity of exploring the wonders Arizona's historic and prehistoric past. The Commission is committed to public outreach and education in the service of archaeological site protection. To that end, the Commission will:

Continue to support Archaeology Awareness Month and the Archaeology Exposition by helping to plan for, publicize and participate in related activities.
Continue to recognize people and organizations that have made a difference in protecting Arizona's rich archaeological heritage through an annual statewide awards program.
Participate in the annual historic preservation conference organized to highlight issues that include those relevant to archaeology and archaeological site protection.
Reissue the publication Presenting the Past to the Public: Guidelines for the Development of Archaeological Parks in Arizona, prepared by the Commission in 1998, to assist private landowners in creating and managing archaeological sites as educational and recreational facilities.
Continue to encourage voluntary preservation efforts by private landowners who are interested in protecting archaeological sites on their land. The Commission will work with the SHPO to disseminate information to the public about the importance of these kinds of voluntary activities.
Explore ways in which Arizona's archaeological heritage can become a
more important component of K-12 curriculum.

Technical Training

Historic preservation law and regulation are the primary means by which archaeological sites are considered as a part of land use and development planning that affects both public and private property. It is critical that public agency officials with resource management responsibilities understand these laws and regulations in the state of Arizona. The Commission is committed to educating cultural resources professionals in historic preservation law and regulation. To that end, the Commission will

Sponsor training programs for state agencies in historic preservation law and regulation.
Promote professional competency in the practice of archaeology in Arizona by encouraging archaeologists to become trained in historic preservation law and regulation on the national, state, and local levels.

Research & Planning

Historic preservation rests on a foundation that is established through research and planning. Only through these activities can archaeological sites be located, identified evaluated and properly managed for the future. The ultimate rationale for preserving archaeological resources lies in the potential they offer for knowledge about our collective human past. The Commission is committed to research and planning for the purposes of archaeological site protection and management. To this end, the Commission will:

Continue to support the SHPO in developing National Register context studies to assist researchers and planners in determining National Register eligibility. The Commission will create a task force to organize context forums on topics to be selected by SHPO and Commission.
Support the development of Heritage Areas in Arizona to assist in the planning and protection of cultural resources including archaeological sites.
Support the continued development and maintenance of the multi-institutional AZSITE statewide cultural resource inventory as a primary tool for preservation planning.
Encourage local and tribal governments to undertake long-range planning to preserve critical archaeological resources.

Public Preservation Programs

Arizonans are blessed with a rich archaeological heritage that is the envy of the nation. Archaeological sites in such places as Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Homolovi State Park, and the City of Phoenix's Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park have become important public assets. The Commission is committed to promoting public preservation programs that are dedicated to the protection of the state's archaeological sites. To this end, the Commission will:

Continue to support the nationally recognized Arizona Site Stewards Program and promote its expansion.
Assist local governments, citizens, and archaeologist with planning efforts to identify the full range of archaeological sites in their communities.
Publicly highlight the status of threatened archaeological sites through notices released to the press and other media outlets as needed

Download Standards for Conducting Archaeological Investigations on Private Land ( 177 KB PDF)

Awards in Public Archaeology

As part of Arizona Archaeology Awarness Month each year, the Commission recognizes individuals and/or programs that have contributed time and energy to promoting the protection and preservation of, and education about, Arizona's non-renewable archaeological resources. Four awards are presented each year in the categories of professional archaeologist, avocational archaeologist, Site Steward, and Program/Other category. The award ceremony is held at the Archaeology Expo each year. See 2011 Winners See List of Winners since 1988

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